Background
The Ministry of Tourism convened a consultative meeting with government bodies and private-sector airlines on 19 August 2026 to examine visa exemption measures for selected high-potential tourism markets and a proposed extension of a pilot visa exemption for Chinese nationals until the end of the year. Participants included representatives from the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, the General Department of Immigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, chambers of commerce, airport operators, and domestic and international airlines.
The meeting was led by H.E. Huot Hak as chair of the Tourism Working Group (Group “B”) and counted 77 attendees drawn from public and private stakeholders. Delegates discussed a proposal to establish a national-level coordination mechanism aimed at supporting tourism and aviation sector recovery and improving public-private policy coordination.
Key Developments
1) Consideration of visa exemption policies for selected high-potential markets and a formal request to extend the existing pilot visa exemption for Chinese nationals through the end of 2026.
2) A proposal to create a special national-level mechanism to coordinate recovery efforts across tourism and aviation, with the aim of improving policy implementation between state agencies and private operators.
3) Broad stakeholder engagement in the consultative session, including AmCham, CanCham, EuroCham, Cambodia Airport Investment Co., airport management firms, tourism associations, and both domestic and international airlines.
Policy Context
Visa exemption is being examined as a travel facilitation tool to reduce pre-travel friction for targeted source markets and to complement measures that enhance air connectivity. The Ministries involved are evaluating how temporary or market-specific visa measures could be aligned with broader efforts to increase international tourist arrivals while coordinating with aviation stakeholders on route planning and capacity.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Tourism is acting as the lead convenor through its Tourism Working Group (Group “B”) to assemble cross-ministerial and private-sector input on visa and connectivity measures. The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation and the General Department of Immigration participated as operational agencies responsible for aviation policy coordination and border-control requirements, respectively.
Official Source
Ministry of Tourism press release, Ministry headquarters, 19 August 2026; source post: Ministry of Tourism Facebook page.
