Belt and Road Initiative to boost tourism development in all participating countries: Cambodian PM

PHNOM PENH - Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said Monday that the Belt and Road Initiative would significantly contribute to the development of tourism in all participating countries, including Cambodia.

"Cambodia fully supports the Belt and Road Initiative because it is a win-win policy for all," he said during the opening ceremony of the 2nd Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Tourism Ministers Meeting in northwestern Siem Reap province.

"We are confident that this excellent policy will help boost the development of tourism in countries along the Silk Road, including in ACD member states and in Cambodia," he said.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, was proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

To back the initiative, China has established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Silk Road Fund.
Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting the Cambodian economy, generating a gross revenue of $3.4 billion in 2016 and accounting for 13 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Cambodia attracted 5 million international tourists in 2016, the Cambodian prime minister said, predicting that the number would rise to 5.4 million in 2017 and up to 7 million in 2020.

Hun Sen said the country's peace and political stability were the prerequisites for the attraction of foreign tourists.

The Southeast Asian nation is famous for its 12th century Angkor Archeological Park in Siem Reap province. Besides, it has a 450-km pristine coastline stretching across four provinces in the country's southwestern part.