Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Return of guests offers community chance at preserving traditional life

Return of guests offers community chance at preserving traditional life

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Anlung Pring community is expecting to welcome more tourists this year. ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY

Return of guests offers community chance at preserving traditional life

Community-based tourism is based on more than just building facilities to entertain visitors, but on rich natural resources.

In order to prevent these resources from being lost, the Ministry of Environment often incorporates areas into ecotourism communities. By doing so, the residents of the area gain extra incomes and are less reliant on the use of natural resources to provide their livelihoods.

Located in Kampong Trach district, Kampot province, the Anlung Pring Protected Landscape community is an area with diverse tourism potential. There are many different aspects of nature for guests to enjoy, and they can gain a good insight into the lives of local residents.

Say Am, who handles the accounts for the ecotourism community, said that prior to the onset of Covid-19 – in 2018-2019 – the community’s joint account received over $1,000 each year.

“The income was reinvested into the community to preserve its beauty,” she added.

From 2020 to 2022, they saw very few visitors. Consequently, incomes plummeted.

“In January, we finally had some visitors return – about 50 came to stay here. It is not many, but it is a great improvement on last year,” said Am.

She is hopeful that tourist numbers will return to 2019 levels.

“If so, we will improve the services we can offer and will be able to preserve our traditions,” she concluded.

Soth Lan, head of tourism group in the Anlung Pring community, said they offer many unique services, most of which will be new experiences for tourists, whether domestic or international.

“We provide community-style accommodation and local cuisine. We can show visitors how to make Khmer noodles or distill traditional wine. They can also try their hand at weaving, or we can take them bird-watching, or to explore the caves in the area,” he added.

“Making Khmer noodles, weaving and distilling rice wine are all activities that local people have been doing since ancient times, which they are not so commonly seen nowadays. Tourists can not only see us doing these things, but can try their hand at doing it themselves. This also helps them to understand the community and our way of life,” he continued.

Lan said the community tries to provide a wide range of inexpensive options to guests.

“If we can attract people with our traditional skills, then our cultural identity will not be lost,” he added.

The Anlung Pring community was established in 2016 with the aim of preserving the culture and traditions of the community, as well as a number of rare species of birds in the area.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry taking steps over Thai ‘replica’ of Angkor Wat

    The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has dispatched experts to inspect the ongoing construction of a temple in Wat Phu Man Fah, located in Thailand’s Buriram province. This temple appears to be a replica of Cambodia’s renowned Angkor Wat. The ministry said

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former