(1) “Visiting Cambodia Year 2023” … urban and rural sanitation promoted
The “Visiting Cambodia Year 2023” campaign is an important event, (and it will not be for) just this year. (Please do not be) mistaken that (efforts will be made to keep the city) clean only in 2023, and not clean after 2023. We have put a lot of effort into campaigns for urban hygiene and sanitation […] the cities and towns have reduced a lot (of scattering plastics). But we still have some issues among our people that we need to take care of, to educate our people to understand that this is their land, everything is theirs, and they have to participate. Everyone from ordinary people to high-ranking officials must attend. Not just the urban people, the rural people too need to improve this sanitation situation. It is not only for tourist attraction but for the sake of our people’s health and cleanliness of the city […]
(2) “Clean village, good rice field” extends to the countryside to attract tourists
About two decades or three decades ago, we used the slogan, “clean villages and good rice fields.” This means that we have done a lot of campaigns on hygiene issues, especially to avert some diseases, such as dengue fever caused by the lack of sanitation in the countryside […] this campaign refers to the city (but) I wanted to extend (its coverage) to the countryside, by which people in the countryside can improve their health. Sanitation will lead to better conditions in the villages and communes, and attract more tourists’ visits […] we do not do it for one year. This movement will take many years and expand from the capital city to the countryside, […] “clean villages, good rice fields” is a movement that drives development, which prompts changes in local situation. This requires the attention of the authorities at all levels. Things have to happen at the grassroots. It never comes anywhere but in/from there. We at all levels must contribute to promote this movement […]
(3) Exports on the spot and encourage uses of local products
Firstly, we need to use the potential of tourism to continue to implement the concept of export on the spot. Our concept of export is not limited to export to markets outside the country, but when we receive tourism, the hotels can buy the products of our farmers, who raise livestock, and/or grow vegetables. In addition to finding markets abroad, we must strive to enable them to supply the local market. Therefore, (secondly) perhaps the Ministry of Tourism remembers my recommendation that when giving points (on competition among hotels) to hotels that are using the most local products rather than imported ones […]
(4) Tourists’ arrivals in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville are picking up
Agriculture needs to improve the quality of cultivation and husbandry, avoiding use of chemicals and/or other substances that affect the health of tourists/consumers […] Okhna Sok Kong, whom I asked on my way in, says that the uptrend of tourists’ arrivals in Siem Reap now seems to have started, with 300, 400 or 200,300 rooms per day. The number in Sihanoukville is also picking up […] we have seen the flow of tourists starting to increase, and on the other hand, the Cambodian people now can afford to stay in a five-star or four-star hotels […] well, it is a blending number of local and foreign tourists, […] we need to adjust all aspects so that we can receive more tourists […]
(5) Good hospitality, security, sanitation and hygiene make tourists come again
I have always said in the past that to attract tourism, we did not need to broadcast on CNN, BBC, but mainly through all the tourists who come to our country. We must think of way to make a visitor want to come again, and not coming alone, but bring family and friends together. That is the key point […] the real solution is when tourists come, we receive tourists with good hospitality, we have good security, we have cleanliness (because of sanitation and hygiene), […] that should be the points the entice tourists to return […]
(6) Protect the environment, forests and wildlife to attract tourists to rural areas
Let us Cambodians work hard, because this is in the national interest and it has spread the growth of the country from having more and more tourists’ arrivals to the countryside. The good thing is that the number of domestic tourists on weekend – Saturday and Sunday – is no less than 300,000. They go to the coastal areas because we have now convenient road infrastructure. Those of you who have coconuts can pick and sell it or other fruits that tourists can eat. That would provide a lot of work, accompanied by education to protect the environment, not to cut down trees, not to destroy wildlife, and use the environment to attract tourists […] who like to see the forest and the animals […]
(7) Cambodia takes actions on plastic wastes at sea, lakes, rivers, and canals
Another thing I have to have your attention is about the plastic wastes. Let me thank the most beautiful beach convention held in Sihanoukville recently for including my recommendations in its decision on plastic. Plastic can be serious in the next 20, 30 or 50 years because it flows into the sea, rivers, lakes and other waterways. This plastic does not melt like paper […] Cambodia has to contribute to this efforts with other countries […] for we have many rivers – Tonle Sap, Mekong, Bassac, Sekong, Sre Pok and canals […] Cambodia has paid attention beyond this – not only worried about the plastic in the sea, but also in the rivers, canals and lakes. We need to work together within our national framework and with our partners to reduce or eliminate (this non-degradable stuff) challenges. Eliminating it might be difficult, however, we can take measure to reduce wastes thrown into the lakes, seas, rivers, canals […]
(8) Former youth groups in opposition support the Royal Government
Days now, there is a lot of insults on social media, after some youth groups came to see me (and told me) that they had carried out a lot of activities, and in those activities against the Royal Government, they did not get anything in return. Now they see that the only way (forward) is to join the CPP and support the Royal Government. It is my will to accept and meet those children. The movement is now in momentum. But as the movement shifted its support from anti-government groups, the opposition attacked these young children. This is a lack of respect for democracy. When anyone support them in their course against the government, they say that those people are good. By the time those people cooperate with and/or support the Royal Government in development projects, for instance related to environmental protection, the opposition considered them bad element (selling their ideals out) […]
(9) Political parties and politicians not to paint color on former opposition youthsI am just sending a message that if you think about the democratic process and the rights of citizens in politics, you do not attack these children. It is not a matter of democracy. When they support you, they insult the government, you think they are good. When they see that it is best that they join the government, you consider them betraying their ideals […] youth in many organizations are supporting the Royal Government […] the wind is changing direction. I am calling on political parties and politicians not to paint color on these children. They had previously participated in anti-government protests. Now they do not do that anymore. They asked to join the government to do the works that they have been doing […] I warn you to be careful, not to push these children lose their patience. Do not insult them of selling their heads. They are angry. Thy are all intellectuals […]./.
