‘It Is Important To Market Community-Based Tourism Activities’

Veng Sereyvuth, senior minister, Ministry of Tourism, Royal Government of Cambodia says sustainable tourism not only provides material benefits but also generates cultural pride

Tourism provides a significant potential for poverty reduction, economic growth and development. For many developing countries, and in particular Least Developed Countries (LDCs), tourism is literally one of the important economic sectors that provide concrete opportunities for economic growth.

Sustainable tourism not only provides material benefits but also generates cultural pride. The asset of cultural wealth is of particular relevance to the global economy and conducive to international tourism activities. In this regard, Cambodia found a dominant source of growth in this sector of activities and demonstrated significant potential to accelerate development. For Cambodia tourism has became a prominent export sector and it is one of the major export receipts earner.

Developing linkages is key to poverty reduction through tourism. The poverty reduction effect of international tourism is expected to take place through the wide income-multiplying impact of tourist's expenditure.

The need for competitive, even steady local supplies to the hospitality industry, for example supplies of food and beverage, is a vital linkage; offering a wide range of economic opportunities to local enterprises and households, and much scope for poverty reduction through sustainable activity in rural areas. Encouraging and promoting linkages between the tourism industry and sphere of local suppliers, particularly those in the farming and small manufacturing sectors, is of paramount importance for a successful impact on poverty reduction from tourism.

There are practical limitations to the income-multiplying impact of tourism development. These limitations are usually analysed in terms of 'leakages' from the tourism economy. They are inevitable at the beginning of the development process. What matters is to aim at reducing them over time through appropriate policies.

The national policy is aimed at promoting a competitive and sustainable development of tourism and is founded on the recognition of poverty reduction in this sector. Relevant international organisations can assist in strengthening the institutional capacity to increase the local input to the tourism economy in a poverty reduction perspective. The policies are generally geared toward encouraging the local economic actor in the development of tourism products. This requires effort to develop human resources and encourage tourism-specific entrepreneurship and financial and technical support, in particular for small enterprise development.

Government Push

The Royal Government of Cambodia has launched its 2003-2005 Cambodia National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS) and set up the Tourism Poverty Alleviation Working Group in which the Ministry of Tourism acts as a Chairman and its members are the decision makers from other relevant Ministries and Authorities. In this way, we can ensure that the Poverty Reduction Policy of the royal Government is undertaken effectively and visibly.

To encourage and support the involvement of poverty-stricken local communities in tourism projects, the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia has the National Development Plan, which will be adopted by the Government. The Plan includes pro-poor tourism policies. These policies must be brought to the attention of planners across various sectors, such as in environmental and cultural tourism.

The adoption of pro-poor tourism will ensure that tourism development projects are incorporated into development plans for regional and community groups.

Private Initiatives

The private sector plays an important role by developing initiatives to ensure that the benefits of tourism trickle down to the poor. Such initiatives include:

• Diversity and develop tourism products, contribute to master plans, investment in facilities and services and preservation of the environment and culture. Examples include Kirirom National Park, Pattanakiri and fresh water dolphins in Kratie province.
• Selection of private and international tourism investor to conduct tourism development of village-based tourism, tourism product, training, small medium enterprises (SMEs). Marketing and promotion, transportation facility. In the age of the Internet, the private sector has more ability than ever to develop niche networks for marketing special interest tourism activity. There is a growing percentage of travellers who are looking for experiential tourism, away from normal paths. It is important that marketing efforts for models such as community-based tourism activities are absolutely clear in expounding the benefits they generate.

In Cambodia, we have seen the development of the Cambodia Community-based eco-tourism Network (CCBEN), a network of organisation, educational institutes and projects that are involved in community-based eco-tourism.

• Encourage the private sector and communities to use local agricultural product.
• Ensure that success and sustainable development includes the participation of local communities and also that these communities benefit from their participation. Domestic tourists are particularly important for local sellers and owners of small enterprise. Therefore, it is important that tourism promotion also focuses on the domestic market.