Clean Cities for Tourists

KHMER TIMES
SOK CHAN

Cleanliness is still an issue on sidewalks in the capital. KT/Chor Sokunthea

Cambodia has listed seven cities as entrants for the Asean Clean Tourism City Competition which will be held next month, Tourism Minister Thong Khon announced yesterday.

Mr. Khon said that Cambodia has everything prepared and has asked for government approval to take part.

He also said Asean tourism ministers had approved the standard by which the competition will be judged.

“After setting the standard, there must be a competition to select cities to turn Asean into a green tourism destination,” Mr. Khon said

Neb Samouth, director general at the Ministry of Tourism, said Cambodia has selected Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot, Kep, Sihanoukville, Battambang, and Kampong Cham for the clean tourism city competition because these cities got top scores in the National Clean City Competition.

“The result will be released in January 2018 in Bangkok, while Thailand hosts the Asean tourism ministers meeting,” said Mr. Samouth.
“It is the first time that Asean has held the Tourism Clean City Competition. For Cambodia however it is the second of its type, after the Clean City Awards in 2013,” he added.

According to Mr. Samouth, the criteria for judging the clean tourism city will be much stricter than for the clean city.

Ho Vandy, secretary- general of Cambodia’s National Tourism Alliance, said that since Asean integration began, it has bolstered the living standard of people and the Kingdom’s national image.

“The competition would provide a vision for Cambodians, at high and low levels, to improve on clean cities, clean resorts, and good service,” said Mr. Vandy.

“All senior and local officials must commit themselves to making a tourism policy and strategy a reality,” he added.

While it is laudable to have a Clean Tourism City competition within the Asean framework, Mr. Vandy said Cambodians needed to care more for their environment.

“We have to look after our environment and that includes the natural resorts and urban areas. Most of these areas are often not clean,” he said.

“We have to start now and we have to destroy waste because it is the worm in tourism.”

Mr. Vandy said that being on the winners list would boost Cambodia’s image in the region and globally, and this would boost the country’s tourism.

Judging would be on a points system based on seven criteria, including environmental friendliness, safety and security, and infrastructure.

Mr. Vandy said all cities must reach the regional standard of about 107 points to be a winner.

International tourist arrivals to Cambodia from January to October this year were reported to be 3.92 million, representing a 4.4 percent rise over the same period last year.