Tatai Krom Community are preparing the infrastructure and services for tourists after they were officially endorsed by the ministry of environment as an eco-tourism destination.

Tep Mala, Tatai Krom Community leader, said yesterday that the ministry of environment has accepted the Tatai Krom community, located on 97.3 hectares in Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary, Anlong Vak and Koh Andet villages, Koh Kong district in Koh Kong province as eco-tourism community.

“After the Tatai protected area was accepted as a community for eco-tourism, we are planning to provide homestay accommodation with food and a ferry services for tourists. We have that in place but we want to improve the accommodation and services,” Mala said.

The infrastructure which is in place is in need of repair and currently is inconvenient for tourists. Through the assistance from donors, we can build new roads and repair existing roads, making it more convenient for tourists to visit, Mala said.

“We don’t have the ability to undertake this work by ourselves, we need support from international organisations and the Ministry of Environment.

“I have requested assistance from them to help us develop this community,” said Mala.

Mala said that to build the infrastructure in Tatai Krom is really important to attract tourists and make it an ideal tourist destination.

“The existing roads, especially during the rainy season, are unsuitable for tourists. If we have good infrastructure, we will be able to receive many more visitors,” she said.

“We also require training from experts and the government on how to service tourists professionally. Also, we want to create a small farm to breed animals and cultivate crops so tourists can experience organic food from farm to table,” she added.

“Previously, we were receiving around 200 visitors a day, however, they were staying in nearby private resorts and we could only offer boat trips to the flooded forest,” she noted.

“If we can develop the area and provide accommodation and services to tourists, it will help the community by providing jobs and income to support their livelihoods,” she said.

Environment Ministry Spokesman Neth Pheaktra said that this recognition aligns with the government’s policy of improving local livelihoods while ensuring the preservation of their natural resources.

“People in community will benefit from the development to improve their livelihoods,” said Pheaktra.

“People can do husbandry and farming to provide food for tourists. This will benefit the people with income from their services,” he said.

After acceptance of the Tatai Krom community by the ministry, the citizens have to protect the natural resources and biodiversity in the protected area, Pheaktra added.

“People in the community are very important, as they can be the guardians of the natural resources in the area. They can protect against illegal logging, land grabbing and the environment,” said Pheaktra.

There are almost 200 communities endorsed by the ministry and they can assist in conservation and prevent forest crimes, he added.

According to a ministry statement on Friday last week, Tatai Krom community was recognised through a proclamation dated July 19, as part of the Cambodia Sustainable Landscape and Eco-tourism Project.

The Ministry said that the recognition is aimed at increasing participation in the sustainable management and use of natural resources in
accordance with the government’s policy of improving the livelihoods of local communities.