Two Cambodian tour operators have received accreditation under the Ministry of Tourism’s China Ready programme, bringing to 15 the total operators now recognised, tourism officials said yesterday.

Lucky Angkor Hotel & Spa and DM International Travel recently received accreditation under the programme, according to an update on the China Ready website.

“The China Ready strategy and its accreditation play an important role in attracting Chinese tourists [and] ensure that our tourism industry provides quality services,” said Chhay Khunlong, deputy director general of the tourism department at the Ministry of Tourism.

Khunlong explained that the China Ready programme, first launched in May 2016, aims to foster trust between local tourism businesses and Chinese tourists.

The programme recognises tourism establishments that have at least one Chinese speaker on staff to interact with tourists, have translated their menus and websites into Chinese language, have facilities for foreign exchange of Chinese currency, and which offer a high quality of service.

According to Khunlong, a total of 15 local tourism businesses have been accredited under the China Ready programme to date, while applications for another 40 are under review.

Chinese tourists are playing an increasingly bigger role in Cambodia’s tourism sector. A total of 530,000 Chinese tourists visited the Kingdom during the first six months of 2017, a 40 percent increase compared to the same period a year earlier, and representing nearly 20 percent of all foreign tourist arrivals.

Khunlong said he was optimistic that Cambodia would meet its target of 2 million Chinese visitors a year by 2020.