Blue Green Ecotourism Project By Wwf Cambodia Promotes Sustainable Tourism And Empowerment In Kratie

Published on September 15, 2025

WWF Cambodia has formally launched nan Blue Green Ecotourism task successful an effort to protect Cambodia’s earthy and taste practice and promote sustainable tourism practices. The occasion, which was held successful August 2025 astatine Phnom Penh’s Maloop Garden, signalled nan commencement of a cooperative task pinch nan Cambodia Ecotourism Network (CEN) and important backstage assemblage partners. The International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) is backing this 14-month project, which will tally until September 2026. It is simply a constituent of nan Destination Eco-Talents Project, a location inaugural that intends to beforehand sustainable tourism successful Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. The extremity of this task is to assistance Kratie, a state renowned for its taste value and earthy beauty, successful becoming 1 of Cambodia’s apical eco-destinations.

Project Objectives: Sustainable Tourism astatine Its Core

The Blue Green Ecotourism task is designed pinch nan cardinal nonsubjective of promoting low-impact tourism that highlights Kratie’s stunning landscapes, including nan Mekong River, and its rich | taste heritage. By emphasising responsible tourism, nan task hopes to guarantee that nan province’s earthy resources and taste sites are preserved for early generations.

At nan bosom of nan task lies a attraction connected processing Kratie into a starring eco-destination successful Southeast Asia. By integrating conservation pinch taste and economical growth, nan task intends to connection a sustainable exemplary for tourism that tin beryllium replicated successful different parts of Cambodia and beyond. To execute this, WWF Cambodia is moving to create a nationalist ecotourism network, which will unify nan greenish and ecotourism sectors. This web will beforehand collaborative efforts betwixt section communities, tourism providers, and nationalist stakeholders to create a much sustainable tourism infrastructure successful Cambodia.

A cardinal constituent of nan Blue Green Ecotourism task is nan promotion of tourism activities that are not only environmentally responsible but besides economically beneficial to nan section communities. The inaugural intends to trim nan antagonistic impacts of wide tourism, specified arsenic biology degradation and taste commodification, by focusing connected ecotourism principles for illustration sustainability, respect for section cultures, and conservation of biodiversity.

Empowering Local Communities: A Focus connected Women and Youth

One of nan astir important aspects of nan Blue Green Ecotourism task is its attraction connected empowering section communities, particularly women and youth. In agrarian areas for illustration Kratie, wherever economical opportunities tin beryllium limited, nan task provides a chance for individuals to summation caller skills and unafraid sustainable livelihoods. The tourism sector, pinch its increasing request for services specified arsenic guided tours, hospitality, and section crafts, offers galore opportunities for economical development, but only if locals person nan basal training and resources.

Through this initiative, section organization members will person training successful ecotourism-related fields, specified arsenic hospitality, circuit guiding, and biology conservation. This is designed to equip them pinch nan knowledge and skills required to prosecute successful sustainable tourism ventures. As a result, nan task will create semipermanent occupation opportunities, particularly for young group and women, who are often under-represented successful nan workforce. Empowering these groups is important not only for gender equality but besides for fostering a much resilient section economy.

In summation to skill-building, nan task besides promotes nan creation of mini businesses tally by section entrepreneurs. These businesses will connection services specified arsenic eco-friendly accommodations, locally made handicrafts, and sustainable nutrient options. By fostering entrepreneurship, nan Blue Green Ecotourism task ensures that nan benefits of tourism are shared equitably crossed nan community.

Conservation and Cultural Preservation: Protecting What Matters Most

Kratie, pinch its pristine landscapes and divers ecosystems, is location to galore endangered species, specified arsenic nan Irrawaddy dolphin, which tin beryllium recovered successful nan Mekong River. The Blue Green Ecotourism task seeks to merge conservation efforts pinch tourism, ensuring that some nan situation and nan taste practice of nan region are preserved. By encouraging visitors to sojourn eco-friendly accommodations and participate successful sustainable activities, nan task helps mitigate nan antagonistic impacts of accepted tourism, specified arsenic pollution, residence destruction, and wildlife trafficking.

In summation to biology conservation, nan task besides emphasises nan value of taste preservation. Kratie is location to respective indigenous communities pinch rich | traditions, and nan Blue Green Ecotourism task intends to item these cultures done tourism experiences that respect and observe their measurement of life. Local guides, for example, will beryllium trained to stock nan taste history of their communities pinch visitors, ensuring that visitors summation a deeper knowing of Kratie’s practice while supporting its preservation.

The task besides seeks to prosecute section communities successful nan conservation process, encouraging them to go progressive stewards of their environment. This is done done acquisition programmes that item nan value of biodiversity and sustainable assets management. The eventual extremity is to create a tourism exemplary that not only boosts nan section system but besides protects nan earthy and taste assets that make Kratie unique.

Regional Collaboration and Broader Impact

The Blue Green Ecotourism task is portion of a larger location inaugural known arsenic nan Destination Eco-Talents Project, which involves respective Southeast Asian nations. The extremity of this collaboration is to beforehand sustainable tourism crossed nan region by sharing knowledge, resources, and champion practices. The task besides facilitates networking betwixt stakeholders from various sectors, including authorities agencies, NGOs, section businesses, and nan tourism industry.

Through location workshops and associated initiatives, nan Blue Green Ecotourism task will thief fortify nan capacity of section communities and businesses successful Cambodia and neighbouring countries. These efforts will not only support sustainable tourism but besides lend to nan broader extremity of biology protection and taste preservation successful Southeast Asia.

By engaging successful this location partnership, WWF Cambodia is ensuring that nan Blue Green Ecotourism task has a lasting effect beyond Kratie. The project’s occurrence could service arsenic a exemplary for different regions successful Cambodia and Southeast Asia, helping to reshape nan tourism manufacture successful a much sustainable direction.

A Vision for nan Future

An important milestone successful nan improvement of sustainable tourism successful Cambodia has been reached pinch nan commencement of nan Blue Green Ecotourism project. The task is mounting nan shape for a caller era of responsible tourism successful Kratie by emphasising low-impact travel, organization empowerment, and biology preservation. WWF Cambodia is laying nan groundwork for a much inclusive and sustainable tourism exemplary by collaborating intimately pinch location communities, governmental organisations, and backstage assemblage partners.

In summation to making Kratie 1 of Cambodia’s apical eco-destinations, nan task is anticipated to enactment arsenic a catalyst for sustainable improvement successful nan area arsenic it develops complete nan people of nan pursuing 14 months. The Blue Green Ecotourism task will thief sphere Cambodia’s earthy and taste assets while giving its citizens semipermanent economical opportunities pinch sustained practice and commitment.