Cambodia, August 2008 – The website of the Mekong Discovery Trail – www.mekongdiscoverytrail.com – has been launched and announced to the public. With SNV’s technical support, the news about the website launching was sent to 300 tourism related stakeholders worldwide.

The Mekong Discovery Trail is a joint project between Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and SNV. The project has two overarching objectives for alleviating poverty and promoting conservation through appropriate and sustainable tourism development along the mighty Mekong River in Kratie and Stung Treng. The project is divided into 3 phases: (1) Kratie Tourism Master Plan; (2) planning and design of the Mekong Discovery Trail; (3) implementation.

During phase 2, the Mekong Discovery Trail website was developed with SNV’s technical support. By August 2008, the Mekong Discovery Trail website was launched and announced locally and internationally to 300 tourism related stakeholders: tour companies (190), media (25), NGOs (35), hotel and boutique guesthouses in Phnom Penh (15), as well as SNV regional offices and government institutions.

The Mekong Discovery Trail highlights the river life adventure in Northeast Cambodia along the Mekong River in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces. Its website incorporates lots of interesting news, maps of the trails with detailed information, and available tourism activities along the trail such as Mekong River Dolphin viewing, horse cart riding, mountain biking, forest trekking, and house boating. Information about local products, home-stay and other ecotourism and nature-based activities is also provided. Getting involved in these activities can improve community well-being as well as local community development since all the services and products are provided by local communities and local suppliers.

SNV, UNWTO and Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism have a strong commitment to develop the Mekong Discovery Trail into a national tourism asset and a unique selling point of Cambodia alongside Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

To assist tourists and tour operators, the Mekong Discovery Trail Guidebook has been developed, also with SNV’s technical assistance. The official launching event of the Mekong Discovery Trail Guidebook and Website will be held in September 2008 with the participants from the private sector and media.

As a result of the launching of the website, support from the private sector and other tourism related stakeholders is noticed. Mr. Om Pharin, managing director of Charming Cambodia Tours expressed: “I am very much interested in promoting this new destination (the Mekong Discovery Trail) to our overseas partners. I trust that the website will help attract more international tourists to the Mekong Discovery Trail.”

Mr. Kim Nou, Country Director of Other Ways Cambodia shared his view: “The website is useful for all of us as tour operators and we do appreciate SNV very much for all the work it has done to help the poor communities living along the Mekong Discovery Trail”.

For more information, please visit www.mekongdiscoverytrail.com