Tourism Indochina: Responsible Tourism in Cambodia

Tourism Indochina: Responsible Tourism in Cambodia

Responsible tourism is an approach to the management of tourism, aimed at maximizing economic, social and environmental benefits and minimizing costs to destinations. Simply put, Responsible tourism ‘creates better places for people to live in, and better places to visit’. The distinguishing characteristic of the approach is the focus on the responsibility of key stakeholders in the tourism sector, and destinations in general, to take action to achieve sustainable tourism development.


Responsible Tourism Trends(Programme 2010 - 2011-Snvworld): International tourists and tour operators are increasingly seeking tourism products and services that meet high socio-cultural and environmental standards. Especially European and North-American markets are highly motivated to travel in a responsible way. Chris Thompson, Travelife Sustainability Manager and Responsible Tourism Coordinator of FTO (Federation of Tour Operators), expressed that in the United Kingdom "at lease 2/3 of people walking into a travel agency are looking for authenticity, they are looking for something being put back into the local destination, and that we are actually enhancing livelihoods". Similar conclusions are drawn in SNV’s recent publication on the Responsible Tourism market: “Customers demand authenticity, dynamic and interactive experiences, and environmentally and (to a lesser extent) socially responsible practices”. Increased publicity on sustainability issues, especially those pertaining to global warming and poverty alleviation, has heightened consumer awareness on the importance of responsible purchases. Consumers are rightly demanding that tourism businesses operate as responsible members of the community. As a result, a growing number of large international tour operators aims to match their product offer to this market. “70% of international tour operators consider ‘sustainable’ and ‘responsible’ tourism important to the quality of experience they are able to offer their customers”, according to a global study by FTO (Federation of Tour Operators)”.

In destination countries such as Cambodia, these international tour operators are looking to partner with local enterprises that promote comparable business management. This creates new opportunities for business links and serves as a marketing tool for Cambodian Responsible Tourism companies. Secretary of State from the Ministry of Tourism H.E. Kousoum Saroeuth said that “This is a good chance for tourism private sector in Cambodia to target and make profit from the responsible tourism market”. To accomplish that Cambodia needs to increase its focus on “responsible tourism” to keep up with foreign travellers and capture a growing market. These tourists want to ensure that their tourism experience impacts positively on the local host communities and environment. International tourists and tour operators are increasingly seeking tourism products and services that meet high socio-cultural and environmental standards.

Responsible Tourism in Cambodia to be commenced soon:

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2010-09-29): The Responsible Travel Cambodia Program will launch in October 2010. This is a new business approach that requires design and implementation with clear motivation and commitment toward managing and developing of responsible tourism services in Cambodia.

This initiative is created and promoted by collaboration between SNV in Cambodia and The Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA) with the purpose for business solution that positively contributes to poverty alleviation and praises local livelihood. The GOAL of Responsible Tourism Program is “to provide new, modern solutions for challenging facing tourism business today, including increased competitiveness in the rapid changing global tourism industry,” according to SNV Cambodia.

Strategic approach, advices will be provided to enable tour operators to profit from the practical responsible business management and to make good collaboration for positive changes in tourism sector in Cambodian as well as to appropriately respond to a emerging market trend in global tourism.

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Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
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