KEP: The 10th Sea Fest was held in Kep over the weekend, attracting more than 268,000 visitors. According to Kep Governor Som Piseth, the two-day event ran smoothly thanks to the work of civil servants and improved infrastructure that can handle an influx of tourists. This year was the first Sea Fest to be opened and closed by the Prime Minister, signifying its growing importance to Cambodia’s cultural value.

Prime Minister Hun Manet spoke at the closing ceremony on December 3, where he urged the coastal regions to carefully plan their long-term development. "The development of Cambodia's coastal areas is not just for the present, but we need to think long-term into the future with a clear plan and careful management," he said. He also expressed his vision to transform Kep into a high-level eco-tourism destination with the development of beaches and new infrastructure to attract tourists to the province.

The PM also said that Cambodia needs more than temples to attract tourists, and that the country must organize many more tourist destinations and events. "We can not only have one temple. We must have many products to attract people. They cannot visit Angkor 100 times, three days in a row. There must be various products to serve their needs, which require a variety of tourist destinations and a variety of events."

He has designs to craft a new reputation for Cambodia as a premier destination for international tourists, which he said will take many years. He said that the country’s current state of peace makes way for Cambodia to redefine itself as more than a country that was ravaged by war and genocide.

"Tourism not only helps to reduce poverty in Cambodia, but also helps to promote Cambodia’s civilization, culture and long history to the world. It will also attract both tourists and investment to Cambodia,” he said.

He said that the Royal Government has organized major events to attract national and international tourists, such as Angkor Sankranta (Khmer New Year), Water Festival, River Festival, Sea Festival and a marathon in Siem Reap this week with more than 10,000 participants.

According to Minister of Tourism Sok Soken, Cambodia received more than 4.4 million international tourists and hosted over 12 million domestic tourists in the first 10 months of 2023.