With the high authorization of H.E. HUOT Hak, Minister of Tourism, H.E. PAK Sokhom, Secretary of State and Chair of the HoKa Project Management Committee of the Ministry of Tourism, led a delegation of three technical officials to participate in the consultation meeting on Switzerland’s Southeast Asia Cooperation Programme 2027–2030. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) on the morning of 23 September 2026.
The consultation meeting was co-chaired by H.E. the Senior Minister in Charge of Special Missions and Second Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, and Mr. Reto Grueninger, Director of Cooperation of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Cambodia. The meeting was attended by approximately 60 representatives from 17 ministries and institutions.
The consultation was organized to discuss Switzerland’s Southeast Asia Cooperation Programme 2027–2030, with a focus on two priority areas: (1) Climate and Environment Action and (2) Sustainable and Inclusive Development.
The participants engaged in detailed discussions on several issues related to these two priority areas, including:
1. High-demand sub-sectors requiring cooperation with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC);
2. Key reforms required to support the implementation of the Royal Government’s priority actions within the two priority areas; and
3. Switzerland’s role in supporting and strengthening good governance principles within these priority areas.
Through H.E. PAK Sokhom, Secretary of State and Chair of the HoKa Project Management Committee, the Ministry of Tourism contributed the following key inputs to Switzerland’s Southeast Asia Cooperation Programme 2027–2030:
1. Hospitality training through pre-employment training programmes and upskilling initiatives to develop tourism professionals with strong occupational competencies and high productive capabilities.
2. Recognition of Cambodian tourism professionals in accordance with the Cambodian National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and/or the ASEAN Qualifications Framework, including Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as a pathway for promoting lifelong learning opportunities for tourism professionals.
3. Development of the capacities of tourism professionals at the middle-management level to strengthen managerial and operational competencies within the tourism and hospitality sector.
4. Strengthening entrepreneurship among tourism micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to enhance the resilience and sustainability of tourism operators.
5. Development of standard training packages for Level 5 tourism professional qualifications, including Higher Diploma-level technical and vocational qualifications, in key areas of the hotel industry, namely front office, housekeeping, food and beverage service, cookery, and baking.
6. Development of tourism products through destination development, destination management and marketing, and the management of visitor flows in target provinces within key tourism priority poles, thereby creating employment and livelihood opportunities in the tourism sector.
7. Promotion of green tourism and climate resilience by building the capacity of hotels and tourism businesses to improve resource efficiency and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.
8. Strengthening tourism value chains and local economies by supporting relevant stakeholders and reinforcing local economic resilience through stronger linkages between tourism enterprises and domestic value chains.
9. Promoting inclusive employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in tourism for youth, women, vulnerable groups, and underserved communities through skills development, career pathways, support for start-ups, and linkages with tourism enterprises.
10. Strengthening skills recognition and ASEAN labour mobility in accordance with the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP) by promoting the implementation of the ASEAN Common Competency Standards for Tourism Professionals (ACCSTP).
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