Ministry of Tourism hesitant about venue change from Koh Pich

26 Nov 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Soy

In the past, the ministry of Tourism had decided to use the Koh Pich center to organize the 2011 ASEAN tourist forum which will take place between 15 and 21 January 2011. However, following the stampede accident which took place on the last day of the Water Festival that caused the death of several hundreds of people on the Koh Pich bridge, the ministry of Tourism seems to be hesitant about the venue change for this event to a new location. A secretary of state for the ministry of Tourism who did not even dare talk about this issue, told the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper that the problem of venue change for this event is the government’s right, but if the ministry were to talk about this venue change, he was afraid it might not be true. Therefore, the ministry cannot talk about it at this time. “We are looking for calm for the condolences to the victims of the stampede first,” he said.

Ministry of Tourism is reviewing the tourism draft law

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is starting to review again the draft general law on tourism for the entire kingdom. The review was done in a seminar held on 24 August in Phnom Penh. The Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper reported that Sam Prumnea, the MoT secretary of state, said, during the seminar, that this draft law is very important because its extent will govern and rule all tourism activities, as well as the development of the tourism industry in the kingdom. Thong Khun, minister of tourism, claimed that when the draft law is approved by the National Assembly, the tourism sector in Cambodia will see as much progress as in other countries in the region, and in the world also.

Cambodia launches tourism documents to combat human trafficking

August 28, 2007

The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has launched documents to promote child-safe tourism to help prevent trafficking of women and children for labor and sexual exploitation in the industry, local media said on Tuesday.

The documents, which consist of a training manual, implementation principles and a strategic plan for policy-makers, are part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to fight child sex tourism, said Hor Sarun, deputy director general of administration and finance at the ministry, at the launching ceremony held here on Monday and presided over by Tourism Minister Thong Khon.

The strategies require owners of hotels, guesthouses, and other establishments to inform tourism police or relevant officials of any suspicious activities, he said.

The plan to promote policies on child-safe tourism was designed with technical and financial support from the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Philip Setkao, president of the Cambodian Hotel Association and general manager of Borei Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap, expressed his support for the initiative introduced by the ministry.

"It's good for awareness that (child sex tourism) is not the business that the country wants," he said.

Thong Khon said that the police and tourism officials are expected to use experience and knowledge obtained from the documents to prevent and reduce trafficking in children and women for labor or sexual exploitation.

Source: Xinhua

To Hun Sen, Funcinpec is no longer indispensable, but rather disposable; Nouv Sovathero still pins the blame on Ranariddh past mistake

Hun Sen Puts CPP Member in Top Tourism Post

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09/05/2007

Prime Minister Hun Sen fired the Funcipec Minister of Tourism Tuesday and replaced him with a member of the ruling party, in a sector that is fast becoming one of Cambodia's most important.

Lay Prohas, minister since 2003, was replaced by Thong Khon, a Tourism secretary of state, according to a letter sent by Hun Sen to the National Assembly.

Tourism, driven by an increasing number of visitors to Angkor Wat, is competing with garment manufacturing as Cambodia's main economic driver. The minister's post had been held by two successive members of Funcinpec, the Cambodian People's Party coalition partner.

Funcinpec spokesman Neou Sovatharo said the party was suffering from mistakes made by its former president, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who fled Cambodia last year.

He blamed the prince for supporting the passage of a law that enabled Lay Prohas' removal, a claim a spokesman for the prince denied.