PHNOM PENH: The 54-story, 303-room Shangri-La Hotel, a US$580 million investment, officially opened on December 15, 2024, under the patronage of His Excellency Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism. Located on the west bank of the Bassac River, this luxurious hotel is poised to play a crucial role in Cambodia’s tourism sector.
This announcement follows the official temporary opening of the Kampot International Tourist Port, developed by the Kampot International Tourist Port Development Company (K.I.T.P DEVELOPMENT-CO,LTD), on December 12, 2024. This major waterway connection will facilitate easy access for tourist ships from Preah Sihanouk Province, Kep Province, Vietnam, and Thailand.
To accommodate the anticipated surge in visitors, Cambodia has also undertaken significant infrastructure developments. These include the Techo International Airport, the new Siem Reap Airport, as well as various highway, canal, and railway projects.
As outlined in the Tourism Indicators 2024-2028 report by the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia aims to welcome over 7 million international tourists in 2025 and over 8 million by 2028. To meet this growing demand, the country’s hotel room capacity needs to increase from the current 82,100 to nearly 85,000 by 2028. The Shangri-La Hotel, with its 303 new rooms, directly contributes to this expansion.
Mr. Chuob Ratana, Director of Tourism Development Planning at the Ministry of Tourism, expressed optimism about the hotel’s impact on job creation. He highlighted the sector’s target of reaching 620,000 direct jobs by 2028, a substantial increase from the current 500,000. The Shangri-La Hotel is expected to contribute significantly to this employment growth.
To ensure a skilled workforce to support the tourism industry’s expansion, the Ministry of Tourism is prioritizing the HoKa program. This initiative aims to enhance the qualifications of tourism workers, enabling them to obtain national qualifications from Certificate I to Certificate III. By investing in human capital development, Cambodia seeks to maintain its competitive edge in the global tourism market.
