The Ministry of Environment officially launched yesterday a mobile app that provides information about Cambodia’s natural resorts and eco-tourism sites to facilitate visits to these areas.

The app name “Doeu Leng Srok Yoeung” or “Visit our Area” contains information about all natural resorts and eco-tourism destinations in the Kingdom and will facilitate and encourage tourists interested in visiting these places.

“I appreciate and thank all stakeholders who worked hard to develop this app and get it officially launched for the Ministry of Environment,” said Say Samal, Minister of Environment.

Samal added that this app is one of the government efforts to encourage tourists to visit natural resorts and eco-tourism destinations across the country. This app not only helps tourists but also benefits residents in the community.

“The app provides convenience for tourists who are interested in visiting natural resorts. The app also helps people in the community by bringing in income and improving their livelihoods,” Samal said. “This is one of the government’s priorities to improve citizens’ livelihoods.”

Samal added that the Ministry of Environment has just prepared the latest policies for the environment and this mobile app is one of the ministry’s achievements for this year.

The minister said that for many decades Cambodia’s protected areas have faced many challenges from forest crimes such as illegal logging and poaching of wildlife, so conservation work protects natural resources. The government has made much progress in protecting natural resources in Cambodia’s protected areas.

Samal added that creating jobs for people in the communities around protected areas is a priority policy for the ministry. It is to ensure that villagers have good jobs and livelihoods and prevent them from committing forest crimes.

“If people in the community have jobs, their children can get a good education. This is an important government policy,” said Samal.

“We want Cambodian people to visit resorts in protected areas and this new mobile app provides conveyance for visitors.”

Min Phannarak, representative of the private company that created this app, said yesterday that all the information about Cambodia’s natural resorts and eco-tourism sites are listed on the app.

Phannarak noted that people can download the app to a smart phone which contains maps, road information and details about each of Cambodia’s natural resorts and eco-tourism places. Tourists can even use the app offline.

Users can also post photos to the mobile app and tourists will have online access to the protected areas in the country.