Kamboçya to Host Muslim-Friendly Tourism Forum and Expo in 2026

The Kamboçya Ministry of Tourism has officially announced that it will organize the 'Kamboçya Muslim-Friendly Tourism Forum and Expo' in 2026 with the aim of turning the country into a hub of attraction for Muslim travelers. To be held under the slogan 'Land of Warm Hearts and Trusted Home in Travel,' this major event will open its doors to visitors at the OCIC Congress Center in the capital Phnom Penh between 10-12 July 2026. The event is planned to be a comprehensive platform where a wide range of tourism services and products specially prepared for the needs and expectations of Muslim travelers will be exhibited. Industry representatives emphasize that the country needs to improve the infrastructure and readiness it offers for Muslim tourists and intensify its promotional activities in this direction. This major expo is expected to be a significant step that will attract the interest of Muslim tourists worldwide and reinforce the country's international reputation as a reliable, warm-hearted, and inclusive destination.

As part of the forum to be organized, it is planned that government officials, tourism experts, Muslim community leaders, high-level business representatives, and private sector participants will come together for panel discussions. In these sessions, participants are expected to exchange ideas, share best practices, and make concrete recommendations to support the inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development of Kamboçya's tourism industry. Considering the innovations and changing tourism trends brought by the digital age, it is aimed to strengthen collaborations to better understand and meet the needs of Muslim tourists. Promoting intercultural interaction and dialogue is also among the main priorities of the event. Thus, the country's tourism sector will gain the capacity and vision to host its guests from diverse cultural backgrounds in the best possible way.

Thourn Sinan, President of the Pasifik Asya Seyahat Birliği Kamboçya Şubesi (PATACC), believes that this expo will encourage all stakeholders in the Kamboçya tourism sector to focus more on and invest in the Muslim tourism market. According to Sinan, Kamboçya still harbors a huge and untapped potential to attract a large number of Muslim visitors, especially from Hindistan, Endonezya, and Orta Doğu. Furthermore, he emphasizes that although halal food options across the country remain limited compared to other neighboring countries in the region, the Ministry of Tourism is making great efforts to improve services in this area. The industry representative notes that such international events will serve as a catalyst, motivating tourism businesses and the Kamboçya people to increase the quality of service to a level capable of hosting visitors of all nations and faiths. In the long term, these steps are expected to give serious momentum to the country's economy.

According to the latest data from the Global Muslim Travel Index, Muslim travels worldwide reached approximately 176 million in 2024. This impressive figure represents a 25 percent increase compared to 2023 and marks a 10 percent rise compared to the pre-pandemic period. These statistics strikingly reveal how fast the Muslim tourism market is growing on a global scale and how profitable a field it constitutes for countries. Kamboçya Minister of Tourism Huot Hak also states that they are aware of the strong opportunities that this rapidly growing market offers to the country and that they are investing in this area to diversify existing international visitor markets. The Minister emphasizes that they aim to benefit from Muslim tourism at the highest level in order to contribute to the sustainable, resilient, and inclusive growth of the country's tourism sector.

Minister Hak, stating that improving the quality of services offered by tourism businesses and re-evaluating their infrastructures in this direction are among the primary conditions for increasing the number of Muslim tourists, adds that market prices must also be kept at competitive and reasonable levels. Increasing the capacities of businesses to offer facilities and services suitable for the religious obligations and food requirements of Muslim travelers will significantly increase their market value and customer satisfaction. In this process, the implementation of special training programs such as 'Muslim-Friendly Hospitality and Kamboçya Muslim-Friendly Standards' plays a critical role in raising the awareness of sector personnel. The strategy of diversifying Kamboçya's tourism market under the leadership of the Ministry to strengthen the overall potential of the sector is considered an extremely strategic step for the country's economic development. With this evolving and transforming vision, it is aimed for Kamboçya to become one of the most attractive Muslim-friendly tourism routes in the region in the coming years.