Tourism minister Sok Soken shakes hands with Markus Buerli, director of cooperation at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s (SDC) Cambodia Office during a meeting on January 10. Tourism Ministry
The Hospitality Kampuchea (HoKa) training programme is set to expand its activities into Koh Kong and Kampong Chhnang provinces from this year onwards, in exciting news for the younger residents of the provinces who are interested in pursuing careers in tourism and hospitality.
To date, the Swiss-funded programme has provided training to more than 4,000 disadvantaged youths in ten target provinces, according to a Ministry of Tourism press release on the outcome of a January 10 meeting between tourism minister Sok Soken and Markus Buerli, director of cooperation at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s (SDC) Cambodia Office.
During the meeting, Soken briefed Buerli on the BUILD+3Ds initiative, explaining that the joint strategic initiative has the vision of turning Cambodia into a vibrant, competitive, sustainable and environmental-friendly tourism destination, said the ministry release.
“To accomplish this vision, human resources development is a top priority. The SDC has reaffirmed its support,” it added.
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Both sides discussed opportunities for tourism cooperation, with the goal of promoting vocational skills and enhancing industry standards to meet national and ASEAN standards.
Tourism-specific educational programmes will also contribute to the seventh-mandate government’s policy of providing vocational training to 1.5 million disadvantaged Cambodian youths from poor and vulnerable families.
Buerli and Soken also discussed the promotion of tourism vocational training through the implementation of the second phase of the Skills Development Programme 2024-2028, as well as the organisation of national tourism qualifications. They investigated the possibility of establishing an electronic recognition of prior learning assessment platform (E-RPL), and engaged in talks about support for destination management.
“The minister and Buerli expressed their commitment to further strengthening and expanding tourism cooperation through vocational training programmes, and to promote destination management to ensure the Kingdom is an attractive competitive tourism destination,” added the release.
