TAKEO, Cambodia: The 9th River Festival of Cambodia is being held in southern Takeo province to promote tourism along the riparian provinces.
Under the theme "The Value of River: Linking Culture and Natural Tourism," the three-day event opened on Friday (March 21) at Takeo Lakeside Park in Daun Keo city, with arts performances, sports, lanterns, and fireworks, attracting many local and foreign visitors.
Tourism Minister Huot Hak said festival-goers would enjoy live performances of artistic spectacles and concerts, tourism and trade exhibitions, sports, martial arts, floating and sky lanterns, and fireworks, among others.
"The festival is designed to promote the value of local products, tourism-related services, and potential tourism destinations in riverine provinces in Cambodia," he said.
Nhom Sokly, an 18-year-old festival-goer, said she was excited to attend the festival as it was the first of its kind in Takeo province.
"I notice that there are a lot of tourists, as the river is beautiful, surrounding environment is clean, and exhibition is interesting," she told Xinhua on Friday.
"I like this festival very much because it helps attract a lot of tourists to our province," she added.
Sokly, who is also a first-year student at the Build Bright University in Phnom Penh, said such an annual festival was essential to help protect the riverine environment, natural resources and biodiversity.
Ket Srey Leab, another 18-year festival-goer, said the festival has not only created a joyful atmosphere for people, but also inspired them to love and preserve the river's natural resources and biodiversity.
"It can help enhance the riverine environment and attract more tourists to this riparian province," she told Xinhua.
Chrey Sreypenh, a 45-year-old rice miller, who showcased different types of rice at the event, said the festival provided a great opportunity to display locally-made products and to promote provincial tourist attractions to domestic and foreign visitors.
"This is a grand festival in the province and Cambodia, and I believe that a lot of people will visit it, so it's an opportunity to promote my products before them," she told Xinhua.
"This River Festival gives an opportunity for people in Takeo province and across the country to better know Takeo province and its tourism products and agricultural produce," she added.
Sreypenh called on tourists to visit Takeo province, saying it has vast potential in cultural and nature-based tourism.
Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting Cambodia's economy in addition to garment export, agriculture, and real estate and construction.
The South-East Asian nation received 6.7 million foreign visitors in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 23 per cent, said a Ministry of Tourism's report, adding that the country earned a gross revenue of US$3.63 billion from the tourism industry last year, a year-on-year rise of 18 per cent. - Xinhua
