With the 9th Sea Festival in Preah Sihanoukville taking place from December 9-11, more than 2,400 civil servants and youths have volunteered to collect garbage and clean up the environment at important locations to preserve the environment and beautify the province.

At a workshop on enhancing the quality of tourist services for the 9th Sea Festival held on December 8, Clean City Department director Huot Rithy said that garbage littering the streets is a common problem and to be expected whenever big or small events are being held, such as the Water Festival in Phnom Penh, Kandal or Battambang and the sea festivals in Koh Kong and Kampot provinces.

He said that in order to solve these problems the Ministry of Tourism has laid out many solutions that focus on education, training, environmental clean-up activities and practical garbage collection, and raising awareness among business owners and tourists as well as general participants.

“Garbage collection and environmental clean-up activities will be conducted on the morning of December 10 at Poy Samdech Techo with 716 participants and 1,699 participants at Daemchheu Cham Sne. We conduct these activities in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration. On the morning of December 11, we will have clean-up activities at Ochheuteal Beach and Otres Beach,” he also said.

Ministry secretary of state Tith Chantha, who attended the workshop, asked that the Sihanoukville Provincial Administration, authorities at all levels and the private sector work together to maintain security and public order while making the city beautiful for the Sea Festival as the province has in the past received the three-Phkar Romduol award of the Clean City Competition and was a winner of the ASEAN Clean Tourism City competition.