Kampot (VNA) – Cambodia’s 11th Sea Festival took place from December 13-15 in the southern coastal province of Kampot under the theme “Celebrating Heritage and Sustainability of Coastal Areas.”
Speaking at the festival's opening ceremony on December 13, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet highlighted that the organisation of the festival reflects a peaceful, secure, and stable Cambodia, allowing both locals and international visitors to explore the country freely at any time.
He praised Kampot for its recent achievements, particularly the inauguration of the multipurpose Kampot Port in June, which will boost agriculture and tourism. Additionally, the temporary opening of the Kampot International Cruise Port on December 12 aims to connect this coastal province with other regions in Cambodia, as well as neighbouring countries like Thailand and Vietnam.
PM Hun Manet emphasised that tourism fundamentally connects people and plays a vital role in fostering relationships between local communities and international visitors. He viewed the promotion of culture, arts, and tourism as crucial efforts for Cambodia, thus, the organisation of a festival to attract both domestic and international tourists is of significance.
The Sea Festival featured three main activity groups - live artistic performances and concerts accompanied by spectacular fireworks; a food and beverage festival showcasing local products and tourism development projects from coastal provinces, along with exhibitions on agricultural tourism; and water sports and beach activities participated by domestic and international athletes.
Since its inception in 2011, the sea festival has been hosted alternately in four coastal provinces of Preah Sihanouk, Kep, Koh Kong, and Kampot. The festival aims to promote the tourism potential of coastal regions and encourage the engagement of the private sector, public, and other stakeholders in the protection and preservation of marine resources and beach environments. This marks the third time Kampot has hosted the festival.
According to Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak, Cambodia expects to welcome around 6.7 million international tourists and 22 million domestic visitors in 2024, surpassing the pre-pandemic figures in 2019./.
