The Ministry of Tourism yesterday agreed to create an inter-ministerial working group to promote eco-tourism.
After approval of a draft national ecotourism policy, Tourism Minister Thong Khon and Environment Minister Say Samal advised creating the group to promote the monitoring ecotourism and working with the private sector to ensure eco-tourism in accordance with the concept of “conservation development to preserve”.
“The trend of eco-tourism is developing along the lines of Eco Lodge, a container hotel, and Top Tree House, with innovative and creative technologies and ultimate technology that maintains and does not affect natural resources in forests and nature reserves,” he said. “And the private sector is contributing to environmental sustainability because conservation of natural resources needs the spending of a lot of money, so the participation of the private sector and the local people is the best way.”
Samal said the Ministry of Environment has been working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to prepare an alternative mechanism to raise awareness of people, especially the young, to participate in natural resource conservation and creation of a sustainable environment. The aim is to provide vocational training for community employment, including activities for visitors, offering local people an incentive not to return to destructive deforestation and hunting.
Meanwhile, Khon has targeted the development of three eco-tourism zones such as Chong Khneas (Tonle Sap River), Prek Toal and Kulen mountain to develop as alternative venues for the visitors to the Siem Reap Angkor temples.
The Ministry of Tourism says it will continue to strengthen the service quality of tourism communities and tourism resorts which attract the more affluent tourists now arriving in the Kingdom.
