Kampot Province

Kampot represents terroir economy—a province where soil, climate, and tradition combine to create globally recognized specialty products. Kampot Pepper commands premium prices worldwide due to the specific microclimate and generations of farming expertise that make it distinctive. Sea salt from the coastal flats adds another terroir product. Beyond specialty agriculture, the province produced over 1.3 million tourist visits in H1 2024 (30% increase year-over-year), with 198,000 visitors on New Year's Eve 2024 alone making it Cambodia's second-most-popular countdown destination after Siem Reap.

Bokor National Park anchors the ecotourism economy: 1,500 square kilometers of the Elephant Mountains rising to 1,081 meters, offering ocean views from the highlands. The abandoned 1920s French colonial resort—Bokor Palace Hotel and Casino, a Catholic church, a royal summer residence—creates "forgotten city in the clouds" atmosphere that attracts adventurous tourists. A new giant Buddha statue atop the mountain aims to increase international arrivals. The Kampot International Tourism Port, completed in 2022 but delayed, was set to commence operations in Q4 2024, promising improved Greater Mekong Subregion connectivity.

The province balances premium agricultural production with developing tourism infrastructure. Pepper farm tours, cooking classes, national park hikes, pre-Angkorian ruins, river cruises, and island trips diversify beyond beach tourism. Fishing and durian cultivation round out the agricultural base. Kampot's trajectory depends on maintaining the quality differentiation that makes its pepper and salt valuable while scaling tourism without degrading the colonial-era atmosphere and natural landscapes that draw visitors.