Natural Tourism Potential Promoted

Natural Tourism Potential Promoted

Cambodia is promoting small natural tourism development projects not only to promote sustainable local livelihood, but also to preserve the resources.

According to Mr. Neth Pheaktra, the Spokesperson and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Environment, the ministry is managing 199 small natural tourism development projects at protected areas of natural resources and biodiversity in Cambodia.

Encompassing less than 100 hectares of land surface, some of the projects are being started up, while some others are in full operation attracting visitors with stunning waterfalls, landscapes, forests and wildlife.

The 199 projects under the management of the Ministry of Environment are additional to the 26 existing tourism communities being overseen by natural conservation groups, he added.

Through the ministry and local authorities, the Royal Government is promoting more natural tourism projects to boost local economy and to engage the communities in preserving Cambodia’s rich natural resources.

Those tourism communities also act as ambassadors to unveil Cambodia’s many attractive resources to the world.

According to the ministry’s record, in 2020 tourism communities welcomed 643,000 domestic and foreign visitors, generating over US$30 million.

Each community, it added, earned between US$50,000 and US$180,000 from tourism services such as boat rental, transports, accommodation, food and beverage, sale of souvenir and beyond.