On December 18, 2025, Mr. Chuob Ratana, Director of the Tourism Professional Training Department and Head of the Secretariat of the National Committee for Tourism Professionals (NCTP), presided over a technical meeting with Deputy Directors, Chiefs of Offices, and departmental officials. The session aimed to summarize the 2025 work outcomes and establish the 2026 action plan to advance tourism vocational training in alignment with National and ASEAN Standards.
Key Achievements in 2025 The Department successfully provided hospitality training to 2,830 tourism professionals and upskilled 284 National Trainers and Assessors. Core training areas included Front Office, Food and Beverage Service, Culinary Arts, Barista skills, Housekeeping, and Tour Guiding. These figures exclude approximately 3,000 full-time students graduating from vocational schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, as well as participants in various short-term capacity-building workshops nationwide.
Significant Strategic Accomplishments:
1. Organized four Tourism Career Fairs, including the CamFood & CamHotel 2025 event.
2. Facilitated four Skills Competitions at the National, Regional, and ASEAN levels.
3. Conducted Labor Force Surveys and training needs assessments across 25 capitals and provinces.
4. Monitored and promoted the registration of Tourism Vocational Training Schools and Competency Assessment Centers.
5. Launched Refresher Courses for Chinese and French-speaking tour guides.
6. Restructured the Tourism Educator and Trainer Network.
7. Updated the TPTD (Tourism Professional Training Department) System, including rebranding and national domain acquisition.
8. Continued collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to implement Tourism textbooks for Grades 11 and 12.
9. Strengthened the institutional capacity of departmental civil servants.
10. Developed legal frameworks and regulations to support vocational training.
11. Accelerated the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism.
12. Facilitated Online Training for 76,448 participants as of 2025.
13. Conducted four Tourism Vocational Awareness Workshops both locally and internationally.
14. Expanded Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in tourism vocational training.
Collaborative Projects The Department also serves as the Secretariat for the HoKa Management Committee. In collaboration with Swisscontact, the HoKa program trained 1,322 professionals, 83 trainers, and 10 master assessors within the first nine months of 2025.
Conclusion The Ministry of Tourism has developed comprehensive mechanisms to support vocational excellence, ranging from assessment center certification to career orientation and skills competitions. These initiatives play a vital role in enhancing professional standards, generating sustainable income, and providing career pathways for Cambodian youth, ultimately driving productivity and efficiency within the tourism sector.
