The Ministry of Tourism held a training workshop on tourism administrative functions delegated to municipal, district and khan administrations, supporting technical work at one-window service offices. It covered 75 local administrations in eight capital and provincial areas: Phnom Penh, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Koh Kong, Kampong Speu, Takeo, Kandal and Preah Vihear. Participants on 17 October 2025 included នួន សុមេធ, Secretary of State and chair of the ministry’s steering committee on decentralisation and deconcentration, representing Tourism Minister Huot Hak; Preah Sihanouk deputy governor សាមុត សុធារិទ្ធ; and heads and deputy heads of capital and provincial tourism departments.
Deputy governor សាមុត សុធារិទ្ធ said the training was important for advancing tourism in the scenic coastal province, known as the “Rising Star of the Southwest” and designated as a model multi-purpose special economic zone. The workshop aimed to monitor and evaluate delegated tourism administrative services and collect input on challenges and requests from provincial tourism departments and the ministry’s decentralisation work.
នួន សុមេធ said the workshop would review and evaluate tourism licensing functions delegated to municipal, district and khan administrations. The aim was to bring public services closer to residents, reduce paperwork, time and bureaucracy, improve efficiency, transparency and inclusiveness, and strengthen one-window officers’ technical skills and integrity to earn public trust and satisfaction.
He also urged capital and provincial governors to direct tourism departments and relevant units to regularly inspect, manage, coordinate and provide services to local tourism businesses. He highlighted tourism as “green gold” contributing to the national economy through jobs, income and poverty reduction.
តាំង សុចិត្តគ្រឹស្នា, director of the Preah Sihanouk provincial tourism department, also gave a presentation on reviewing and technically supporting tourism administrative functions at municipal and district one-window service offices.
By: Pai Sokhim
