Japan will relax visa requirements for Cambodians to attract more tourists and economic growth, Tokyo-based Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday, citing government sources.

Potentially going into effect at the end of this year, the multiple-entry visas would apply to Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, the sources told Kyodo.

Asked to confirm the report, Takayoshi Kuromiya, counsellor for the Japanese Embassy in Cambodia, said yesterday that the new visa rules weren’t set in stone just yet.

“That policy has not yet been decided, so we cannot say anything at this stage,” he said.

Japan is not a popular tourist destination for Cambodians, according to Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodia Association for Travel Agents. Relaxing visa requirements, however, could change that.

“Obtaining a Japanese visa is one of the major barriers for Cambodian people because the requirement is very complicated,” he said.