The Pacific Asia Travel Association’s (PATA) Cambodia chapter is gearing up to organize the ASEAN Top Table Sales, a pioneering business matching event aimed at bolstering regional and international tourist influx to Cambodia. Slated for March 14-16, this event is anticipated to draw 30 outbound tour companies alongside thousands of tour operators from the ASEAN bloc.
Thourn Sinan, the chair of PATA’s Cambodia chapter, shared with The Post that this mini-business matching affair is designed to amplify promotional efforts and entice a larger number of buyers from within the region and beyond, particularly targeting tourists from Europe.
The event will span four days, split between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, to facilitate local tour operators in establishing business connections and forging partnerships with counterparts from other ASEAN nations to collectively enhance tourist arrivals.
Sinan elaborated on the long history of such events organized by PATA, but highlighted the innovative approach of this new platform which involves rotating the event across ASEAN member countries. The monthly organization of this event across the ASEAN region aims to bolster tourism operators who might not have the resources for international roadshows. Hosting these business matching sessions domestically presents a cost-effective alternative to the hefty expense of overseas event participation.
Meth Socheat, the proprietor of Wing Premium Travel and Tours, confirmed his company’s participation and emphasized the strategic opportunity for local tour operators to directly engage with potential partners and promote their offerings, thereby boosting tourist numbers while mitigating the costs associated with international events.
In 2023, Cambodia experienced a significant rebound in foreign tourist arrivals, with over 5.4 million visitors, largely thanks to tourists from four Asian countries who accounted for 68.9% of the total foreign visitors, as reported by the Ministry of Tourism.
The ministry’s data revealed that Cambodia hosted 5,453,231 international visitors in 2023, marking a 139.5% increase from the previous year. Thailand led the chart with 1,820,460 visitors, followed by Vietnam, China, and Laos, with substantial year-on-year increases. Other notable source countries included the US, South Korea, Indonesia, France, the UK, and Malaysia.
Source: Phnompenh Post
