It was raining men at the weekend in Kep as three parachutists staged seven jumps from a helicopter as part of the country’s second annual Sea Festival.

The jumps, organised by the Cambodian Air Sports Federation, which formed in March to promote aerial sports in the Kingdom, were among the highlights of the event, which also featured ultralight flying, pop music and kickboxing.

The normally tranquil coastal town bloated to nearly 100,000 during the festival, organised by the Ministry of Tourism and intended to encourage investment in Kep province while promoting environmental stewardship.

Ken Satha, provincial governor of Kep, listed several local development goals during a speech at the festival’s tree planting ceremony yesterday.

Among the plans, which are to be completed by 2028, are the creation of a protected area for marine life, a 14-hectare waste-dump site and a new clean water system. A 90-kilometre road project within Kep is also planned.

According to Satha, development will be concentrated in an area outside the town between Angkaul Beach and Phnom Quau.