PHNOM PENH, Dec. 30 -- 2019 marks the year of closer China-Cambodia cooperation in culture and tourism, Cambodian senior officials and experts said.

The two Asian countries designated 2019 as the "China-Cambodia culture and tourism year," and a variety of activities had been jointly organized to celebrate the year.

CLOSER TOURISM TIES

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said a series of events such as exhibitions, forums, cultural performances, visit of 2,000 Chinese envoys to Cambodia, and a Chinese caravan tour, among others had been jointly held to mark the year.

"We can say that it's a fruitful year of cooperation in culture and tourism between the two countries," he told Xinhua in a recent interview. "We believe that through these events, more and more Chinese tourists will visit Cambodia, and vice versa."

The minister said Chinese tourists topped the list of foreign visitors coming to Cambodia in the first 10 months of 2019, with 2.02 million -- a 24.4-percent increase year-on-year, accounting for 38 percent of all of Cambodia's international tourists.

"We expect to receive 2.5 million Chinese tourists in the entirety of 2019," he said. "The growth of Chinese tourists has greatly contributed to boosting Cambodia's economy and to reducing poverty via job creations."

Khon attributed the strong and steady growth of Chinese tourists to Cambodia to the excellent relationship between the two countries in combination with Cambodia's peace, political stability, and attractive tourist destinations.

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