Representatives in Cambodia’s tourism industry believe the country needs to further improve its preparedness and intensify promotional efforts to strengthen its appeal as a destination for Muslim travelers.

Late last week, the Ministry of Tourism announced that it will organize the Cambodia Muslim Friendly Tourism Forum and Fair 2026, “The Land of Gentle Hearts and Trusted Home in Travel”. The event will take place from July 10–12, 2026, at the OCIC Convention Center in the capital’s Chroy Changvar district.

The event will showcase a wide range of tourism services and products tailored to Muslim travelers.

According to the ministry, it aims to promote Cambodia’s reputation as a safe, warm and trusted destination for all tourists across the globe; foster mutual cultural exchanges; and strengthen cooperation and enhance awareness of trends and needs for Muslim tourists with resilience and innovation, in alignment with the digital era.

The ministry explained added that the forum will include a series of panel discussions featuring government officials, tourism experts, Muslim community leaders, business executives and private sector representatives. The discussions will focus on sharing ideas, exchanging best practices and providing recommendations to support the sustainable, resilient and inclusive development of the Kingdom’s tourism industry.

According to the Global Muslim Travel Index, approximately 176 million Muslims travelled worldwide in 2024, representing a 25 per cent increase from 2023 and a 10 per cent rise compared with the pre-Covid-19 period.

Thourn Sinan, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia Chapter (PATACC), told The Post on June 29 that the forum would encourage stakeholders in Cambodia’s tourism industry to pay greater attention to the Muslim tourism market.

Read More:

He noted that Cambodia still has significant opportunities to attract more Muslim visitors, particularly from India, Indonesia and the Middle East.

“This fair will serve as a catalyst, encouraging tourism businesses as well as the Cambodian public to further improve their services to better accommodate visitors of all nationalities and religious backgrounds,” he said.

Sinan added that halal dining options in Cambodia remain less widespread than those available in neighboring countries. However, he noted that the tourism ministry is making considerable efforts to promote the development of Muslim-friendly tourism services.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a training program on “Muslim-Friendly Hospitality and Cambodia Muslim-Friendly Standards” in August 2025, tourism minister Huot Hak said Cambodia is diversifying its international tourism market by expanding into the rapidly growing Muslim travel segment, which offers strong potential to complement the country’s existing international visitor markets.

He emphasized that attracting more Muslim tourists requires tourism businesses to continue improving service quality, maintain reasonable pricing and assess their capacity to provide facilities and services that meet the needs of Muslim travelers, thereby adding greater value to their offerings.

“Cambodia is seizing opportunities to diversify its tourism markets in order to strengthen and expand the tourism sector’s potential, ensuring sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth by tapping into the Muslim tourism market to complement its existing international markets,” he said.

Source: Phnompenhpost.com