Minister of Tourism Thong Khon has urged the promotion of several public awareness campaigns – including one to reduce road accidents and drugs use at target areas identified by the Cambodian SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC) – as the Kingdom prepares to host the biennial multi-sports event next year.

Khon, who is also permanent vice-chair of CAMSOC and president of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), urged the NOCC’s Commission on Culture, Environment and Sports Education to take responsibility for advancing the goals of the campaigns, especially in Phnom Penh.

According to Top Sopheak, chairman of the commission, the campaigns focus on sports in peace, lifelong sports participation, clean Cambodia and good hospitality, and reducing road accidents and drugs.

“We need to spread information to the general public to let them know about the organisation of the 2023 SEA Games,” he said after the meeting.

Sopheak said all people must participate in the campaigns for a Clean Cambodia and Green Cambodia, which means that they must help with environmental clean-up and for hospitality businesses to keep the areas around their businesses clean and to be prepared to provide good service to all guests.

The promotion of these campaigns will focus on Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kep and especially Phnom Penh, which is the biggest venue of the 2023 SEA Games.

“Our commission has already discussed with [CAMSOC secretary-general] Vath Chamroeun to prepare for the event to make the campaigns go viral towards the 2023 SEA Games, especially in all districts of Phnom Penh. The capital will be the biggest venue for the event, so every district must be clean,” Sopheak said.

During the meeting, Khon told officials to work on commissioning a promotional song to celebrate the SEA Games.

“[Khon] instructed our commission to work on the composing of a song to celebrate the SEA Games because the song has the potential to reach all of the public as they watch the event on TV and listen to it and they will know more about the importance of hosting the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia,” Sopheak said.