Mr. Mert Eren’s Interview: Kep, the next big tourism destination in the making
- 25/12/2023
- Posted by: admin
- Category: National News

Kep, the next big tourism destination in the making
James Whitehead / Khmer Times

The core objective of the Kep Tourism Development Master Plan 2023-2035 is to bring the not so well-known beachside city to the forefront on par with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. The Ministry of Tourism with complete backing from Prime Minister Hun Manet plans to transform Kep into a world-class ecotourism destination. Already a host of investments have been confirmed with the private tourism sector seeing it as a potential for large-scale island development and even satellite city developments, Kep is well on its way to becoming the next major tourism destination of Cambodia
Efforts to bring Cambodia’s coastal resort destinations to the forefront of infrastructure and investment policy through the implementation of long-term strategies are already underway as the Royal Government of Cambodia rolled out a detailed Kep Tourism Development Master Plan 2023-2035 this year.
The 12-year vision seeks to raise awareness of the lesser-known beachside city, transforming it into a world-class ecotourism destination. Similarly, the plans hope to raise the province’s local tourism economy into a new and long-running era of increased and sustainable profits.
The master plan, first announced in August, remains under formulation by authorities and city planning experts, however, various infrastructural changes are already afoot in the sleepy seaside province.

The Kep Crab Statue is a landmark that depicts a blue swimmer crab. Tourists come from far and wide to devour this local delicacy. Flickr
Meanwhile, various large public and private investments have also been approved in the province, in anticipation of the transformation ahead.
Khmer Times will take a look at what to expect for the future of Kep under the new initiative, what’s happened in the Kep tourism development sector in lieu of the plan’s completion, and how tourism market insiders of Kep province are heralding the first steps of the initiative at the end of 2023.
Kep master plan
Addressing the closing ceremony of the 10th Sea Festival in Kep this month on December 3, Prime Minister Hun Manet made clear that Kep’s master plan will promote the seaside town as an ecotourism destination and luxury resort to fulfill the province’s potential as part of a broader coastal development plan for the nation’s four seaside provinces.
“We have already prepared a master plan to develop Preah Sihanouk and unlock its multi-purpose potential,” said Mr Hun Manet, adding, “Now, we need to link that master plan to the three other provinces – Kep, Kompot and Koh Rong.”
Further, he said that currently the strategy remains in planning by the National Committee for Coastal Management and Development along with provincial municipalities, and the final Kep master plan will be released in 2024.
One of the government’s main principles for ongoing coastal development planning is, “[it] must not only provide short-term benefits, but must also be preserved in the long term,” said Mr Hun Manet to the festival attendees, confirming the principles of sustainable ecotourism as guiding the development path.

A bird’s eye view of a busy sea beach in Kep. The development of the new 2.7-kilometre beach will dramatically increase tourist capacity along the beachfront. KT/Khem Sovannara
When the Royal Government officially launched the Kep province master plan on August 7, representatives of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) announced for the first time that the plan would leverage “the province’s unique blend of natural, cultural and historical assets while adhering to sustainable, safe and competitive tourism practices.”
Key strategies of the plan that were confirmed included the creation of new attractions such as a golf course, marina and other sports and entertainment venues, and upgrading existing facilities like hotels and beaches, and promoting luxury travel, business events and weddings.
The ministry flagged four key tourism development poles that the plan will encompass: First, the old Kep city is to be developed into a world-class luxury park city; second, the Ang Koul beach area to become an additional modern natural beach resort; third, Phnom Vor to become an agriculture, nature and historical resort destination; and fourth, the province’s island archipelago to be developed as luxury island tourism destinations to bolster tourist options in the province.
The master plan will also outline actions for human resource development, said the MoT, and a tourism marketing and promotion strategy. The establishment of a coastal tourism innovation centre was also proposed.
Plan execution
Kep Governor Som Piseth confirmed on November 8 after discussions with a delegation from the National Committee for Coastal Management and Development, the organization responsible for the joint development plans for Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Koh Kong and Kep provinces, that it was agreed that the committee would begin the plan by first developing a newly extended beach in
Kep first, noting the gradual progression of the province, including its islands, key agro-tourism assets and improvements for Ang Koul beach.
“The committee has selected 2.7 kilometres of beach in Kep, which has just been filled, for development into a ‘world-class’ beach,” Piseth told media in November.

Kep was host to the 10th annual Sea Festival on December 1-3, the first example of destination marketing for the city under the newly announced master plan development. Ministry of Information
Although the plan will also extend to the much larger development of infrastructure, roads, and bridges to make it easier for tourists, said Piseth, by extending the beach as an initial step, the attractiveness of the city for tourists will increase immediately.
The National Committee for Coastal Management and Development gave the green light to begin filling in 2,700 meters of coastline from the Kep Crab Market to the mangrove forests and so far, the project to extend the width of the beach by 30 meters in Kep’s Thmey Village is well underway.
Expanding on the new beach, Piseth said that, “We will leave the space to be used for projects to attract tourism by creating public parks. The area is also used when there are any provincial events,” adding that the expanded beach will be owned by the provincial administration.
“After filling the coast with soil to expand the beach, the hard title will be issued for the provincial administration to use, meaning that it is not private property,” he said.
The final plan would also integrate infrastructure for the public such as sidewalks and bike lanes along the beach, as well as a comprehensive waste management programme to ensure hygiene, according to Piseth.
In regards to the new beach at Kep, under the plan, Mr Hun Manet said, “The beach is to be changed to suit public interest,” and “parks and public places should be set up [along the beach] without sparing any expense.”
Piseth also highlighted the need for increased human resource development in Kep province and to begin setting a standard to serve tourists and maintain safety and public order in tourist areas.
In October, the Kep municipality held the first of these human resource development exercises, gathering hospitality staff from throughout the region and offering a training and skills development session in the lead-up to the sea fest held in the province at the start of December.
Outside of the new beach, the government has also initiated a variety of new logistics networks in the province, including a revamp of the Kep coastal road, which is now around 90 percent complete.
A new 10-kilometer road connection to Ang Koul Beach is nearing completion this month, once considered a “secret beach” given its relative inaccessibility. The new road connects the beach to the main artery roads of the coast, allowing tourists easy access to the pristine beach within a scenic ten-minute drive along the coastline, and allows the further development of tourism infrastructure at the destination.
The local authorities in Kep have also hosted various events to begin environmental awareness in the province and create a cleaner image for the burgeoning ecotourism sector. This included the widespread planting of new trees across the beach fronts and mangroves, initiated in November, along with a series of public beach clean-up initiatives, where locals and local authorities have gotten together to remove plastic waste from the public boulevards and beaches of the city.
The 2023 Sea Festival, held in Kep at the start of this month, also heralded the first of many regional promotion events for the province, marketing the destination coherently as a pillar of the long-term plan to bolster tourism numbers.
In terms of large-scale considerations for the overall direction of the Kep master plan, various investment announcements seem to be of considerable consideration for the National Committee and others involved in the city planning exercise.
In May this year, the Funan Techo Canal was confirmed, a $1.7 billion project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that will surely alter the future of logistics and economic development generally for Kep, and a feature that will be accommodated by master planners in the new city vision released next year.
The Funan Techo Canal project will establish a direct link between the capital of Phnom Penh and Kep Province, connecting the coast to the capital city, the 180 kilometres long waterway will connect Prek Takeo to Prek Ta Ek and Prek Ta Hing of the Bassac River System and onto Kep province. Once completed, the canal will also pass through Kandal, Takeo, and Kampot. It is estimated to be completed in four years and capable of both passenger and freight transport across the country.
Meanwhile, a series of large-scale tourism investments have been confirmed for Kep’s islands already, suggesting that the private tourism sector already sees the huge potential in the region for large-scale island development and even satellite city developments.
As confirmed by Kep authorities at this month’s Sea Fest, the Try Pheap Group is investing $130 million to transform Rabbit Island into a luxury tourism hub with a resort and hotels, entertainment centres, Buddhist sites, and Cambodia’s first cable car connecting Koh Tonsay to other nearby islands.
A number of large-scale tourism developments were also approved by the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) in 2022, including Koh Tbal Island, which is located 1.3 kilometres southeast of Koh Tonsay Island was earmarked for major ecotourism development by the Duke Try Pheap Company, investing $17 million.
Samanea Co.Ltd. also invested in tourism development projects on three islands in Kep province in late 2022, Koh Svay, Koh M’tes and Koh Kok, to the value of $18.2 million.
Tourism vendors
“The announcement of plans to transform Kep into an internationally acclaimed luxury beach resort destination is very exciting for the whole tourism industry, as we already knew that Kep was a jewel of Cambodia’s coastline, and this focus on its improvement, preservation and promotion is certainly a step in the right direction,” said Hugues Morel to the Khmer Times this week, a French national who has been involved in tourism sector business development in Cambodia and Kep for over six years.
“By supporting luxury tourism growth in the region through the development of suitable amenities and effective mass marketing, tourism vendors will ultimately be able to extract more from their investments and support growth into the future,” he said.
Mert Eren, CEO of 23Pier Co., Ltd. and resident investor in Cambodia’s coastal provinces for over 10 years already, told Khmer Times that, “plans and investments are going really well for Kep Province so far under the new initiative. But we need to see more marketing activities targeting foreign tourism if the province is truly to grow into a luxury destination.”
“It is certain that businesses that appeal to local tourists will prosper in Kep and expectations will increase. But international guests may be less happy,” he said.
“Local and foreign tourists with high economic and cultural levels are still pursuing culture and history. However, they also have high preferences for quality roads, food, cleanliness, and hygiene during their trips,” he said.
“Kep is prime for these types of travellers as it can demonstrate the rich history of Cambodia and meet the need for tourists at this level with its local beauties,” noted Eren.
“Kep, as a destination, must first create a regular celebration program of many festivals that it can market. These festival programs should be well publicized both within Cambodia and around the world,” he concluded.
Eren did, however, herald the recent Sea Festival as a step in the right direction.
Morel said that progress is underway in Kep already, with elements of the new vision beginning work.
“We have already witnessed extensions and improvements for tourism vendors along Kep beachfront, the ongoing filling and development of the new 2.7-kilometre beach which will dramatically increase tourist capacity along the beachfront, the new road to ‘secret beach’ (Ang Koul) creating a new option for guests, and of course the recently held Sea Festival, a great taste of things to come,” he said.
“More infrastructure development will unlock locations previously un-promoted and largely unvisited,” noted Morel, something the coast is already seeing with the new road to Ang Koul.
Eren agreed and said, “Kep’s downtown main roads are now some of the best in Cambodia.”
However, said Eren, “Maritime routes are actually the most important issue that will determine the future of Kep. Boat trips to Kep from other provinces or even other countries will instantly increase Kep’s tourism demand. Therefore, structuring and planning in this area is likely to be prioritized.”
Meanwhile, noted Eren, “The decline in tourism after Covid generally makes us think that it is too early for Kep to take steps regarding an airport, however, this could potentially change the game in future.”
Eren continued that, “the uncontrolled carpet and sun lounger rental businesses on the beach in Kep had created a bad image for guests in the past, but recently the administration has taken this issue under control.”
“Kep’s beaches have already become more organized and cleaner from recent improvements, and we can observe that distinguished people and expats living in Cambodia are visiting more due to this.”
“It is also clear that the new coastal market area needs to be more active, and Kep Crab Market also needs a renovation,” said Eren.
Human resource development will however be an important facet of the plan’s success, commentators agree.
“If Kep is to transform into a high-end resort destination, human resource development will also be a key consideration, to ensure that local staff can benefit from the new employment opportunities,” said Morel.
Eren too noted that it is absolutely essential that all employees reach a certain service quality as soon as possible in order for Kep to appeal to a high-standard tourist audience.
“It requires quality tourists, service and human resources,” he said.
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