Ecotourism policy draft approved

The Council of Ministers on Monday approved the draft national policy on ecotourism. It will be sent to the national assembly this week before it is turned into law, said Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan.

Siphan said while Cambodia’s ecotourism sector is showing higher potential to attract tourists, the policy would help to protect and conserve the country’s natural area.

“The policy will develop the ecotourism and tourism community and is a mechanism to protect and conserve natural areas. The [draft] will be submitted to the national assembly this week in order to review for adoption,” he said.

He said the Kingdom’s ecotourism sector is a priority and the “green gold” that would help develop the economy.

Cambodia received 5.6 million international tourists last year and generated $3.6 billion or 13 per cent of its GDP. The sector created 620,000 jobs and thousands of indirect ones.

The UN World Tourism Organisation predicts that the number of eco-tourists will increase 20 per cent annually, said Siphan.

“The growth in tourism does not separate cultural and natural tourism, which are potential resources to attract tourists to Cambodia,” he said.

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