Responsible Tourism in Phnom Penh

Cambodia’s capital city Phnom Penh is much bigger than the tourist mecca of Siem Reap and offers its own unique charm. Colonial architecture, lively street side cafes, vibrant markets and colourful traffic jams make up this charming riverside city that sits at the meeting point of three rivers - the mighty Mekong, Tonle Sap and Tonle Bassac rivers.

In between the tourist attractions like the Grand Palace, the incredible National Museum and the famous Russian markets, there are a number of things you can do to ensure your tourist dollar is making a difference. Once again I turn to the Stay Another Day guidebook to see what else Phnom Penh offers.

My first stop is Friends International – a bright cheerful non-profit café staffed by ex-street kids who have been trained in hospitality. Sun-dried tomato hummus, mango salad, tuna and avocado salad, chicken in pita bread and other Asian and Western style tapa snacks make up the menu. On the walls, the names of the students cooking in the kitchen and serving customers are proudly displayed. The brightly coloured décor, fantastic service and divine foods makes this an experience to savour.

And while I’m enjoying my lunch, students are learning the tools of the trade and gaining hands-on experience. One day, these same students will be working in other restaurants or even running their own restaurants.

There are 20,000 children living and working on the streets of Phnom Penh. Friends International works with street children and their families to provide a range of support services including the provision of vocational training in hairdressing, welding, electronics, cooking and mechanics among others. They even support home based production so mothers can work at home and earn a fair income.

Next door to the café there is Friends ‘n’ Stuff – a store that sells goods repaired by the mechanics and electronics students along with handcrafts and clothing made by the students. You can even get a manicure.

On the day I visit Friends, they were closing early to celebrate the Khmer New Year with a concert performed by the children. I was invited to see the concert and it was an absolute privilege to see the joyous energy of the children performing and break dancing and the smiling faces of their families in their audience.

And there are other things to discover in the Stay Another Day. Purchase bold, beautiful silk products at NYEMO, an NGO where vulnerable women learn new skills such as sewing, embroidery and silk weaving and then sells their items in the NYEMO boutique and the Russian market. They also have a restaurant set in a lush, leafy garden so you can relax in tranquillity after your shopping. Profits help assist women who have been affected by HIV/AIDS, trafficking or abuse get the support they need to reintegrate into society.

Other options include a visit Sovanna Phum, a theatre group that is reviving, preserving and promoting traditional arts like puppet theatre. A little bit further out of town, on the way to the Killing Fields, is Lotus Blanc, a training restaurant and spa.

Useful links

www.stay-another-day.org

www.friends-international.org

www.sovannaphum.org

www.business.nyemo.com

Tourism that makes a difference - Cambodia

Over two million tourists a year visit the Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, one of the great wonders of the world. The numbers are dramatically increasing yet most people only stay in the region for two days and few venture beyond the glory of the temples to discover the wonders of this diverse and amazing country. And by neglecting to do so, many people miss out on the opportunity to inject money into Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia.

So how can you ensure your tourist dollar is making a difference?

Stay Another Day is an initiative that promotes sustainable tourism. In other words, tourism which is commercially viable and more importantly, creates broader benefits for the community. By encouraging people to stay a little longer and buy local products, Stay Another Day encourages tourists to get to know Cambodia and have a richer and more rewarding experience. In turn, this makes sure that the tourist dollar makes a difference and improves the welfare of local people.

Every hotel room in Siem Reap (and Phnom Penh) holds the key to the Stay Another Day experience with a booklet outlining the options. And within the booklet, the options are endless – silk products, arts and craft, divine cuisine, entertainment, ecotourism, agriculture initiatives and much more. You can even get involved in projects that help families facing severe illness with much-needed housing repairs.

Today, I visited a silk farm that is part of Artisans Angkor, an organization that trains young people in the traditional art of silk weaving. This organization offers students from rural areas the opportunity to learn how to weave high quality silk, in a supportive and empowering environment – and the results are definitely positive.

On arrival, we were greeted by a tour guide who cheerfully and enthusiastically guided us through the process of making silk – from growing mulberry trees and breeding silk worms to carefully weaving the fabric.

Weaving silk is not an easy task and involves a high level of expertise. It’s no surprise then that the applicants must pass skill and motivation tests before being selected. The successful participants are taught the art of silk making and the end result is exquisite silk that is beautiful and soft to touch. The shop at the end of the tour displays a range of fantastic products and I purchase a delicate scarf with relative ease!

Initially supported by the European Union, Artisans Angkor is now self-sustaining with extra stores in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Hong Kong Airports. The artisans have set up an association so employees (students and graduates) have a voice in the decision making process and receive a fair share of the profits.

Over the next week I will be visiting other initiatives where tourism can make a difference.

NZAID supports the work of Stay Another Day through ongoing support to Mekong Private Sector Development Facility (IFC-MPDF), a multi-donor funded initiative set up by the International Finance Corporation to reduce poverty. It operates in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam.


For more information visit
http://www.stay-another-day.org/
http://www.artisansdangkor.com/