Phnom Penh: Cambodian Minister of Tourism H.E. HUOT Hak met with Mr. Reto Grueninger, Director of Cooperation at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), to explore potential avenues for enhancing tourism collaboration.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the discussions centered on promoting tourism vocational training through the Skills Development Programme Phase II, set to run from 2024 to 2028. The meeting also highlighted the development of national tourism qualifications, enhancement of assessment and recognition processes including Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), and the support for Afro-food processing within the tourism value chains.

SDC reiterated their commitment to supporting the ministry’s initiatives across five key pillars of cooperation. A significant aspect of this partnership is the ongoing collaboration in the Hospitality Kampuchea (HoKa) training programme, which has provided training to 3,520 individuals including disadvantaged youths, school dropouts, and hospitality owners/managers across 12 target provinces.

The Skills Development Programme, implemented by Swiss contact, along with the Decent Employment for Youths (DEY) initiative by ILO and UNIDO, has been instrumental in promoting vocational skills in tourism, creating decent job opportunities for youth, increasing income, and enhancing tourism services to align with both National and ASEAN Standards.