Ecotourism
is a specialist form of tourism governed by a series of unique
principles that lends itself well to the natural and cultural
conservation objectives of Virachey National Park and protected
areas in general. It is a rapidly growing sector and has been
identified by the Ministry
of Tourism as “the most relevant tourism activity
in the future for Cambodia “ [1]
and an important strategy for sustainable development and
poverty alleviation. In particular Northeast Cambodia has
been identified as having a high potential for the development
of ecotourism on account of its vast forested landscapes and
fascinating indigenous peoples. The Virachey National Park
ecotourism programme will play a pivotal role in developing
and promoting the northeast of Cambodia as a key ecotourism
destination in Southeast Asia.
The programme is being guided by a comprehensive
five year Draft Ecotourism Strategy that is aiming to develop
a range of quality, trekking-based tours that incorporate
the unique conservation
values and cultures of the Park’s indigenous
people. The overall goal is to develop a commercially
viable programme that will contribute funding to park management
while ensuring the tours adhere to the guiding principles
of ecotourism. To enable this, the Ecotourism Unit has already
adopted a series of regulations, guidelines and visitor codes
of conduct to minimise impacts on the park and in participating
villages and for ensuring that the quality and safety of the
tours is maintained. There is an emphasis on small group sizes,
low impact and the use of park rangers and community members
to provide joint guiding
services and interpretation for the visitor.
In 2006 the Ecotourism Unit has completed the
development of several pilot products in Ratanakiri Province
based on guided trekking, river travel and village home stays
in and around the park (refer to Visit
the Park on the Virachey
National Park Website for details on the status of products
currently offered). The programme will be expanded to Stung
Treng Province in late 2006 and efforts made to forge partnerships
with reputable private companies to develop and operate special
interest tours to the park such as bird watching and historical
trekking journeys along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. |
