Cambodia strengthens its ambitions for smart tourism, strategic partnership with Chinese technology company

The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has entered into a promising alliance with Heilongjiang Province Maiku Information Technology Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese technology company specializing in digital innovation.

Last Sunday, H.E. Huot Hak, Cambodian Minister of Tourism, welcomed Mr. Li Tao, President of Maiku Information Technology, and his delegation for a working meeting in Phnom Penh

This partnership aims to propel Cambodia's tourism industry into the digital age through the development of a comprehensive smart tourism ecosystem. During the discussions, Mr. Li presented an ambitious proposal seeking the ministry's support to collaborate on a cutting-edge digitization project designed to revolutionize the management and promotion of Cambodia's tourism sector.

The project envisages the creation of an integrated digital system that will serve as the foundation for the development of smart tourism in Cambodia.

Key elements include the creation of a tourism satellite account to accurately track the economic impact of tourism, a robust statistics platform to aggregate and analyze visitor information, and a dynamic dashboard to monitor tourism operations and activities across the country in real time. In addition, the initiative will include comprehensive human resource training programs to equip local professionals with the skills needed to maintain and develop Cambodia's digital tourism infrastructure.

In response to the proposal, Minister Huot Hak expressed his full support for Maiku Information Technology's innovative approach. He commended the company's recognition of Cambodia's vast tourism potential and its strategic use of cutting-edge information technology and artificial intelligence to open up new investment opportunities. The minister also emphasized that this digital transformation is fully in line with the Royal Government of Cambodia's development policies under its 7th term, which “emphasize the essential role of technology in promoting sustainable economic growth.”

At the end of the day, the Ministry of Tourism and Maiku Information Technology Co., Ltd. of Heilongjiang Province formalized their collaboration by signing a memorandum of understanding. This agreement marks an important step in bilateral cooperation and reinforces Cambodia's commitment to adopting smart solutions that can enhance the visitor experience and optimize tourism management.

This memorandum of understanding is the second major agreement signed recently as part of the partnership between Cambodia and the Heilongjiang Provincial Government, highlighting the deepening of their relations in the fields of technology, culture, and economic development.

According to the minister, this partnership with Maiku Information Technology heralds an era of transformation, where technology and tradition converge to create a dynamic, sustainable and globally competitive tourism industry.

The need for digital transformation

The Cambodian tourism sector needs to embrace digital technologies to modernize its services, improve its marketing, and enrich the visitor experience. This includes digital booking platforms, virtual tours, augmented reality (AR), and online engagement.

There is a significant digital divide, particularly for community-based tourism projects that lack the skills and resources to fully participate in online tourism markets.

 Comprehensive support involving the government, the private sector, and NGOs is needed to connect these communities and help them take advantage of e-commerce and digital marketing.

The Ministry of Tourism is actively seeking partnerships with technology companies to establish digital infrastructure, including high-speed internet, cloud services, and interactive platforms capable of supporting smart tourism initiatives.

Technology roadmap and strategic priorities

The Technology Roadmap for Tourism 2022-2030 sets out a vision to make Cambodia a leading tourist destination in the region by leveraging innovative technologies with a focus on sustainability and inclusiveness. The main objectives are to improve the technological skills of tourism operators, strengthen infrastructure and policy support, enhance cybersecurity, and mobilize cutting-edge technologies such as IoT, AI, Big Data, AR/VR, GIS, and digital payment systems.

Priority strategic tourism products and services include smart experiences, green tourism, integrated transportation, digital transactions, tourism security, digital marketing, research, and destination management.

Data management needs

Effective data collection and management systems are essential to support decision-making, marketing, and sustainable tourism development.

Cambodia needs to develop integrated data platforms capable of collecting real-time information on tourist arrivals, preferences, spending, and travel patterns to optimize resource allocation and improve visitor services.

Cybersecurity measures must be strengthened to protect tourist data and digital transactions, which are becoming increasingly common with the rise of e-wallets and online payments.