Advocates voice concerns ahead of ecotourism conference
As the Tourism Ministry prepares to host the World Ecotourism Conference in Sihanoukville on Monday, ecotourism operators in three provinces said they were worried that the government’s development practices would undermine the very concept the conference is promoting. According to Tith Chanda, director general of the ministry’s tourism department, about 400 delegates from across Southeast Asia are expected to attend the conference, which runs until Wednesday. He defined ecotourism as “nature-based tourism” that is supported by the government and local communities… However, Pierre-Yves Clais, owner of Lodge des Terres Rouge, an eco-friendly resort in Ratanakkiri, said communities near his lodge, including many hill tribes, have been pushed out by the incessant granting of land concessions. Most recently, more than 20,000 hectares of land in conservation areas in Ratanakkiri were handed over to rubber and industrial farming companies…
