Background
The Ministry of Tourism met with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) leaders to discuss strengthening cooperation under Cambodia’s national ecotourism framework. The Royal Government of Cambodia adopted the National Ecotourism Policy 2019–2030 to guide development of ecotourism and community-based tourism.
The meeting highlighted existing institutional arrangements tied to the policy, including an inter-agency coordinating body and an annual forum. The government established the National Committee for the Management and Development of Tourism Communities and Ecotourism and designated 19 November as the annual National Ecotourism Forum.
Scope of Application
The National Ecotourism Policy 2019–2030 provides national-level guidance for the development and management of community-based tourism and ecotourism across Cambodia. The Ministry of Tourism has positioned community capacity-building and partnership frameworks as central elements of policy implementation.
Key Provisions or Decisions
Officials confirmed the policy timeframe (2019–2030) as the reference for current programming and partnership planning. The Ministry noted the establishment of a national committee responsible for coordinating tourism community and ecotourism initiatives, and the formal designation of 19 November for an annual forum to review progress and share best practices.
During the audience, the Ministry and WWF discussed developing a Memorandum of Understanding to clarify cooperative roles, with particular emphasis on community-based tourism, ecotourism, capacity building, and sustainable development. The Ministry also welcomed the appointment of a new WWF Country Director for Cambodia.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
The Ministry reported recent capacity-building activity that can inform private-sector engagement: training provided to 24 communities in 2025 benefited about 1,000 trainees, and training in the first half of 2026 reached 13 communities with approximately 700 trainees. These figures provide a current snapshot of government-led community readiness and may be referenced by donors, operators, and partners when assessing local capacity for ecotourism projects.
A prospective MoU between the Ministry and WWF would aim to formalize collaboration modalities but no legally binding agreement was announced at the meeting.
Official Source
Ministry of Tourism, Phnom Penh — 28 August 2026. Source: Ministry of Tourism Facebook post (https://www.facebook.com/cambodia.tourism.ministry/posts/pfbid021ctBD44h5MPBJWPNGR69nrycAKZdQJabMgBAcVSzgSbpbNWQpuuUzueLNG8mTrHAl)
