STUNG TRENG: The Stung Treng Provincial Department of Tourism is organizing a package tour for tourists on the occasion of the Khmer New Year in the upper Mekong River area instead of the area where dolphins used to reside.
According to a publication of the General Department of National Radio during the inspection of natural potential along the Mekong River on Sunday, the Director of the Stung Treng Provincial Department of Tourism, Un Pa Soeun, asked community transport officials to make these package tours safe for tourists. He said that the places to visit include the historical site of Preah Sakhorn, the location of the limestone mountain, the silver cave, the beauty of Koh Han, the scenery of the Ramsar site, and bird watching along the upper Mekong River. These are all potential tourist destinations instead of visiting the part of the Mekong where all the dolphins have died (Koh Chheuteal).
The Director of the department stated that in this work, the department has already instructed for the organization of good tourism services, boats for transporting guests, accommodation, entertainment, food, good hygiene and reasonable prices to promote growth in national tourism.
Kong Chanty from the Borey O'Svay Sen Chey Ecotourism Association accepted this advice and the community will be organized for tourists to partake in the tours in a safe manner.
He said that good organization make tourists happy and want to visit again and again, while also promoting the local tourism sector to help Cambodians who live in these areas to earn an income.
A tourist from Tbong Khmum province who used to visit this area, Chi Daravuth, acknowledged that the upper Mekong River of the Ramsar site has a good scenery to visit – rich biodiversity, flooded islands, large trees with long roots, birds and so on.
Stung Treng Province has been included by the Department of Tourism as a model eco-tourism area, and Koh Han Beauty and O'Svay Sen Chey Borey as model areas to compete in the Northeast Tourism Community for 2022-2025, to evaluate the area’s quality and beauty and receive a certificate from the Ministry of Tourism.
