Cambodia’s first branding forum aims to position Cambodia as a top tourist destination with a focus on strategic branding and sustainable tourism.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – “Branding is not about boasting. It is about building sustainable relationships based on honesty, trust and confidence. Branding is not a superficial procedure. It is about developing a compelling strategy that attracts tourists, talent, investment and trade in a sustainable way. It is about creating, capturing and retaining value, and primarily benefiting residents,” says Catherine Germier-Hamel, founder and CEO of Millennium Destinations, in her foreword.
On 11 July 2024, the inaugural Cambodia Branding Forum | Edition Francophonie, organised by Millennium Destinations, gathered in Phnom Penh, bringing together around 100 participants from diverse backgrounds, including Khmer and non-Khmer participants. The landmark event highlighted the importance of strategic branding and sustainable practices in promoting Cambodia as a premier tourism destination.
The forum was co-moderated by Catherine Germier Amel and Nicholas Hatz, tourism development expert and founder of the Inner Development Goas (IDG) Global Tourism Network.
Key highlights
The Forum featured a series of insightful speeches and discussions by luminaries from various sectors linked to the theme “Promoting Francophonie: a joint strategy to present Cambodia as a dynamic and sustainable tourism destination within a vibrant cultural and economic space”. By focusing on Francophonie, the Forum also highlighted the strong historical, emotional and cultural ties that exist between Cambodia and France. Many French people choose to live in Cambodia and contribute to the Kingdom’s dynamism in various sectors, including economy, tourism, culture and gastronomy.
The forum saw an exchange of views on Cambodia’s future strong brand and the continued promotion of sustainable tourism as a key element of Cambodia’s tourism identity.
Mom Thani, Secretary of State for the Environment, highlighted the economic benefits of a sustainable approach, saying: “Tourism is a key driver of economic recovery and promoting ecotourism is an increasingly important priority for the government – not only as a way to attract quality tourists but also as a way to engage the private sector in sustainable natural resource management.”
This sentiment was echoed by Tourism Minister Ok Dalarit, who stressed the government’s commitment to creating a vibrant, competitive, sustainable and inclusive tourism destination: “Our vision is to collectively promote Cambodia’s reputation and resilience by transforming it into a leading tourism destination known for its diversity, opportunity and warmth.”
The newly appointed CEO of the Cambodia Tourism Authority, Ito Vichit, shared his vision for the future of Cambodia’s tourism industry, emphasizing the need for innovative marketing strategies and sustainable tourism activities. “Cambodia has many gems, but we need to polish them and bring them to market. The strategy needs to consider not only leisure tourism but also business travel tourism,” he said.
Keynote Speech
Frederick Tambon Mr. Tambon is an experienced tourism industry and economic development professional and founder and CEO of Society and Fred, a consulting firm specializing in regional marketing, economic development and tourism. In his keynote address, he emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach to promoting Cambodia as a sustainable tourism destination and the need for a clear tourism development model that leverages Cambodia’s unique strengths and cultural assets.
How Francophone countries can contribute to sustainable tourism development in Cambodia
A panel discussion titled “Promoting Francophonie: A Collaborative Strategy to Present Cambodia as a Dynamic and Sustainable Tourism Destination within a Vibrant Cultural and Economic Space” brought together a diverse range of experts who shared their insights on leveraging the Francophonie community to promote Cambodia as a sustainable and dynamic tourism destination.
Panelists and their views
His Excellency Mean Essarayos, Adviser to the Ministry of Tourism, discussed strategic efforts to increase Cambodia’s profile within the Francophone community. He stressed the importance of leveraging diplomatic relations and international partnerships to promote Cambodia beyond the icon of Angkor Wat. “The uniqueness of Angkor is an asset that helps set Cambodia apart on the world stage. But beyond the icon, we need to look at ways to diversify by highlighting our ecotourism assets as well as promoting Khmer experiences that involve the authentic nature of the local people,” he stressed.
Jacques Guichandou, official representative of the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism in French-speaking countries in Europe, shared his views on the engagement of the French-speaking community. He highlighted the effectiveness of the French-speaking “Destination Cambodge” campaign in promoting Cambodia as an independent travel destination. “I am very excited about the initiative to create the ‘Cambodia’ brand. It will help connect the ‘gems’ that CTB CEO Ito Vichit mentioned earlier, because we don’t always know how to connect them,” he stressed.
Marissa Nouveau: The film actress and entrepreneur spoke about the role of the entertainment industry in promoting Cambodia. She shared key projects that highlight the cultural and economic dynamism of Cambodia that can be leveraged to attract more tourists, including from the Francophonie region.
Mr. Toon Sinan, Chairman of the Cambodian Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), stressed the importance of collaborative efforts in promoting Cambodia as a sustainable tourism destination. He discussed the role of the private sector in promoting sustainable tourism practices and aligning its efforts with the goals of the Francophonie Community. He also recognized the importance of promoting Cambodia beyond Angkor Wat.
Vanessa Vukotich, wellness and hospitality consultant, spoke about incorporating wellness tourism into Cambodia’s branding efforts and shared examples of successful wellness initiatives that have had a positive impact on both French-speaking tourists and local communities.
Frédéric Tambon: A tourism industry and economic development expert, he proposed innovative strategies to increase Cambodia’s attractiveness to French-speaking tourists and investors. He stressed the importance of leveraging Cambodia’s cultural and natural assets to build a unique and compelling brand identity.
The Move Towards Sustainable Branding
The Cambodia Branding Forum is more than just an event, it’s a movement. Future editions will take place in different destinations and focus on themes such as luxury, gastronomy, ecotourism, sports and wellness, taking place in destinations such as Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Sustainability was a buzzword throughout the forum, which focused on the challenges and opportunities of Cambodia’s tourism sector from a Francophone perspective. Germier-Hamel and Hatz stressed that there will be more Cambodia Branding Forums in the near future, focused on thematic or destination-specific topics.
As an intern, George closely monitors news trends, helps with content publishing, and delves into social media distribution strategies. He is currently studying Business Administration at the Athens University of Economics.
