GOVERNMENT and private travel companies proposed a host of incentive measures aimed at stimulating the tourism sector at a meeting in Phnom Penh on Friday, the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA) said.

Ho Vandy, co-chair of the Tourism Working Group at CATA, said that members of the private sector met with Tourism Minister Thong Khon to discuss the possibility of visa exemption for tourists along with a possible increase in flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap, among other initiatives.

Thong Khon will take these proposals to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Wednesday, said Ho Vandy, to assess whether the measures are financially viable. bout two million tourists visit Cambodia per year with each required to buy a $20 visa.

Ho Vandy said incentive measures are urgent given the economic climate. "If the government doesn't take action ... we will face a serious problem in the tourism sector," he said.