PHNOM PENH: Cambodia and Japan have boosted their bilateral tourism cooperation, urging for the resumption of All Nippon Airways (ANA)’s direct flights to Cambodia to facilitate the travel of tourists, businessmen, and investors.

The commitment was made during a meeting between Cambodian Minister of Tourism H.E. Sok Soken and Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia H.E Ueno Atsushi in Phnom Penh on Thursday.

Both sides discussed opportunities and potentials for further strengthening and expanding cooperation in the tourism sector, especially in boosting the flow of Cambodian-Japanese tourists.

They encouraged the resumption of direct flights by Tokyo-based ANA, which was paused during the Covid-19 spread.

ANA has operated direct flights between the two countries since 2016 but closed its Phnom Penh office on April 1 with a plan to resume operations in September.

During the pre-COVID-19 crisis, around 200,000 Japanese tourists visited Cambodia, and about 20,000 Cambodians visited Japan.

Additionally, the two sides were committed to further strengthening tourism cooperation by promoting cultural and economic exchanges, building stronger people-to-people contacts, and enhancing mutual trust between both nations.