The Preah Sihanouk provincial Department of Tourism says Preah Sihanouk province received more than 1.3 million tourists during the first semester of this year.

Of this, over one million were domestic tourists and 290,782 foreign, with Chinese accounting for 84,664 – up 10.12 per cent compared to the same period last year.

However, the beaches in the province – once regarded as some of the world’s most beautiful – have been littered by ongoing development projects in recent years.

A significant influx of Chinese tourists and investors to Sihanoukville has left it rife with construction sites, bringing with it consequences that could leave a negative impact on the tourism industry as a whole.

To address this, Minister of Tourism Thong Khon met provincial authorities and other stakeholders on Monday to explore ways to address some of the challenges facing tourism development in the province.

Khon said the challenges in Sihanoukville, including security, environment, infrastructure, and tourism services management, have eroded the area’s popularity.

Khon has told the authorities to manage trash effectively and prevent dirty water from flowing into the sea.

Recently, private companies were caught filling Praek Treng beach, causing public outrage. After criticism, the government ordered the authorities to remove the landfill.