A few days ago, the Cuban Embassy in Phnom Penh organised a gathering with the local travel association, presenting Cuba as a destination of choice for travellers from Cambodia.
The event brought together Cuban Ambassador to Cambodia Liurka Rodriguez Barrios and key leaders and stakeholders of the Cambodian tourism industry led by Sivlin Chhay, President of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA).
This was the second such event hosted by the Cuban Embassy since November 2021.
“Tourism is one of our biggest sources of revenue and one of the most important industries in Cuba. We would like to continue this to promote Cuba as a tourism destination for Cambodians and foreigners residing here,” the Cuban Ambassador stressed, indicating that similar gatherings are planned for the next few months.
Also present were Ho Vandy, Managing Director of World Express Co., Ltd., Hem Chanly, Managing Director of Hola Travel Cambodia Co., Ltd., Lav Heng, President of VLK Travel, and Sambath Chhoun of V2 Group.
The event started with a presentation by the Cuban envoy, followed by a Q&A and a lunch featuring Congri, Yuca con mojo and other well-known Cuban dishes.
The presentation included a promotional video showcasing the top tourist destinations in Cuba, including Varadero, Vinales, Santiago de Cuba and Jardines dela Reina, which is often referred to as “Cuba’s Coral Garden”.
Old Havana (Habana Vieja), Playa Paraiso, Cayo Coco, Cienfuegos, Baracoa and Che Guevara Mausoleum are also popular destinations for foreign visitors. Colonial architecture, classic cars and sites related to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Castro brothers and Ernest Hemingway have also drawn tourists to Cuba in the past.
Gareth Johnson, co-founder of the international travel agency Young Pioneer Tours, also discussed his experience bringing tourists to Cuba since the early 2000s.
During the Q&A session, the Cambodian attendees raised some issues related to logistics, distance and challenges of travelling from Cambodia to Cuba and vice versa.
Chhay Sivlin of CATA noted the far distance between the two countries and the long time it takes to travel to Cuba.
Cambodia is 16,000 kilometres (9,941 miles) from Cuba. Traveling there entails stopovers either in the United States, Canada, Russia, France and other countries with direct flights to Havana.
Because of such challenges, not many Cambodians have visited Cuba and vice versa through the years.
Lav Heng of VLK Travel, for his part, raised the issue of cost comparison with tour packages for Europe and other parts of the world. “European tour packages, for example, allow you to visit five or more countries for almost the same price,” he noted.
Johnson explained that those who want to visit Cuba can also visit several countries nearby.
Colombia, Mexico and other countries in South America, North America Central America and the Caribbean were mentioned as side destinations for people who want to travel to Cuba.
“This meeting will help us be able to promote Cuba and we look forward to doing this over the coming years as the world gets back to normal,” the CATA President said, adding that a familiarisation or FAM trip of Cuba for Cambodian travel agents is also underway.
Cambodians only need to apply for a Tourist Card online in order to visit Cuba.
Cuba, where more than 90 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, has already lifted all Covid-related restrictions, a report on the site Travel Off Path revealed.
More than 2.5 million tourists are expected to visit Cuba this year, according to a report in OnCuba News.
Cambodia and Cuba established diplomatic relations in 1960. Since then, the two countries have maintained relations in the areas of trade, politics, education, culture, sports and health. Cuba has an ongoing scholarship programme for Cambodian students.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has also visited Cuba several times and met with Cuban leader Fidel Castro in 1999.