Tourism And Hospitality: Answering The Demand For Skilled Khmers
The rise in number of foreign tourists in the kingdom also means an increase in the number of job opportunities for Khmers. However, has this demand for skilled workers in the industry been met? A newly opened vocational training school in Phnom Penh tries to provide an answer, write Agnes Alpuerto and Say Tola.
Over the years, Cambodia has stepped up from being a mere jumping-off point for travelers who wanted to journey through Indochina. It has, slowly but consistently, become the main destination itself. In fact, the number of foreign tourists coming in to the kingdom continues to rise. In the first eight months of 2018, the country has already welcomed 3.9 travelers, with 1.2 million of them coming from China.
However, as the tourism industry grows, the demand for professional and skilled tourism and hospitality workers also expands.
And we acknowledge the fact Cambodia currently lacks this. We want to see many Khmers getting involved in the tourism industry because Cambodia is getting more and more visitors. And the tourism here has also grown bigger. People no longer just visit Siem Reap or Sihanoukville. Theyre also now touring around Phnom Penh, said Mr Yang Shuo, chairman of the WuYi Association in Cambodia.
