Cambodia hosts first branding forum
In welcoming the 100 participants in Cambodia’s first Branding Forum/Edition Francophonie, hosted by Millennium Destinations, the organization’s CEO, Catherine Germier-Hamel told the audience that: “Branding is not bragging. It is creating a sustainable relationship based on sincerity, trust, and confidence.”
Germier-Hamel continued: “Branding is not a cosmetic procedure. It is about setting an irresistible strategy to attract tourists, talents, investments, and trade in a sustainable way. It is about creating, capturing, and retaining value to primarily provide benefits for the residents.”
The first edition of the Cambodia Branding Forum/Edition Francophonie was held in Phnom Penh and the 100 participants came from diverse background, including Khmer and non-Khmer participants for the landmark event that underscored the importance of strategic branding and sustainable practices in promoting Cambodia as a premier destination.
The Forum was co-moderated by Catherine Germier-Hamel and Nikolas 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 from prominent figures active in various sectors relevant to the theme ‘Fostering Francophonie: Collaborative Strategies for Showcasing Cambodia as a Dynamic and Sustainable Destination within a Vibrant Cultural and Economic Space.’
By highlighting Francophonie, the forum highlighted also the strong historical, sentimental and cultural links existing between Cambodia and France. A large number of French have chosen to live in Cambodia and contribute by their presence to the dynamism of the Kingdom in various fields such as the economy, tourism, culture or gastronomy.
Ideas were exchanged during the Forum about a future strong brand for Cambodia as well as the continuous promotion of sustainable tourism as a major element of the Kingdom’s tourism identity.
H.E. Mom Thany, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environment, emphasized the economic benefits of sustainable approaches, stating: “Tourism is a key driver of our economic recovery, and the promotion of eco-tourism is a growing priority for the government, as a way to attract high-quality tourism, but also crucially as a way to involve the private sector in sustainable natural resources management.”
H.E. Ok Darariddh, Secretary of State, Ministry of Tourism, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the government’s commitment to creating a lively, competitive, sustainable, and inclusive destination. “Our vision is to jointly promote Cambodia’s prestige and resilience by transforming it into a leading tourism destination known for diversity, opportunity, and warmth.”
Mr. Ith Vichit, newly appointed CEO of the Cambodia Tourism Board, shared his vision for the future of Cambodia’s tourism industry, emphasizing the need for innovative marketing strategies and sustainable tourism practices. “We have so many gems in Cambodia. However, we need now to polish them to be able to market them. “The strategy should not only look at leisure tourism but also at business travel tourism,” he said.
Future editions of the Cambodia Branding Forum will be organized in different destinations, focusing on themes such as luxury, gastronomy, ecotourism, sports, wellness, etc. tourism, and destinations like Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, and the Greater Mekong subregion.
Sustainability was the buzzword throughout the forum, with discussions centred on the challenges and opportunities in Cambodia’s tourism sector from a Francophonie viewpoint.
Both Germier-Hamel and Hatz emphasized that more editions of the Cambodia Branding Forum will be organized in the near future which could be declined into thematic or destination topics.
