The country Cambodia has in the last recent years prospered as an international tourist destination and the tourism industry has become more recognised as a major source of income.
The international tourist destination has therefore come to occupy an important role for the country’s economic development. Concerning the fact that Cambodia is a Third World country the local community can be extremely vulnerable in relation to the consequences that international tourism can create. The project ChildSafe was formed by the organization Friends
International as a consequence of the poor situation for street children. This project works to protect children from all sorts of abuse. This project has also developed information for the international tourist to take part of while visiting the country. This information provides guidelines concerning how to act as a responsible tourist. The aim of this study is consequently to investigate how international tourism can influence the social community in Cambodia. To limit the research the study will focus on the organization ChildSafe and their work to promote a sustainable social development. It will also focus on the Ministry of Tourism and their work and attitude towards the same issue.
The result of the study shows that international tourism affects the social community in many ways, both positive and negative. International tourism can contribute to the community and create a sustainable social development if there is support, information, incentives or regulations for the tourists that interests them or controls them in a way that is beneficial for the local community. Both ChildSafe and the Ministry of Tourism agree that the main positive consequence of international tourism for the social community is the revenue that the tourism industry can generate. Concerning the negative impacts of tourism the two organizations differ significantly as ChildSafe identifies many negative consequences for the social community.
The Ministry of Tourism, on the other hand, believes that the negative impacts of international tourism do not affect the community significantly. However, both organizations believe that sustainable tourism can support the local community and create a sustainable social development. It is concluded from the work done by ChildSafe that international tourism can be used to promote the social community, but only if there is support and information for the international tourists when they arrive in the country. Finally, it is concluded that support from the Ministry of Tourism is needed as it is believed that they possess the greatest power of change for the tourist destination Cambodia.
4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The process of writing this thesis has been challenging as it has required a lot of effort regarding time for preparations, building relationships, conducting interviews and processing the material. At the same time we have learned a great deal and it has been an unforgettable experience. A number of people are to be shown appreciation for their encouragement and support during this time.
First of all we would like to express our profound gratitude to the organization ChildSafe and
Mark Turgesen who met with us for an interview and informed us about the work that is done for the children of Cambodia. Secondly we would also like to express our appreciation to the
Ministry of Tourism who warmly welcomed us for an interview and informed us about the work that is done by the government to support sustainable tourism alternatives.
We would also like to thank our supervisor Thomas Blom PhD, Associate Professor at
Karlstad University who have supported and encouraged us with constructive criticism and valuable guidance.
Thanks to our contact person Lar Sopheak, Academic Coordinator at the American Intercon
Institute & School, who has at all times showed her support for our work and always being available to help and guide us. We would also like to thank our contact person Dr. Phou
Sakal, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality at Build Bright University in
Phnom Penh, who has shown interest and support for our research study and helped us to build a contact network.
We also feel great appreciation and gratitude to our good friend Lev Sopheavy who at all times has proven her continuous support during our stay in Cambodia. We would also like to thank Lev Sopheavy for her contribution to our thesis. A special thanks to the family Lev for warmly welcoming us to their home and taking us under their wings.
Finally, we would like to thank our families and friends for their support during this project as it certainly has demanded a lot of patience and understanding. Thank you!
To receive information on how to act when visiting Cambodia regarding the situation for the street children, or to make contributions to the ChildSafe Cambodia network please take part of the information below.
Phnom Penh Office – Friends International Sihanoukville Office –Friends International
9a Street 178, P.O. Box 597 M’Lop Tapang
Phnom Penh, Cambodia 7 Makara st, Khan Mittapheap, Sihanoukville
Tel: (855) 23 986 601 Tel: 034 934 072 childsafe@friends-international.org info@mloptapang.org
Siem Reap Office – Friends International
696, Group 10, Mondul 1 Village
Svay Dangkum Commune
Tel: (855) 63 761 096 andree@friends-international.org 5
BACKGROUND NOTE
The reason for conducting this study has been founded in a profound interest for us to explore the development of international tourism in the Third World. The choice of Cambodia was at an early stage recognized as an interesting choice as the country, in only a couple of years, has evolved as one of the most popular international tourist destinations. The fact that the country is of growing interest to the outside world, and at present is in an early development stage, made the subject of choice more interesting. This interest is based on the possibilities that the country possess regarding their future development.
The vulnerability of the people in the Third World in relation to development of international tourism has created the interest concerning how this development can affect the local community. This concern is based on our ideological standpoint concerning the importance of protection and support of human rights and equality. Therefore this will influence the research study concerning interpretation and conclusion.
The reason for including the concept of sustainable tourism is that we believe that sustainability in relation to development issues is of essence. The concept sustainability can be defined in many ways and we do recognize the complexity that this concept can create.
The subject of international tourism in relation to sustainability concerns a great deal.
Therefore we took the opportunity to conduct two different research studies regarding the matter. These two research studies made it possible to investigate the issue from different perspectives, and as this study concerns the consequences of international tourism in relation to the social community, the other investigates the international marketing of sustainable tourism in Cambodia. The report International Marketing of Sustainable Tourism in
Cambodia can be found at Karlstad University (Ericson & Rönning 2008).
6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BACKGROUND NOTE
1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 7
1.1 THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM .................................................................................................................... 8
1.2 AIM AND QUESTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
1.3 LIMITATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.4 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS .........................................................................................................................................10
1.5.1 Attitude ............................................................................................................................................................................10
1.5.2 Sustainable Tourism .........................................................................................................................................................10
1.5.3 Tourism ............................................................................................................................................................................10
2 COUNTRY PRESENTATION .................................................................................................................. 11
2.1 GEOGRAPHY .....................................................................................................................................................................11
2.2 HISTORY ..............................................................................................................................................................................13
2.3 CAMBODIA TODAY ........................................................................................................................................................14
2.4 THE TOURISM INDUSTRY ...........................................................................................................................................15
3 PREVIOUS RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................17
4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...............................................................................................................18
4.1 CONSEQUENCES OF TOURISM IN THE THIRD WORLD ...............................................................................18
4.2 AWARENESS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ................................................................20
4.3 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM – AN INVESTMENT IN THE SOCIAL COMMUNITY? ....................................21
4.4 TOURISM MANAGEMENT – CREATING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY ..............................................22
4.4.1 Sustainable Tourism Actors – A Complex Relationship ..................................................................................................22
4.5 THE DESTINATION AUDIT ........................................................................................................................................23
5 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................... 25
5.1 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ..........................................................................................................................................25
5.2 PRESENTATIONS .............................................................................................................................................................26
5.3 INTERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................................................26
5.3.1 A Semi-structured Interview ..............................................................................................................................................27
5.3.2 Attitudes ...........................................................................................................................................................................28
5.4 CRITICAL ISSUES ..............................................................................................................................................................28
6 EMPIRICAL FACTS .................................................................................................................................. 30
6.1 CHILDSAFE CAMBODIA ...............................................................................................................................................30
6.1.1 Interview ...........................................................................................................................................................................31
6.2 THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM .....................................................................................................................................37
6.2.1 Interview ...........................................................................................................................................................................38
6.3 THE MAIN ISSUES TO BE ANALYZED....................................................................................................................40
7 ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................................................................41
7.1 CONSEQUENCES OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISM IN CAMBODIA ..........................................................41
7.2 AWARENESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES ...............................................................................................................43
7.3 TO WORK WITH SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN CAMBODIA ..........................................................................44
7.4 CREATING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY .........................................................................................................45
7.5 THE DESTINATION AUDIT ........................................................................................................................................48
8 REFLECTIONS & FUTURE .................................................................................................................... 49
9 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................... 50
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
7
1 INTRODUCTION
In this following chapter an introduction will be followed by the complexity that exists regarding the development of Cambodia as a tourist destination. The specific aim of this study will thereafter follow. Limitations will be acknowledged, finally terms and definitions that are central for this report will be explained further.
The Kingdom of Cambodia is a country of fascinating and breathtaking scenery with an ancient mysterious and captivating culture that has attracted curious visitors from all over the world in all times. But today it is not only the ancient past with the magnificent temples of the old empire Angkor that catches their attention, the recent gruesome history also interest questioning visitors that want to find answers to the horrors caused by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970’s. Cambodia has recognised this interest from the outside world and the tourism industry has therefore rapidly flourished. As tourism is becoming a more recognised source of income it is necessary to take into consideration that Cambodia is a developing country with noticeable social differences concerning the local community. The country and its people can therefore be vulnerable towards a development of the country as a tourist destination.
The country has today a lot to offer the modern global traveller. The bustling busy city capitol of Phnom Penh with its magnificent Royal Palace, the lively social life in the city centre and along the Sisowath Quay next to the Tonle Sap river. The smaller pleasant and welcoming town of Siem Reap situated close to the impressive stone temples and smiling stone faces of
Angkor. And finally the somewhat unknown beautiful serene beaches of Sihanoukville along the country’s coastal strip. These are the main attractions that are marketed and offered the international visitor during her stay in Cambodia.
The preservation and restoration of the temples of Angkor has for a long time been questioned because of the damage that tourists bring while visiting the country’s main tourist attraction.
The decay of the temples is of course due to weather and time but the process is speeded up by the stress caused by the behaviour caused by tourists. A question that is not so often discussed is the stress caused by tourists on the society as the consequences of tourism can be both positive and negative for the community and the social life. The tourism industry can lead to an economical development that can contribute to job opportunities, education, health care and international recognition on the world market. This however can only be achieved and continued with a sustainable tourism development. Without control and management the positive outcome of tourism will fade away and negative outcomes will take over.
Negative consequences can be a result of not taking responsibility of the social environment and the less fortunate within the country. A faded culture, environmental pollution, littering, exploitation of the country and its people, abuse and jealousy can be the result of uncontrolled tourist behaviour. With negative consequences a sustainable tourism development is no where to be seen and can erase the promising country as a tourist destination quickly from the world map. It is hence of importance that there are resourceful and influential organizations behind the decision-making process. To be able to protect the social community it is of value to understand the complexity of the problem. Sustainable tourism development in the country
Cambodia can contribute to an encouraging progress for the country and its people. However, a sustainable development can only be achieved if the negative outcomes are minimized. To control these negative outcomes it is important to understand the complexity of the problem.
That is to say in what way can international sustainable tourism and responsible travel be invested in the social community?
8
1.1 THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM
To understand how international tourism in Cambodia can be used to achieve a desirable outcome opens up the possibilities of creating a sustainable development regarding the tourist destination and the social community. The main problem however is to have understanding of the condition of the country’s social community and in relation understand the positive and negative consequences that international tourism can affect both to the local community and the social climate.
Without knowledge about the positive and negative outcomes regarding international tourism it is not possible to invest in positive consequences to be able to minimize the negative outcomes. This is important to create a sustainable social community and tourist destination.
It is also significant to see what is done in the country today in the main tourist regions to be able to evaluate the effect of this work and improve for future development.
Together with the social situation for many adults and children in the country, the complexity of the problem is to find a way to use international tourism to create a sustainable society. The difficulties are to identify a way to minimize the negative outcomes and invest in positive consequences of international tourism. The issue is to approach international tourism as a source of achieving a sustainable development. In the following section the aim of this report is presented together with questions to clarify the main purpose.
1.2 AIM AND QUESTIONS
The aim of this study is to investigate how international tourism influences the social community in the country Cambodia. The intention is to analyze in what way international tourism can contribute to the community and create a sustainable social development. To limit the research the study will focus on the organization ChildSafe Cambodia and their work to promote a sustainable social development in relation to the development of the country as a tourist destination. It will also focus on the Ministry of Tourism in Cambodia and their work and attitude towards the same issue. The purpose is also to reflect on how international tourism can be used to promote a sustainable social development.
To be able to attain the aim of this study, a couple of questions have been designed to simplify and clarify the main purpose.
What are, according to ChildSafe, the positive and negative outcomes of international tourism for the social community in Cambodia?
In what way does the organization ChildSafe work with positive and negative outcomes of international tourism?
What is the attitude of ChildSafe regarding the development of Cambodia as a tourist destination? What is the attitude within the Ministry of Tourism towards the positive and negative outcomes of international tourism in relation to the social community?
9
1.3 LIMITATIONS
As this study will focus on the work done by ChildSafe Cambodia regarding promoting sustainable tourism and the attitude within the Ministry of Tourism regarding the same issue, this study will not take consideration to other authorities or organizations that work with these issues. However, as both ChildSafe Cambodia and the Ministry of Tourism work with other organizations these will probably be somewhat included as well.
Seeing that ChildSafe is a project within a network of projects initiated by the organization
Friends International we need to limit the research study to only focus on ChildSafe
Cambodia. The head organization will be mentioned but not focused upon.
The research study will focus on the interviews that are conducted with ChildSafe Cambodia and the Ministry of Tourism. Also the report Tourism Statistics – Annual Report 2007 put together by the Ministry of Tourism will be included. Interviews with other organizations within the tourism sector will not be conducted.
10
1.4 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
To make it easier for the reader to understand the different terms that are often used in this report, it is of importance to explain these as they easily can be defined in different ways. It is consequently a way to avoid misunderstandings concerning interpretation. The purpose of this is also to decide on one definition that represents the specific term for this report. To define the meaning of the terms is of uttermost importance as it is crucial to clarify and limit the meaning of ambivalent terms. The definitions in this report are also a support for the writers concerning the upcoming analysis (Holme & Solvang 1996).
1.4.1 Attitude
The term attitude is important in this study as it concerns responsible decisions makers attitudes towards sustainable development in relation to promoting sustainable tourism and responsible travel to the international tourist that are visiting Cambodia. In the Collins English
(1991) dictionary the term is defined as “The way a person views something or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way.”
In the Swedish National Encyclopaedia, Rosén (2007) writes that an attitude is a point of view, an approach to a certain person or a certain phenomenon. Within social psychology the term attitude was defined as thoughts that had been created by experience and that will come to show when someone reacts towards a person, a group or a certain phenomenon. In this study the definition from Collins English dictionary will be used.
1.4.2 Sustainable Tourism
There are many different ways of defining sustainable tourism. To make it easier for the reader to understand how the researchers of this study defines the term the definition of Choi
& Sirakaya (2005) has been chosen to be used throughout this research study. According to
Choi & Sirakaya “Sustainable tourism is defined as an alternative tourism form that improves the quality of life of the host community, provides a high quality of experience for the visitors and maintains the quality of the environment on which both the host community and the visitor depend.”
However, each organization that has been included in this research study will probably define the term sustainable tourism different from each other and different from the definition presented above. This will be taken into consideration and will also be accounted for.
1.4.3 Tourism
According to Jeansson (2007) in the Swedish National Encyclopaedia the term tourism is defined as visitors’ activities when they travel to places that exist outside their ordinary environment. The duration of the stay shall be shorter than a year and the main purpose of the trip shall not involve work that is compensated by someone at the destination. The word tourism can also include the subject which relevant activities and problems are investigated and studied.
11
2 COUNTRY PRESENTATION
To clarify the context of this study a presentation of the country Cambodia is believed to be needed as it is the tourist destination Cambodia that is the foundation for this study. With knowledge about the country’s geography, history, present situation and the tourism industry, it is thought that the reader would receive a more profound understanding. This information will therefore be the focused upon and presented in this chapter.
2.1 GEOGRAPHY
Situated between the countries of Thailand, Viet Nam and Laos, the country of Cambodia is to be found in the heart of the mainland in South East Asia. With beautiful diverse scenery of verdant green fields and forests, the country is known for its fruitful and rich landscape that in certain areas can produce rice crops up to three times a year (The Swedish Institute of
International Affairs [SIIA], 2008).
Figure 1.1 Map over Cambodia
12
Alluvium soil can be found throughout Cambodia and is the reason for the fertile and rich landscape. In the south a delta of rivers can be found. This is the famous Mekong Delta and here we can find the tenth largest river in the world; the Mekong River. This river is the longest river in South East Asia and the most important to Cambodia as it is a navigation system, a system for transport and a source for food (SIIA, 2008).
There are several mountain regions in the country, the Dangrek Mountains in the north and the Cardamom and the Elephant Mountains in the south. In addition to these mountain regions the country mainly subsists of lowland regions with fields and green forests. Cambodia also possesses the largest lake in South East Asia (SIIA, 2008).
This lake is the Tonlé Sap, or the Great Lake, which connect with the Mekong River. The lake increases its size up to four times when the water rises during the rainy season from the end of
May to October. This season is also the reason for the river Tonlé Sap to flow northward into the lake Tonlé Sap. However, during the dry season it reverses its flow and flows back to the
Mekong River in the south. As a result of this, the lake Tonlé Sap has become a great resource for freshwater fish and thus one the richest sources in the world (SIIA, 2008).
There are two monsoon seasons in Cambodia; the cool north-eastern monsoon that is rather dry and lasts between November and early May, and the wet south-western monsoon which brings heavy rain, strong wind and high humidity from the end of May to early October
(SIIA, 2008).
For the international traveller the country has to offer small picturesque villages situated along the dirt roads, lively cities as Phnom Penh and Battambang, smaller towns such as Siem Reap and of course the town of Sihanoukville that is situated along the beautiful coastal strip by the gulf of Thailand (Ray, 2005). The map in Figure 1.2 show a map over the country.
Further country facts are presented below (SIIA, 2008):
Official Name: Preah Reacheanachakr Kampuchea/Kingdom of Cambodia
Country Area: 181,035 km²
Country population: 14,600,000
Capital and population: Phnom Penh: 1,200,000
Constitution: Constitutional monarchy
Head of State: King Norodom Sihamoni
Head of Government: Prime Minister Hun Sen
GDP per capita: 592 USD
13
2.2 HISTORY
The Khmer Empire Funan is believed to have evolved around the 1st century and is the first known kingdom of Cambodia. This empire was strongly influenced by Indian culture concerning art and a political system. It also introduced an alphabet, architectural styles and a new religion. The empire was first controlled by a monarch family but weakened and fell in the beginning of 8th century due to conflicts over power within the family. This lead to war but struggles were settled in the 9th century as the Angkor Empire was formed. This empire was later to shape the unique Khmer culture. The leaders of Angkor developed defense and a legal system and reached its climax in the 12th century when the magnificent grand temple of
Angkor Wat was built by King Jayavarman VII. By this time, Cambodia had expanded into other areas such as the Malay Peninsula and areas of Viet Nam and Laos. By the end of the
13th century the empire started to fall apart and by the 15th century the town of Siem Reap and other cities were plundered by Thai conquers and empire of Angkor fell (SIIA, 2008).
The country Cambodia was ravaged by Vietnamese and Thai invasions and war until the 19th century as these countries fought over the control of Cambodia. To stop the struggles an agreement was signed in 1863 with France that enabled the French with a protectorate and thus effectively stopping the Vietnamese and Thai invasions. For the next 90 years, France ruled over Cambodia.
In 1953 Cambodia managed to gain their independence through the political savvy of King
Norodom Sihanouk. The king later started a political party and won the 1955 election. King
Sihanouk had remained neutral in a struggle between the US and USSR regarding Viet Nam, but changed his mind in 1965 when he eliminated diplomatic relations with the US. He also allowed the communist Vietnamese access to Cambodian soil to set up bases (SIIA, 2008).
But when the economy became more unstable in the end of the 60’s, Sihanouk decided to renew his relations with the US who were then at the time secretly planning to bomb
Cambodian land to destroy suspect housings of Vietnamese communists (O'Kane 1993).
While Sihanouk was abroad in 1970 he was overthrown from power by the then Prime
Minister Lon Nol. With support from the US, Lon Nol abolished monarchy and inaugurated a republic. Lon Nol hoped for US aid but this was neglected due to the battles in the neighbouring country Viet Nam. To add to problems for Lon Nol, the former ruler Sihanouk had been persuaded to ally with the exile opposition Khmer Rouge.
The Khmer Rouge had its roots in a communist organization that was founded in France in the 1950’s by a group of students originated from Cambodia. One of the students was
Saloth Sar who later became known as Pol Pot. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took over the city of Phnom Penh. In the eyes of many this was at first seen as liberation and a time to celebrate, they were however soon to realize the horror that this regime would create. The Khmer Rouge renamed the country Democratic Kampuchea and under the leadership of Pol Pot and other high ranked leaders the country was to be rebuilt as self-supporting farm land Maoist utopia.
The leaders disliked the way that the urban areas had influenced the people and to reshape the society the people were forced to the countryside to work. Intellectuals such as students, officials and teachers were arrested, interrogated, tortured and executed due to the belief that they worked for the resistance. Schools were closed, books were banned and education was forbidden except for propaganda sessions. In 1978 Viet Nam invaded Cambodia and drove out Pol Pot and other high ranked leaders within the Khmer Rouge (SIIA, 2008). The estimated number of people that died during the Khmer Rouge regime from diseases, starvation, exhaustion, torture and execution is said to be about 1,7 million (SIIA, 2008;
14
O'Kane 1993). In January 1979 the political party The Peoples Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) was proclaimed with help from Viet Nam. By 1993 a general election was organized by the
UN and the first step towards rebuilding the country could after this begin (SIIA 2008).
2.3 CAMBODIA TODAY
In 1979 Cambodia hit the headlines of newspapers all over the world as the horrors perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge regime were revealed. 33 years later, in the year of 2008 the evidence and the memories from the time of the Khmer Rouge are still strong. Trials of former Khmer Rouge leaders are taking place, victims tell their stories and their experiences during the regime, and suddenly the gruesome history seems very close in time. Even though the war has come to an end evidence from the bombings by the US and the genocide conducted by the Khmer Rouge still remain. The evidence is clear as it has shaped the current situation for the country Cambodia. Crime, lack of security and over 35 000 landmine victims are the evidence of the gruesome past. Still to this day there are thousands of landmines buried in the soil of the countryside (SIIA, 2008).
Today Cambodia is in the process of rebuilding itself economically, socially and mentally.
And despite that the country is one of the poorest countries in the world it is experiencing a rapid development process. But in spite of improvements within the country, approximately
45% of the children are still undernourished and only one out of three has access to clean drinking water (SIIA, 2008). The fact that many educated people were killed during the civil war makes the rebuilding process an overwhelming task. The lack of highly educated people among the population is a significant problem. As the school system was almost totally destroyed by the Khmer Rouge in the 70’s a generation has grown up without basic knowledge. Today the school system has improved and six years of school attendance is compulsory for children from the age of six (SIIA, 2008).
The state of the country concerning poverty is an important matter. Both the World Bank and the UN has therefore set up future goals for the country based on the present condition.
According to the World Bank’s report Cambodia Halving Poverty by 2015? Poverty
Assessment 2006:
“The improvement in human development has been faster in the more prosperous parts of the country, as indicated by the marked fall in poverty in urban areas.” They continue: “Thus, a decade of progress in improving human development has also led to an increased concentration of underdevelopment to rural areas, and in 2004 more than 90 percent of
Cambodia’s poor lived in rural areas.”
The UN (2007) writes the following in their report The Report of Land and Human
Development in Cambodia:
“The Cambodian Millennium Development Goals sets ambitious future development targets for the country, including eradication of extreme poverty and cutting in half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. The ambitious goals for the future should be seen against a decade of strong progress in improving livelihoods and alleviating widespread poverty.” 15
2.4 THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
The number of visitors in Cambodia has increased rapidly during the 21st century. From the year of 2000 to 2007 the number of visitors has increased by approximately four times. The rapid growth in tourist numbers has probably made the country rely more on the tourism industry now than ever before. In Table 1.1 the development of tourist numbers are shown between the years 1993 to 2007. Also the average length of stay, the hotel occupancy and tourism receipts are shown (Ministry of Tourism, 2007).
Table 1.1 International visitors in Cambodia 1993 - 2007 (source: Ministry of Tourism, 2007:
Tourism Statistical Report 2007).
Cambodia has today two unique heritage selling points; their ancient history and their recent history. These tourist attractions are two completely different types of experiences that are offered the tourist to visit. It is the ancient temples of the old empire Angkor with the heart
Angkor Wat that can be found north of Siem Reap. The ancient culture also left smaller temples spread throughout different parts of the country. The country’s recent history has also become a subject that attracts tourists. The devastating genocide caused by the Khmer Rouge during left a large number of evidence that has become subject of interest for tourists visiting the country (Ray 2005).
But during the recent years a new selling point has emerged; this is the coastal town of
Sihanoukville that has turned itself into a tourist destination that offers something different compared to the unique heritage selling points mentioned above (Ray 2005). The airport in
Sihanoukville is not yet open for international flights but the airport runway is rumoured to be extended to soon welcome larger aircrafts that could carry a larger number of tourist more direct to the country. The number of visitor arrivals and the way of transport in to the country can be shown in the Table 1.2 below.
Visitor Arrivals Average Length of Stay Hotel Occupancy Tourism Receipts
Years Number Change (Days) (%) (Million US$)
1993 118,183 - N/A N/A N/A
1994 176,617 49.44% N/A N/A N/A
1995 219,680 24.38% 8.00 37.00 100
1996 260,489 18.58% 7.50 40.00 118
1997 218,843 -15.99% 6.40 30.00 103
1998 289,524 32.30% 5.20 40.00 166
1999 367,743 27.02% 5.50 44.00 190
2000 466,365 26.82% 5.50 45.00 228
2001 604,919 29.71% 5.50 48.00 304
2002 786,524 30.02% 5.80 50.00 379
2003 701,014 -10.87% 5.50 50.00 347
2004 1,055,202 50.53% 6.30 52.00 578
2005 1,421,615 34.72% 6.30 52.00 832
2006 1,700,041 19.59% 6.50 54.79 1,049
2007 2,015,128 18.53% 6.50 54.79 1,400
16
Visitor arrivals 2006 2007
Change
(%)
Air 1,027,064 1,296,513 26.23
Phnom Penh International
Airport 427,389 535,262 25.24
Siem Reap International
Airport 599,675 761,251 26.94
Land and Water 564,286 576,054 2.09
Land 524,501 532,366 1.50
Boat 39,785 43,688 9.81
Sub-Total 1,591,350 1,872,567 17.67
Same-day visitors 108,691 142,561 31.16
Total 1,700,041 2,015,128 18.53
Table 1.2 Visitor arrivals to Cambodia 2006 – 2007 (source: Ministry of Tourism, 2007:
Tourism Statistical Report 2007).
The country is rich concerning their nature resources; therefore eco-tourism has become a more popular way to show visitors the country. The unique cultural heritage has also contributed to the development of community based tourism and culture tourism. There is also a growing selection of sustainable tourism activities and organizations promoting responsible travel to international tourists. The international tourists that visits Cambodia is mainly from other Asian countries, but besides Asian countries Cambodia receives most visits from USA, France and UK (Ministry of Tourism, 2007). This is shown in Table 1.3
Top ten arrivals by country to Cambodia in 2007
Korea 329,909
Japan 161,973
USA 137,539
Viet Nam 125,442
China 118,417
Taiwan 118,180
Thailand 101,590
France 90,168
UK 84,103
Malaysia 84,039
Table 1.3 Top ten arrivals by country in 2007 (source: Ministry of Tourism, 2007:
Tourism Statistical Report 2007).
With a development of approximately 20% of increase in tourist numbers each year
Cambodia will continue to grow in a rapid pace as a tourist destination (Ministry of Tourism,
2007). The subject of interest in this study is rather in what way the tourist destination is going to develop and what is done to protect the country from being exploited. The tourist destination Cambodia is now in an early stage of developing into a very popular destination for international travellers. Important questions concerning this growth are in what way this development is going to take place, who will gain from this development and on whose expense? 17
3 PREVIOUS RESEARCH
This chapter will present an extract of what has been researched upon earlier concerning the matter of consequences of international tourism. This information can give a clear understanding of how the tourism industry and tourists can influence the social community at a destination. This information can thereafter be put in relation to the destination Cambodia.
There is presumably little or no research done on the issue in relation to the country of
Cambodia. The research that has been made are mainly involving in what way international tourism affect the social community and in what way investment can be made concerning sustainable tourism.
Previous research has been done by Hassan (2000) and he concludes that sustainable tourism development has, on a global scale, become an increasingly important strategic goal for world wide destinations. Many destinations are seeking for preservations for future generations and exploring sustainable development strategies and techniques.
“The sustainable tourism paradigm seeks to strike a balance between the traditional “utility paradigm” and its derivative, “social exchange theory” which focuses on the takeoff between economic cost and benefits, and the new environmental paradigm, which concentrate on conservation/preservation of all resources and enhancement of the well-being of communities during generations to come” (Choi & Sirakaya 2005).
Swarbrooke (1999) conclude in his previous research that tourism can be seen as an economic activity that produces a range of positive and negative impacts. However sustainable tourism seeks to achieve the best balance between economic benefits and social and environmental costs. In order to plan and develop tourism successfully, economic, environmental and social aspects of tourism must be well understood. Shaw & Williams (2004) conclude that if tourism is well planned, developed and managed in a socially responsible manner, it can bring several types of socio-cultural benefits. For example improve the living standards of people and help pay for improvements to community facilities and services if the economic benefits of tourism are well distributed.
The previous research done by Mowforth & Munt (2003) concludes that the growth of mass tourism has led to a range of problems, which have become more obvious over the recent years. It includes environmental, social and cultural poverty. A possible way to prevent this negative development is to promote and invest in sustainable tourism; an alternative form of tourism that could help to protect the natural, cultural and social environment of a destination.
Eco-tourism or responsible travel is a form of tourism that is a reaction of the consequences of mass tourism it is important for future development to investigate if and how sustainable tourism can be an investment in the social community. By integrating the needs and ways of life of the local community with the development of tourism is necessary to prevent problems as conflicts and negative outcomes for the local culture (Shaw & Williams 2004).
There are a lot of nongovernmental organizations that work with sustainable tourism within the destination Cambodia. However there need to be a better cooperation with the government to be able to spread the message.
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4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
To be able to understand the concept of sustainable tourism and also develop a purposeful method for this research study of sustainable tourism in Cambodia it is important to discuss theories concerning the subject. In this chapter a discussion regarding tourism in the third world will take place, thereafter the term and concept of sustainable tourism will be discussed more profound.
4.1 CONSEQUENCES OF TOURISM IN THE THIRD WORLD
There is no doubt that the capability to take a holiday has spread, especially since the 1960’s
(Mowforth & Munt 2003). The World Tourism Organization has quoted statistics which demonstrate that not only is tourism the largest industry in the world but also one of the more rapid growing industries. 600-700 million international trips are made each year but the
World Tourism Organization predict that by 2020 this will have increased to 1,5 billion (Shaw
& Williams 2004). Tourism employs approximately one of nine workers worldwide and especially in particular the developing Third World countries have been seen as a solution for solving many social and economical problems (McMinn 1997).
To illustrate the development of tourism the Butler’s life cycle curve can be used, this is pictured in Figure 1.2. And shows the development of a tourist destination through the following steps: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation and finally rejuvenation or decline.
Figure 1.2 The Butler destination life cycle (source: Shaw & Williams 2004)
The exploration stage usually includes a small number of visitors and little or no tourist infrastructure. During the involvement stage local investments are being made and tourist areas start to be developed. The development stage brings a rapid growth in visitor numbers and there are specific tourist attractions and areas defined within the destination. External investment usually also occurs when the destination in this stage is showing its potential.
During the consolidation stage the growth of visitor numbers slow down and therefore new markets usually develops. The stagnation stage involves a stabilization of the destination, the number of visitors stabilizes, the destination is no longer as popular as it used to be and the
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capacity limit has been reached. After the stagnation stage there are several possible ways for the destination to develop. It can both rejuvenate by new investments and become popular again with visitors, but it can also decline and move away from tourist activities and therefore there will be a decrease in markets. The development after the stagnation stage can also take on different degrees of success and decline (Shaw & Williams 2004).
Tourism can bring both benefits and problems to the local society and its cultural patterns.
Although more difficult to measure than economic or environmental impacts, socio-cultural impacts are major considerations in developing tourism in any place. These impacts can be especially critical in traditional societies and economies. If tourism is well planned, developed and managed in a socially responsible manner, it can bring several types of socio-cultural benefits. For example improve the living standards of people and help pay for improvements to community facilities and services if the economic benefits of tourism are well distributed.
Conserves the cultural heritage of an area which otherwise might be lost as a result of general development taking place. Conservation of archaeological and historic sites was referred to under environmental impacts. Tourism also provides two forms of opportunities, which can be seen in terms of growth and diversification. These can be seen most clearly in economic terms. Tourism provides an opportunity to ailing economies, providing a dynamic basis for restructuring (Shaw & Williams 2004).
Mowforth & Munt (2003) argues that the growth of mass tourism has led to a range of problems, which have become more obvious over the recent years. It includes environmental, social and cultural poverty. These problems are often connected with mass tourism, although there is evidence from studies concerning the impacts from tourism which suggests that new forms of tourism also suffer from similar problems. Harrison (1992) argues that perhaps one of the most obvious effects of tourism is on the physical landscape. Initially, existing properties may be adapted to accommodate visitors, but the increasing numbers of visitors soon lead the community to construct new buildings. The difference between physical and social impacts might soon get blurry.
Williams (2004) discuss that the introduction of outside ideologies and foreign way of life into societies that have been relatively closed or isolated can lead to; “changes in attitudes, values or behaviour which can result from merely observing tourists.” This effect is unavoidable because tourists normally possess greater financial and leisure time then many of the local population but also that their vacation experiences often is based upon consumption.
This effect can result in benefits if it encourages local people to adopt and work for the things they require because within the process it helps their development. Nonetheless, in many destinations in the Third World it has created bitterness as local residents find themselves incapable to imitate the lifestyle and products they are observing.
Williams (2004) continues to argue that the motives for travel are many but a common reason is curiosity. “Curiosity leads the traveller to search for all kind of experiences in all parts of the world. To see other people, other cultures and other political systems is a prime motivational force for travel.”
As a part of the modernization of travel tourists can nowadays see more tourist attractions than the real countryside and the life in the foreign lands. The degree of desire of authenticity that remains in the destination will depend on its priorities and ability to host the growing numbers of visitors. The priorities at this stage will determine the degree of authenticity that a community offers in its cultural tourism.
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4.2 AWARENESS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
Tourism can be seen as an economic activity that produces a range of positive and negative impacts but sustainable tourism seeks to achieve the best balance between economic benefits and social and environmental costs. In order to plan and develop tourism successfully, economic, environmental and social aspects of tourism must be well understood.
Swarbrooke (1999) argues that there are many reasons why it is suitable that the public sector should play a leading role in trying to develop more sustainable forms of tourism. These include the following:
The public sector usually has a command to present the whole population not just particular interest groups or stakeholders.
The public sector is seen to be neutral with no commercial axe to grind or interest to protect. Because it is not controlled by temporary financial objectives the public sector is seen to be able to take a longer term view.
Hassan (2000) discuss that the development of tourism is about adding values in a way that is connected to the demand on the market. The development of a sustainable position for a destination requires responding to the changes in the nature of demand in the market place.
Swarbrooke continues to argue that the public sector influences tourism in number of ways and can play an important role in the development of sustainable tourism in many ways which includes legislation and regulations, funding and fiscal incentives and land use planning and much more. There is little legislation that relates directly to sustainable tourism such as; tourism behaviour, tourism industry employees, working conditions, wages and rights, the social and cultural impacts of tourism, the impact of tourism and wildlife and the use of the private car in tourism. On the other hand there are some positive developments in relations to legislation in the field of sustainable tourism. For example, a growing numbers of governments are introducing legislation that makes it a legal offence for their population to go on sex tourism trips. It is not only controlling the behaviour of the tourists that is difficult to deal with but also controlling the tourism industry is also problematic.
Hassan (2000) argues that tourism has become sensitive to and depended on a high-quality sustainable environment. Therefore, tourism marketing in the future must focus on forms of tourism that are sensitive sustain the environmental integrity of nature and cultural heritage resources. He also expects that sustainable tourism will, in the future, make an economic contribution to both the world economy and the economies of the local destination.
Swarbrooke (1999) mean that the public sector also can get involved through financial ways to help make tourism more sustainable which can involve introducing tourist taxes which represent a permanent sum paid by tourists when using the destination. The generated revenues can be reinvested back into making tourism more sustainable in the destination. The public sector is also the main developer of the infrastructure in the tourism industry such as roads and airports The tourism industry is also often criticized in relation to sustainable tourism through how it develops the physical, tangible elements of its product such as new hotels or airports and how it operates in terms of everything from energy consumption to politics, from the levels of salary and working conditions to the expansion of the wildlife. The criticism also focuses on the associations that the tourism industry brings. It can for example
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be too concentrated with short-term profits rather then with long-term sustainability, exploiting the environment and local populations rather then protect them and not doing enough to raise tourist awareness of sustainability.
4.3 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: AN INVESTMENT IN THE SOCIAL COMMUNITY?
Tourism can be a possible source for economical development in many countries. At the same time it is also associated with negative consequences as littering, exploitation of the destination and its people, a damaging of the local culture and frustration among the host community. A possible way to prevent this development is to promote and invest in sustainable tourism; an alternative form of tourism that could help to protect the natural, cultural and social environment of a destination. This form of tourism whether it is called eco-tourism, responsible travel or other, is a reaction of the consequences of mass tourism (Shaw &
Williams 2004)
In the case of this research study it is how tourism affects the social environment that is under investigation and how sustainable tourism is used and can be used to promote the community of a destination. It is important for future development to investigate if and how sustainable tourism can be an investment in the social community. Richards & Hall (2000) explains the importance of the host community in relation to sustainability:
“Human communities represent both a primary resource upon which tourism depends, and their existence in a particular place at a particular time may be used to justify the development of tourism itself. Communities are a basic reason for tourists to travel, to experience the way of life and material products of different communities”
Shaw & Williams (2004) argue that integrating the needs and ways of life of the local community with the development of tourism is necessary to prevent problems as conflicts and negative outcomes for the local culture. It is possible to be optimistic and say that tourism will continue to grow globally. Griffin (2002) therefore argues, that to reach a positive outcome concerning sustainability depends on how well the tourism industry and authorities respond to future tourism development. It is consequently important to understand the attitudes that exist towards future tourism development. Hunter (2002) says that “For sustainable tourism to occur, it must be closely integrated with all other activities that occur in the host region”.
According to this statement it can be concluded that there is a responsibility that lies on the industry but also on powerful organizations within the destination. Management and control therefore seems necessary to be able to integrate sustainability in tourism development.
Investments in sustainable tourism can be profitable for a destination and lengthen the lifecycle of the tourist destination as discussed earlier concerning Butler’s lifecycle theory.
Investments can take on different forms, for example by using marketing tools (Dibbs et al.
2001), restrictions (Swarbrooke 1999), incentives (Budeanu 2007), education (Czinkota &
Ronkainen 2004), financial aid (Griffin 2002), and new forms of contributing to the local community, such as or volunteering in various ways (Wearing 2001).
To reach sustainability it is in need of managing the tourism development through marketing tools, but also as mentioned earlier, to integrate all other activities that take place in the host region. To manage sustainable tourism development it is important that the industry takes
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upon a responsibility to inform the international tourist before visiting a destination; this can also be done by organizations onsite. The management of tourism to reach a sustainable development for the community involves planning to minimize the negative outcomes of tourism but also investments in the positive outcomes of tourism. To understand how sustainable tourism can be managed will be further discussed in the next section.
4.4 TOURISM MANAGEMENT – CREATING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY
In one destination many different actors that work towards a sustainable community in relation to tourism can exist (Shaw & Williams 2004). It can be interesting to investigate what is done and how to evaluate the situation of the destination and perhaps improve the management of sustainable tourism. In the next section the role of sustainable tourism actors are going to be discussed, but first theories on how to manage sustainable tourism to promote the social community is going to be presented and discussed.
Many theories have been developed concerning how to manage sustainable tourism to maintain a sustainable community and minimize the negative impacts of tourism, such as exploitation, littering and abuse. To protect the community a new concept within the tourism industry has been created, namely Community Tourism also referred to as Sustainable
Tourism (Shaw & Williams 2004). The UK based Tourism Concern is an organization that works with these issues of community tourism that concerns protection of the social environment in relation to tourism. And according to Tourism Concern this concept and tourism development shall (Shaw & Williams 2004):
Involve and have consent of the local community through community participation.
Share profits fairly with the local community.
Involve communities rather than individuals.
For a destination to be able to maintain a sustainable community while developing tourism demands a control and a management of the development. If those responsible are able to achieve sustainability and the demand for visiting the destination is still high, it can be said that they possess a superior skill. This skill can also be a source to positional advantage and competitive advantage (sustainable competitive advantage) in comparison to other destinations (West et al. 2006).
4.4.1 Sustainable Tourism Actors - A Complex Relationship
Within a tourist destination there are usually many different actors and stakeholders working towards a sustainable tourism development; government authorities, private enterprises,
NGO’s, help organizations and pressure groups. The complexity of these actors is their relationship with each other as it usually exists a fragmented nature of control (Shaw &
Williams 2004).
As different organizations have different interest in sustainable tourism they also sometimes define the concept sustainable tourism in dissimilar ways. According to Hunter (2002) the quest for a universal definition of sustainable tourism is not likely to be successful. For that reason it might be more favourable to find, amongst tourism actors, the most common denominator to be able to work towards the same purpose.
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Concerning how sustainable tourism can contribute in a positive way to the local community local self-awareness among the local community can be achieved with education. And to engage the local community in tourism development is done by better cooperation with regional tourism authorities (Nimmonratana, 2000 quoted in Shaw & Williams 2004 pp. 183).
On the other hand, Allen & Brennan (2004) mention “At the heart of the problem of participation is the assumption that community members share interests, and are likely to pursue shared aspirations as a group.” Therefore it might be important to take into consideration the attitudes of different organizations and understand their future visions regarding sustainability and how willing they are to benefit the community from tourism industry revenue (Mowforth & Munt 2003).
Attitude can be defined as being an individual’s or an organization’s overall evaluation of a concept and that this evaluation will create an affective response (Peter et al. 1999). In organizations the concept attitude takes on a different form. Concerning decision-making in organizations this is a complex matter that involves values, politics and future objectives. The decision-making process of an organization is a central point and it based on ideas and objectives on how the organization shall function (Eriksson-Zetterquist et al. 2005). Different attitudes towards social sustainability in relation to tourism can therefore exist within a destination. Perhaps, when existing in the same arena it might be profitable for organizations to find the main common denominator and work together to promote through tourism a sustainable community development. According to Shaw & Williams (2004) rivalries among different groups and organizations impede progress and only contribute to poor tourism products.
Instead a better effect might take place if all tourism organizations work together for the same purpose. However, despite the different interests of organization within a destination there is still need for a development model based on community self-interest and diversity (Allen & Brennan
2004). One theory concerning destination competitiveness and sustainability is the
Destination Audit (Ritchie & Crouch 2003). The model is used to identify elements and structure to develop competitiveness and sustainability of a destination. The model is illustrated and explained in the following section.
4.5 THE DESTINATION AUDIT
To evaluate the position of a destination and how sustainable tourism can create a sustainable community a destination audit can be used as a tool to answer questions on how tourism can promote a sustainable community. According to Ritchie & Crouch (2003) the destination audit is a tool to make sure that everything is in order according to the vision and objectives that are set. Questions as: Where is the destination headed? Does the present development of the destination meet the needs and aspirations of the residents of the destination? and Does the destination’s current strategy meet present and future challenges? (Ritchie & Crouch
2003). The audit can also be used to discuss marketing implications such as market segments and competitors. This is however not focused upon in this report.
Questions concerning the community and sustainability can also be integrated in the model to investigate how international tourism can be used to promote a sustainable community. The implementation of the destination audit is illustrated in Figure 1.3. Depending on the reason
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for conducting a destination audit it can be applied to different fields (Ritchie & Brent 2003).
The audit can for example be used to analyze social concerns within a destination in relation to the tourism industry (Crowther, 2000 quoted in Ritchie & Crouch 2003 pp. 251).
Preparations for the destination audit can consist of both secondary data and primary data
(Ritchie & Crouch 2003). The secondary data can include the following: visitor statistics, destination specific studies, tourism development strategies and plans, economic development studies, annual reports, documents and publications by tourism organizations, reports on competitor destinations, and available information on the destinations competitive elements.
The primary data can exist of: meetings with representatives and assessing the relevant roles of all major organizations, identifying the mechanisms in place that govern these different responsibilities and facilitate coordination and cooperation, inspection of the state of tourism resources, and finally carry out destination audit-specific research activities to improve information for future studies.
Figure 1.3 The process of the Destination Audit.
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5 METHODOLOGY
To evaluate the investments done in marketing sustainable tourism and responsible travel to international tourists interviews has been conducted with different organizations with activities within the country’s tourism industry. In this chapter the theories concerning qualitative research are going to be discussed together with the approach of the research interviews and interpretation of attitudes. Finally the critical issues of this report are summed up in the end of this chapter.
5.1 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Bell (2000) argues that the method for collecting information to a study can appear in many different ways, for example a quantitative study can be used when a larger amount of data is collected to be analysed and generalized. A qualitative method is applied when data is collected to gain an understanding of a problem. The qualitative method is used when the researcher wants to get a deeper understanding concerning a specific subject, event or situation. Björklund & Paulsson (2003) means that a quantitative study includes information that can be measured by numbers. They continues to discuss that it is mainly the aim of the study that decide if the study is qualitative or quantitative. In both cases material is collected to be analysed to be able to draw a conclusion. This study will be based upon a qualitative method to collect material; a short presentation concerning qualitative method will therefore be presented below (Holme & Solvang 1997).
According to Holme & Solvang (1997) the qualitative method involves collecting empiric material where the interest lays on how humans interpret the surrounding reality. Bell (2000) argues that a qualitative method investigates in such a way that put the phenomenon in a realistic context where there are no given boundaries between the phenomenon and the context. This also means that the qualitative method is not that standardized and sequential as the quantitative method. Bell (2000) continues to argue that a qualitative method shall be used in those cases when an analysis is explaining how a phenomenon is experienced by the surrounding world.
Björklund & Paulsson (2003) argues that case studies is the most common method within a qualitative method which distinguish a closer research on a specific phenomenon, observations and interviews are other examples of suitable procedures which can be used in a qualitative method. Backman (1998) claims that it do not exist any specific limits within a qualitative research. He also means that it can be hard to draw boundaries in the analysis.
Following study is believed to be difficult to be achieved with a quantitative method because the collected material is not put together as statistics to later be generalized. It is instead put together to be analysed to be able to describe how the phenomenon is being experienced by the surrounding world. In the following section a presentation of the studies interviews will be conducted. 26
5.2 PRESENTATIONS
Secondary data of each organization are to be collected through literature studies and presentations of the organizations via websites and documents. This is a way to receive a lot of information with no need of much resource. This is a good way of finding information about organizations. However, it is also important to understand that the information provided by the organizations regarding the own organizations and is developed in another purposes than of research studies (Björklund & Paulsson 2003). This secondary data provided is also a good foundation to create questions to the organizations if an interview is to be conducted.
A presentation has been made of each organization in the next chapter to introduce the organization and to make it easier for the reader to understand the interview that thereafter follows. To show the reader the perspective of the organization concerning their work, their relation to the subject of making sustainable tourism and responsible tourism accessible for the international tourists but also the organizations relation to each other, information about the organization is offered.
5.3 INTERVIEW
There are many different ways of conducting an interview. It depends on what is to be investigated, the resources of the researcher, but also on the situation concerning time and place (Bell 2000). In this research study relating to investments made on international marketing of sustainable tourism interviews has been conducted onsite in Phnom Penh in
Cambodia. The following organizations have been interviewed on the following dates:
ChildSafe Cambodia – 8th April 2008, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The organization ChildSafe was contacted via an email to Friends International where contact with the International ChildSafe Coordinator Mark Turgesen was made. An interview was scheduled for the beginning of April and took place at the ChildSafe head office in Phnom
Penh, Cambodia.
The Ministry of Tourism – 22nd April 2008, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Ministry of Tourism was contacted via a formal letter early upon our arrival in Phnom
Penh, Cambodia. An answer was received quickly to schedule a meeting for an interview but as the Khmer New Year took place, the meeting was postponed after the holiday and a specific date was not set until the 22nd April. On this day we met with representatives at the
Ministry of Tourism. The representatives from the Ministry of Tourism were the Deputy
Directors of the Planning & Development Department: Mr. Sok Sokun and Mr. Koeut
Puthvory. They were to represent the Ministry of Tourism concerning our research questions.
All interviews have been conducted in person with a respondent; a representative of the different organizations. According to Bell (2000) this form of face to face interviews has a great advantage as it is possible to do follow-ups, interpret emotions and motives by observing gestures, attitudes and pauses. It is therefore a type of research that is quite flexible.
Face to face interviews can give direct and more profound access to relevant information regarding the purpose of the study. It is also possible to adapt the questions to each respondent
(Björklund & Paulsson 2003). However, the process to conduct an interview is quite complex,
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many factors can influence the answers from the respondent and therefore the study might not be as representative as desired (Mozer & Kalton, 2003 quoted in Björklund & Paulsson 2003, pp 119).
To conduct interview it is needed to have plenty of time put aside for meetings with the respondents. It is also necessary to implement a neutral perspective while conducting the interview to avoid bias. Therefore the research interview demands planning, patience and experience (Bell 2000).
The interviews have been done in person and have contributed to an interesting perspective for this study. This might also have been the only way to conduct the research study as the organizations demands a presence in the process of requesting time for a meeting and the process of conducting the interview. Therefore contact via phone or Internet was early excluded. However, a more detailed and a more thoroughly gone through interview was therefore seen to be the result of the choice of this method.
To avoid the respondent to feel under pressure during the interview the questions were sent to the respondents a few days prior to the interview. The advantages with this way to go about is that it can result in more thought through answers, which also can facilitate the upcoming analysis and create reliability towards how the research study has been carried out and also towards the results of the study. All interviews in person were recorded after asking for permission to record the conversation. To not put pressure on the respondent we made it clear that it was not necessary for us to use the recorder; it would only make our work easier when writing down the transcript from the interview.
An interview can give the researcher great information concerning the subject of investigation.
Even if an interview in person can give the researchers an opportunity to follow-up on ideas, ask follow-up questions to go into details and grow deeper in the answers of the respondent there are still risks of bias. It is therefore important to take into consideration when creating the questions to: use of an informal language, avoid questions that steers the respondent to a specific answer, avoid pronounced values in relation to the questions, and do not put the questions in relation to unannounced circumstances (Bell 2000). There are several ways of conducting an interview face to face. For this research study semi-structured interview has been carried out and this type of interview will therefore be discussed further in the next section. 5.3.1 A Semi-structured Interview
These types of interviews differs from a structured interview in that way that it is structured with a prepared questions, but it is also open for follow-ups of answers given by the respondent during the interview (Bell 2000). A structured interview is easier to quantify and analyze, an unstructured interview is more time-consuming and is instead more difficult to analyze and quantify. Therefore this research study will be conducted with a semi-structured interview. Structured themes with questions are to be used through the interview, but followup questions might occur during the interview and give a more insightful understanding of the subject (Bell 2000). This choice of interview is due to the possibilities of a profound knowledge of the organization in relation to the subject of research; international marketing of sustainable tourism.
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With the semi-structured interview we conducted all interviews as a conversation with a number of structured questions that also had been sent to the respondent to take part of and made it able for him/her to prepare. Ideas and questions during the interview due to the reactions and answers provided by the respondent were able to follow up on.
5.3.2 Attitudes
As mentioned earlier it is also of significance to take into consideration the attitude of the people within the organizations that are to be interviewed. Besides the answers given by the respondents it is also possible to observe the actions of the respondent/s during the time of the interview to evaluate the attitude towards the subject in question (Bell 2000). This way of conducting research can be of importance for this study as it concerns responsibility or organizations reaching out to the international tourist during their visit in the country.
5.4. CRITICAL ISSUES
It is necessary to address those critical issues that could have affected this research study in one way or another. Criticism shall be expressed towards those issues that could have influenced the research in a way that would be a consequence for the end result. However, this is not something that could change the result of the study at this moment as it could only facilitate an understanding of the results of this research.
The first critical issue to be addressed is the choice of organizations. ChildSafe Cambodia and the Ministry of Tourism were chosen to be the focal point of the study. According to the purpose of the study is believed to be interesting choices of organizations concerning the aim of the study to investigate positive and negative effects of international tourism regarding the social community.
The way of conducting the interviews shall also be taken into consideration as the chosen respondents, that is to say the representatives of the organizations could have affected the outcome. Also the language issue is to be addressed in the case of the interview with the
Ministry of Tourism as English is neither the researchers nor the respondents’ first language.
Consideration had been taken to this when the questions were constructed to make it easier for the respondent to understand the meaning of the questions.
One critical issue is also that we met with only two representatives from the Ministry of
Tourism. These were the Deputy Directors of the Planning & Development Department and might influence the result as their answers will represent the Ministry of Tourism and will be the foundation for our analysis. Concerning the department that was chosen to represent the
Ministry of Tourism concerning our interview is believed to be the most suitable department for answering our questions. However, an interview with the Marketing & Promotion
Department might have been more suitable concerning some of our questions. The fact that our study is based on two representatives that were to represent the vision, strategies and actions of the decision makers within the Ministry of Tourism can therefore be criticised.
However, as we wrote a formal letter to H.E. Minister of Tourism Thong Khon to explain the purpose of our study and inquire for an interview we must believe that the most suitable representatives were chosen to answer our questions.
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It should also be said that the research study is influenced by the researchers understanding and interpretation of the interviews conducted, and also the theories provided. This will therefore affect the analysis of the research study. However, this can also contribute to create a more interesting discussion about the positive and negative effects of international tourism in relation to the work done by ChildSafe Cambodia and the Ministry of Tourism in promoting a sustainable social development.
Finally, our observations of the country and the development of the country as a tourist destination will also influence our interpretation of the answers given by the respondents. Our stay in the country has not only made it possible for us to conduct these interviews, it has also made it possible to see with our own eyes the state of the country and the development of the growing tourism industry. This of course influences our research study in many ways and is seen as a valuable resource for the outcome of this research.
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6 EMPIRICAL FACTS
In this chapter the collected empirical data regarding the concerned organizations Ministry of Tourism and ChildSafe Cambodia will be presented to the reader. A background note will introduce both the organizations and will thereafter be followed by the interview conducted with the organization. These facts will later be analyzed together with the above presented theoretical framework to be able to conclude the situation concerning the country’s governmental investments in sustainable tourism development, but also investments made by the organization ChildSafe Cambodia.
6.1 CHILDSAFE CAMBODIA
The organization ChildSafe in Cambodia was founded 2005 and is one program out of three within the mother organization Friends International. The organization Friends International was founded in 1994 by Sebastien Marot, Barbara Adams and Mark Turgesen under the name
Little Friends or Mith Samlanh which means good friends in Khmer. The founders soon decided to call the organization Friends as they started to work with children, families and the community. Besides being situated in Phnom Penh, the organization Friends can be found in
Siem Reap. It also has activities in Kampong Cham and Sihanoukville.
The international ChildSafe coordinator Mark Turgesen1 explains that within the organizations Friends there are three unique programs, in which ChildSafe is one. The other two programs work more directly with children, providing them with holistic services making it possible to integrate them back into society. The role of ChildSafe network is instead to develop a child protection program that the community can participate in. This network involves businesses, individuals and travellers; it is an open channel for anyone who wants to be involved to participate with ChildSafe in protecting children from abuse. In Phnom Penh
ChildSafe has a centre for network members but also for international travellers to get new information about the activities within the network.
Figure 1.5 ChildSafe Logo
The logo of ChildSafe that is illustrated above is an important symbol for the organization as both tourists and community members can recognise ChildSafe and their activities. Turgesen says that they need to keep the message fresh and inform travellers and community members of businesses and activities that are ChildSafe certified. According to the international
ChildSafe coordinator perception is everything and it is important to make sure that the community knows about the efforts of ChildSafe and that the organization’s work stays fresh in their minds. ChildSafe is a non-governmental organization supported by USAID, East-
West Management Institute, AusAID, Save the Children, the British Embassy, Give2Asia,
European Commission, Child Support Network, UNICEF and Skoll Foundation (ChildSafe
2008).
1 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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6.1.1 Interview
According to Mark Turgesen2, the international ChildSafe coordinator and respondent of this interview, the main positive effects of international tourism in relation to the social community in Cambodia are that it is allowing Cambodia to elevate its people to a higher standard of living. With an approximately 20% growth in tourism numbers per year it is resulting in a high injection of tourism dollar and therefore it is possible to see more positive impacts on the local economy. For example, more smaller shops opening up around the tourist areas trying to sell random products to travellers. He continues to say that increased tourism in Cambodia offers unique opportunities for local businesses to improve their commerce.
Turgesen also explains that the tourists that are visiting the country usually walk away with a positive experience and therefore also promoting Cambodia when back in their home country.
He believed that there is an overall improved image of Cambodia within the international community. Turgesen explains that one of the main negative effects of international tourism is the fact that the Cambodian economy is based on the U.S. dollar. As the U.S. dollar is currently very low a lot of travellers and business people are taking advantage of that. They are to say exploiting the U.S. dollar. The negative impact of this is that people can easily be bought out. Turgesen also mentions that the growth of international tourists coming to Cambodia has led to a result of extended vacation homes here. These extended vacation homes are especially popular with the Korean and Japanese tourists who also is a population that is causing another negative impact on the Cambodian society. This negative impact concerns child abuse; sexual abuse and exploitation of children. According to Turgesen, the Asian travellers will make up a huge percent of those visiting Cambodia. 80% of those who commit child sex abuse are Asian travellers. Turgesen mentions that it is therefore important for the ChildSafe organization but also other organizations to focus on providing good information that will discourage these types of abuse from happening. The community has to be mindful concerning male Asian travellers, compared to Western travellers that usually stand out.
With a 20% growth rate in tourism a higher frequency of child sex tourists will come to
Cambodia. Turgesen believes that the country is not ready yet to handle the influx of these types of travellers. There will be a greater demand with the increased growth rate and therefore it will be a greater willingness to supply this demand. This can be seen as a way of earning money and unfortunately people will start doing business that eventually instigates the whole negative aspect of tourism by exploiting children.
Turgesen says that he believes that international tourism is growing too rapidly and also mentions that there is a lot of nouveau rich populations that don’t have the maturity to deal with this newfound richness, therefore they are not able to spend their money wisely. The consequence of this is that it will take a toll on the environment. The prices will also go up in urban areas and people will be pushed further out in the rural areas in order to afford to live. It is a cause for alarm on how quickly tourism is growing. It is not giving people a chance to mature with the demand of travellers visitors Cambodia.
Concerning in what way international tourism in Cambodia has influenced the activities of the organization ChildSafe, Turgesen mentions that ChildSafe currently has a THINK campaign designed to introduce travellers to the indirect results of giving money to children. He
2 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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mentions the universal types of abuse that exists; drug abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, social disparity, dependency and illiteracy. Turgesen3 says that “We want people to be mindful of the way they give to child beggars. We find it important with the increased numbers of travellers coming to Cambodia. We have to them design material that will help communicate to travellers that they have a role to play in this child protection work that we have created.” As the children will target travellers for money ChildSafe have to teach them (the travellers) better ways to help these children.
ChildSafe can give the travellers tools and alternatives that will make it easier for them to make better choices; that is to say offer information to guide them to be more responsible during their visit in Cambodia. Turgesen mentions that a lot of travellers are willing to adopt these messages that they offer, but at the same time he also explains that travellers are just one part of ChildSafe. To make travellers more aware of the organization the founders of
ChildSafe has worked a lot with branding and creating a logo making them more visible. By branding ChildSafe in areas that are popular to travellers they can be exposed to good information that the organization wants them to see. Turgesen also mentions that with the strong brand they are able to extend more into local businesses and tourism service providers in the community and make them aware of the logo and what ChildSafe is doing.
Turgesen says that ChildSafe is not a result of increased international tourism; he says that it just seemed like the next best thing to do in the response to Cambodia being kind of a haven for child sex tourists. According to Turgesen the overall objective of ChildSafe is protecting children from all sorts of abuse. Reaching out to the children and providing information on child rights so that they understand what they are entitled to. It is also important to work with the community about children rights. Turgesen makes the following statement concerning
ChildSafe and the development of tourism in the country:
“It is not a reactive development of tourism, it is more an evolving step from what we currently were trying do for the children and also the work of influencing those who were around the children; those who are a part of the child’s immediate environment. That is to say the facilitators, those who would provide a negative facilitation between a child sex tourist and a child.”
Turgesen says that it wasn’t focusing on the tourist, rather the local members of society who would put that child in a dangerous position. This focuses on the work of getting local people to wake up and see the types of abuses that do exist and show them the tools that will put them into action. Turgesen says “It just so happens that this concept can apply to the tourism sector and it can apply itself pretty well.”
Turgesen believes that they are right on time concerning the country’s growth in tourism numbers and mentions that they are fortuned to be well established within international communities and local communities. They also have strong support from businesses that focuses on the tourism sector and that will help ChildSafe to prepare travellers to better engage in the situation of the street children. Turgesen also mentions that they want the travellers not to interact with the children on the streets and give them money as it will only provide drug support to the street children and prolong a child’s life on the street. Minimal interaction between the child and the traveller is the best solution according to ChildSafe.
3 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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Turgesen4 explains that ChildSafe Cambodia market its activities to international tourist through guidebooks, social ads, TukTuk drivers in popular areas to travellers, billboards on the back of the TukTuk to increase visibility of the ChildSafe message. But he also mentions that they want to reach out a little bit more by working with airports that can provide the message at the arrival areas. Turgesen says that they currently are developing strong relations with the Ministry of Interior as they are the ones that command the immigration booths.
Through the immigration booths ChildSafe are able to provide travellers with good information about the organizations activities. There are also airlines that ChildSafe wants to focus on; in-flight magazines to try to make the message reach the travellers before they arrive. Turgesen says that this is what they currently are working on at the moment. They are also working with Lonely Planet trying to get traveller tips in the Cambodia guidebook, but also local magazines and other guidebooks. The founders of ChildSafe are also developing a map, specially designed for travellers to show where ChildSafe is located, but to show where the network members are located.
Concerning if the term sustainable tourism is familiar to ChildSafe, Turgesen answers that the term is not really recognizable; instead the term responsible tourism is more well-known.
Regarding new ways of travelling, and what goes under sustainable tourism and responsible tourism Turgesen mentions that there is a new growing trend of humanitarian tourism which has created a new breed of orphanages. Turgesen makes the following statement:
“More people want to come to Cambodia to contribute in some way; they want to reach out and touch this destitute population and really try to feel like making a difference. So typically they will try to find an orphanage that might need some volunteers and come in for a couple of hours or a day and play with the children. What else can they do? Our ChildSafe concern is that a lot of these orphanages don’t have child protection policies in place; therefore any stranger can go to an orphanage and have direct access to these children. It causes a serious of problems for the children. It endangers their lives if the stranger turns out to be someone who does not have good intentions.”
“There is also the emotional abuse of people coming in and out of the children’s lives regularly, therefore they might feel used. Certainly, if the intent of the orphanage is to provide access for travellers to the children with the hopes of making money, then it has turned itself into a business. More and more orphanages are also providing entertainment for visitors, such as cultural dances. We have heard reports of orphanages forcing children to dance against their will and if the not obey they will not get food. These children do not really have a choice as the conditions are not fair. It is a form of child labour, especially if the orphanages are making money.”
Turgesen mentions another type of tourism that is starting up; this can be described as poverty tourism and consists of travel agencies providing tours to city dumps and slum areas. People who take part of this are interested in seeing first hand suffering that is taking place the country. There are usually no contributions, the tourists’ just want to witness these tragic and poor situations. This can cause emotionally abuse not only for the children but also the families that are witnessing tour buses coming in taking shots of their vulnerability. This is a very inhuman type of tourism that is starting to develop more and more. According to
Turgesen, ChildSafe want to prevent those types of tourists from coming to the country.
4 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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Turgesen5 still believes that negative consequences of international tourism can be reduced by promoting sustainable tourism and responsible travel. It cannot be prevented as there will always be some form of negativity. What is needed is also an increased pressure from the government to participate in putting social projects in place that are designed to work with the very businesses that provide services for travellers. Turgesen says that the government can make sure that the laws are enforced and that certain cases that are brought to court receive the proper attention and not being bought out by sex perpetrators. This is changing according to Turgesen, the government is being more supportive and they do understand more clearly the consequences of creating the right type of justice.
“When we are dealing with international travellers bringing harm to the country it’s going to receive international attention and it can be both positive and negative for the Cambodian government. The Cambodian government understands that this is their opportunity to shine in the light of international press. Therefore they are more willing to engage in proper enforcement. But they could do more by allowing us (ChildSafe) to reach out to travellers at airports to get better access to travellers and endorsing the message.”
According to ChildSafe the negative effects of international tourism in Cambodia can be prevented by focusing on the Asian travellers. Turgesen says that if they could better understand Asian travellers they would greatly reduce the negative impact of tourism. This might mean bringing the message to Korea, Japan and China before those types of tourist come here. Turgesen says “Why wait for them to come to Cambodia? If their intention is to hurt children then they are not going to change their minds when they get here. They made it this far, they would go all the way.” What ChildSafe can do is to limit the opportunities for these tourists by getting more of the local community members involved. The more people being involved locally would make it more difficult for travellers to abuse children in
Cambodia.
Concerning the question if there should be a more strict approach from the government side to control the behaviour of international tourists who are visiting Cambodia Turgesen says that they can do more. They need to show that if you visit Cambodia you need to respect the country’s culture. Turgesen believes that this would be a very powerful message to travellers.
The negative effects of international tourism are not only concerning travellers that want to harm children, it is also travellers that only want to come here and party and unfortunately this is a disturbance to the local communities. Effects of this are drug use, more civil unrest and more fights. If the government express or place a request to show that the travellers can enjoy their visit if they work towards understanding Cambodian culture and respecting the country’s culture. Turgesen says that he is not sure if the government are waiting for an NGO to do this, but certainly if it would come from the government it would centigrade the message.
“The government is the host and the travellers are the guests. The host should make the rules, saying that you are welcome to visit but we have certain guidelines for you to follow and this will ensure you to have a pleasant stay. It can be a very positive message not to discourage people thinking that Cambodia is going to be very difficult and unmanageable and the government will be watching them.”
5 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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“Unfortunately the government always sees that in order to change behaviour lets show what we don’t want. Don’t do this! This will unfortunately not change people’s behaviour as fear tactics are not very effective. Part of ChildSafe’s network is to always keep our messages positive because it involves a lot of behavioural change activities. With our communication we are trying to reinforce a positive message.”
Over 40 hotels are ChildSafe certified and around 300 staff members have received training.
Turgesen6 says that this is a great way to limit cases were foreign travellers’ shows up at a hotel with a child. A ChildSafe hotel denies access and this is coupled with investigation on those people. It is a way to show people visiting Cambodia that there is a movement of responsible tourism in this country. This is something ChildSafe is trying to promote throughout the network. Turgesen explains that it is not only hotels that they cooperate with; it is also taxis, travel agencies, Internet cafés and restaurants. ChildSafe chooses who are going to receive a certificate; they have to be somewhat strategic located and if they are willing to be a part of the network ChildSafe will train them at the location and provide extensive training. In the following week they will test them and see if they have retained the information. If they pass ChildSafe will certify them.
“We have seen an increased business for our network members. We noted about 30% increase of business for those who are ChildSafe certified and this becomes a testament to the fact that if you work with good people you will get good business. So we have a “good client good business” philosophy that will help to prevent any sort of negative facilitation. That is the pledge for every ChildSafe member; that you will not facilitate a negative interaction between a child and a child sex tourist.”
Turgesen mentions that it is easier to monitor established businesses. With the TukTuk drivers the organization meets every week. The ChildSafe network members are the eyes and ears of the organization and Turgesen mentions that it is important to continue gather information to see what trends are taking place and what is happening on the streets. He says that they can use this information to continue to build on their strategy.
Concerning the question regarding the involvement of the government or other authorities in the activities of ChildSafe Turgesen mentions that they have a MoU (Memorandum of
Understanding) with the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.
Turgesen says that:
“The MoU states that they will support what we do. They will sign the certificates so the network members see that the government is actively involved in helping us and working with the community. So we have an understanding between us and the Ministries. We don’t necessarily agree on everything but of course there is a common goal that we share and we need to work together to ensure that we can reach it.”
Concerning the question where the tourist destination Cambodia will be developed by 2015
Turgesen answers that it will be around but he believes that they year 2015 is too far ahead to predict for a country that is constantly changing.
“My thoughts go to 2010 or 2011 when Cambodia will experience another source of wealth and that will be in form of oil. Questions remain, will the country experience the oil curse and
6 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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how will that destabilize the economy? How will that create unrest? If creates unrest and fighting returns then you will see a dramatic decline of travellers coming here. It could really shock this country back to its tragic past. The reality of Cambodia is that you take it day by day so you can’t really say what is going happen in 2015. This country is still somewhat fragile. It is now enjoying a tremendous amount of peace and economic growth which is a great sign but it is not out of its dark past yet. There are still a lot of things happening that needs to be addressed that reminisce the days of violence and injustice and violation of human rights.”
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6.2 THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM
The Ministry of Tourism is a responsibility within the Cambodian government. Sok Sokun7 explains that tourism development in the country started after the 1993 general election organised by the UN. The Ministry of Tourism was then formed but the development of tourism did not take-off until 1998.
The Ministry consists of several departments that each has their own areas of responsibilities.
These departments are controlled by a two different divisions; Tourism and Administration &
Finance. The divisions are supervised and managed by Secretary of State which in their turn are controlled and supervised by Minister of Tourism Dr. Thong Khon. Every province also has a tourism department but is controlled by the Ministry of Tourism. Figure 1.2 illustrates this chain of command, the departments and their areas of responsibilities (Ministry of
Tourism 2008).
Figure 1.2 Ministry of Tourism Organization Chart (source: Ministry of Tourism 2008)
The following statement is made by a representative from the Ministry of Tourism in Phnom
Penh, Cambodia. This statement represents the current vision of the Ministry of Tourism regarding the future tourism development for the destination Cambodia.
“We want to make tourists stay longer; we have started to develop other tourist sites in the north-east or in the south to get the tourist to visit those places, not to focus only on Siem
Reap.”
7 Sok Sokun, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
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6.2.1 Interview
Concerning the question regarding how important international tourism is for the country
Cambodia, Sok Sokun8 answers that international tourism is very important and continues “If we study details of the effect of tourism revenue maybe some will say tourism would stand in the first place for the economic development.” He continues to mention that at the present moment the government factories stand in the first for economic development, but if they conducted research and evaluated the income of tourism, maybe tourism would represent the most important source of income. According to the Ministry of Tourism international tourism creates both positive and negative consequences but Sok Sokun explains that it is mainly positive effects as it helps the local community to generate income; it creates jobs for locals and makes it possible to develop tourist sites in Cambodia.
Regarding the question in what way international tourism is believed to affect the social community Sok Sokun mentions that it creates positive effects, even negative effects but not so much for the locals. He says that as Cambodian culture is different from the Western culture it will of course have an effect on the community, but not a large effect. He explains that it can create negative effects such as sex tourism and trafficking. Although, he mentions that these are not only effects of tourism. Instead tourism creates more benefits than disadvantages for the locals and the Cambodian community. According to Sok Sokun the
Ministry of Tourism uses the international definition for the term sustainable tourism as they do not have an individual definition for Cambodia. What has been concluded from the international definition is that “we believe that this kind of tourism that we develop for today, we will also benefit from today and make us think of our children so that our next generation can get what we get today.” Sok Sokun says that they believe that the international definition of sustainable tourism concerns this matter.
Regarding the question in which way the Ministry of Tourism work with sustainable tourism, the representatives Sok Sokun and Koeut Puthvory9 answer that they work with ADB (Asian
Development Bank) and that they are also member of the UNWTO (United Nations World
Tourism Organization), they also work with other international organizations. From ADB the
Ministry of Tourism has a loan to be able to develop the Mekong Tourism Development
Project10. In that project there are four different components. The first component concerns the country’s infrastructure development; e.g. in Phnom Penh there has been a road improvement project that has finished and is open to the public. It also concerns the water treatment project in Siem Reap because the city is the country’s main international tourist destination. Sok Sokun explains that if they do not develop or set up a water treatment project in Siem Reap city it will become polluted. The infrastructure also concerns the airport improvement project in the Ratanakiri province. The second component is the pro-poor community based tourism in north-eastern parts of the country. This however only focuses on two provinces; Ratanakiri and Stung Treng. The third component concerns the facilitation of travel with the neighbouring countries such as Viet Nam and Laos. The fourth component
8 Sok Sokun, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
9 Koeut Puthvory, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
10The Mekong Tourism Development Project is developed to promote the tourism sector in the lower parts
Mekong River. It is thought to help to improve tourism-related infrastructure in Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam, support pro-poor community based tourism the rural areas, facilitate private sector participation in tourism marketing and promotion, establish systems to increase sub regional cooperation and also facilitate crossing of borders for tourists (ADB, 2002).
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concern institutional strengthening; to improve tourism law and tourism policy. Sok Sokun mentions that they also have assistance UNWTO, but also SNV (Netherlands Development
Organization). Priorities now are to develop a plan form the town Kratie and a dolphin discovery trail that stretches from Kratie to Stung Treng. This project is under supervision of the Ministry of Tourism, UNWTO and SNV. Sok Sokun11 also mentions that the Ministry of
Tourism receives support from Spanish Government and the French Government.
Regarding the question concerning in what way sustainable tourism is important for the social community in the country Sok Sokun answers that they in the north-eastern parts of the country have the two provinces of Ratanakiri and Stung Treng that are included in the
Mekong Tourism Development Project. Sok Sokun says that:
“Regarding to the community we focus on pro-poor community based tourism and in those provinces we set up information signboards along the national road, we have developed a tourist map and there is a tourist information centre in the city to provide information for tourists that come to visit the cities or pass through. We also set up facilities in the community. In Stung Treng we have two communities that have helped to develop but also in
Ratanakiri there are two communities where we have built small scale infrastructure such as trails. We also help to provide information for the community and tourists and create other facilities.” Koeut Puthvory12 says that sustainable tourism is very important for the development of the tourist destination Cambodia. However, he also mentions that they lack of budget to market sustainable tourism. Koeut Puthvory continues to says that perhaps the tourism sector stands as the country’s second economic priority. Sok Sokun mentions that in 2007 Cambodia received more than 2 million international tourists with an income of more than 1.4 billion
USD. He continues to argue that only Cambodia in the South East Asia region receives this high increase in tourism number; around 20-25% per year. He continues to say that
“compared to other Asian countries Cambodia is a popular destination, that is to say in term of increase in growth not in term of number. In term of number we are still less, less than both
Thailand and Viet Nam.”
Both representatives from the Ministry of Tourism believe that negative impacts of tourism can be prevented through promoting sustainable tourism if there are regulations. We work with NGO’s to prevent child sex tourism and other effects of negative tourism such as drug smuggling. They mention that they put up signboards to promote sustainable tourism and prevent the negative effects but they believe that it is not much effective. At the same time they do argue that they can prevent it. Sok Sokun says that he believe that every place that receive tourists or want to develop tourism will face such issues like child sex tourism, smuggling and trafficking. He says that “It depends on the government, if we are willing to prevent to protect. Cambodia does not support that kind of tourism.”
Concerning the last question regarding in what way the tourist destination Cambodia has developed by 2015 Sok Sokun and Koeut Puthvory13 say that they have a vision to attract 4.5 million tourists. If so, we need to develop the tourist sites such Siem Reap, the north-eastern parts of the country and perhaps the southern coastal area as well. We need to develop tourist facilities, increase the number of hotels, other accommodation, travel and guides.
11 Sok Sokun, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
12 Koeut Puthvory, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
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6.3 THE MAIN ISSUES TO BE ANALYZED
To be able to analyze the above data collected from the two chosen organizations we will here address the main points of interests regarding this study. These main points will be presented below and be used as a basis for the upcoming analysis. This will simplify the process of analyzing the collected data in relation to the theoretical framework presented in Chapter 3.
This information will possibly also be useful for the reader’s understanding of the research process. Positive and negative consequences of international tourism are recognized both by the organization ChildSafe and the Ministry of Tourism in Cambodia. The two organizations agree on the positive outcomes of international tourism in relation to the social community. As ChildSafe identifies child abuse, disturbances for the local community and an exploitation of the U.S. dollar the Ministry of Tourism instead mentions that the negative outcomes that do occur is believed to not affect the social community significantly. These differences will therefore be discussed.
As ChildSafe is an organization that works actively with positive and negative consequences of international tourism this will be put in relation to the Ministry of
Tourism and the need for them to be aware to be able to act. Also what can be done by the Ministry of Tourism is to promote the community with the help of international tourism will be discussed further.
Concerning the fact that it is possible to prevent negative outcomes and promote positive outcomes through sustainable tourism this will be discussed in relation to the work done by ChildSafe and the Ministry of Tourism. As the Ministry of Tourism uses an international definition of sustainable tourism and ChildSafe on the other hand is not familiar with the term the need of a common definition will be discussed in the upcoming analysis.
Concerning creating a sustainable social development through international tourism this will be put in relation to the attitudes that exist within the ChildSafe and the
Ministry of Tourism regarding their own work and their cooperation with other organizations. Finally, the Destination Audit will be used to investigate how international tourism can influence the social community in Cambodia. This will be put in relation to the vision of the Ministry of Tourism regarding their desirable future state of the tourist destination Cambodia. The audit will be based on the preceding analysis and will be adapted to the aim of the study that concerns in what way international tourism can contribute to the social community.
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7 ANALYSIS
In this chapter international tourism in Cambodia will be analyzed in relation to the consequences and impacts it creates on the country’s community. This will be followed by a discussion concerning the awareness of the organization ChildSafe and the country’s
Ministry of Tourism regarding positive and negative consequences. The work done by
ChildSafe concerning the community will be put in relation to sustainable tourism ,it will also be put in relation to the attitudes that exist within the Ministry of Tourism regarding the matter. Finally, the future of the tourist destination will be analyzed in relation to the preceding discussions. First of all, the aim of the study will be introduced once again.
The aim of this study is to investigate how international tourism influences the social community in the country Cambodia. The intention is to analyze in what way international tourism can contribute to the community and create a sustainable social development. To limit the research the study will focus on the organization ChildSafe Cambodia and their work to promote a sustainable social development in relation to the development of the country as a tourist destination. It will also focus on the Ministry of Tourism in Cambodia and their work and attitude towards the same issue. The purpose is also to reflect on how international tourism can be used to promote a sustainable social development.
7.1 CONSEQUENCES OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISM IN CAMBODIA
With a global increase in tourism numbers (Shaw & Williams 2004) this will affect the rather renowned and growing tourist destination Cambodia in many different ways. Consequences of international tourism are many and can affect the country’s social community in many ways. McMinn (1997) argues that tourism in the developing world can be seen as a solution for solving economic and social problems. However, it is needed to take into consideration all the impacts on the social community that international tourism can create.
The tourist destination Cambodia is now in a development stage according to the Butler destination lifecycle (Shaw & Williams 2004) and is growing with approximately 20% per year (Ministry of Tourism 2007: Tourism Statistics Annual Report 2007). According to
Butler the future development of a tourist destination can take different turns. It is therefore necessary to integrate sustainability and develop new interesting tourist attractions to keep attracting tourists to the destination.
Consequences of international tourism are both recognised by the organization ChildSafe and the Ministry of Tourism. The international ChildSafe coordinator Mark Turgesen14 mentions that the positive outcomes in relation to the social community in Cambodia are that it is allowing Cambodia to elevate its people to a higher standard of living. The growing numbers in tourism numbers is resulting in a high injection of tourism dollar and therefore it is possible to see more positive impacts on the local economy. It therefore offers unique opportunities for local businesses to improve their commerce. Turgesen also mentions that international tourism will improve the image of Cambodia within the international community. The
Ministry of Tourism agrees regarding the positive outcomes of international tourism in
14 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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relation to the social community. Sok Sokun15, a representative from the governmental department, stress that there are mainly positive outcomes as it helps the local community to generate income. He also mentions that if research was conducted on the income of tourism it would perhaps be the most important source of income for the country. As these two organizations agree on the positive outcomes of tourism it is necessary to add that it is of importance to plan, develop and manage economic benefits of tourism so that the community can gain from international tourism (Shaw & Williams 2004).
Regarding negative consequences the two organizations differ concerning the negative impacts of international tourism. The Ministry of Tourism believe that international tourism creates more positive than negative outcomes for the Cambodian community. Even negative outcomes occur but are not believed to affect the social community significantly. Negative outcomes is more emphasized by Turgesen16 that explains that one of the main negative effects of international tourism is the fact that the Cambodian economy is based on the U.S. dollar and as it is very low at the moment tourists are exploiting this and the result is that locals can easily be bought out. Another main negative impact concerns child abuse; sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
According to Turgesen, the Asian travellers will make up for 80% of those who commit child sex abuse. He continues to say that it is important for ChildSafe and other organizations to provide information that will discourage these types of abuse from happening. In the case of the Ministry of Tourism it might be necessary to become more aware of the negative impacts of international tourism. The difference between the Ministry of Tourism and ChildSafe regarding the recognition of negative impacts should be addressed, especially as the Ministry of Tourism has a greater influence in the development of the tourist destination. Turgesen believes that the country is not ready yet to handle the influx of these types of travellers. As it is believed that there is a lack of recognition and work done by the government concerning the negative impacts of international tourism the community will suffer.
As Cambodia is developing as a tourist destination mass tourism will follow and will cause a number of problems, such as environmental, social and cultural poverty (Mowforth & Munt
2003). The work done by ChildSafe will become more important and demand greater investments. Recognition and support from the Ministry of Tourism can therefore be necessary to achieve sustainability and to protect the social community. Harrison (1992) also argues that the physical and social damages are integrated and in relation to the impact that international tourism has on the ancient historical site Angkor this will also affect the social community. Williams (2004) discuss that local attitudes, values and behaviour can change from observing outside visitors. In developing countries this can also result in bitterness as local residents find themselves incapable to imitate the lifestyle and products they are observing. Turgesen explains that there is a nouveau rich population growing in the country that does not have the maturity to deal with this newfound richness. The consequence of this is that it will take a toll on the environment, prices will go up in urban areas and people will be pushed further out in the rural areas. This will affect the social community in a negative way and perhaps raise resentment towards international tourists.
15 Sok Sokun, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
16 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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7.2 AWARENESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES
The organization ChildSafe has recognized positive and negative outcomes of tourism and is working with the international tourists to promote a sustainable development. However,
Turgesen17 mentions that the organization is no result of increased international tourism. Their objective is to protect children from all sorts of abuse and in relation to international tourism it has become an evolving step from what they were currently trying to do for the children.
The organization’s awareness of positive and negative consequences of international tourism has resulted in a cooperation with international tourists to protect children from the negative consequences of international tourism. The Ministry of Tourism needs to be more aware of the negative consequences to be able to change the outcome of international tourism. As
Swarbrooke (1999) argues that the public sector should play a leading role it is necessary for the Ministry of Tourism to be aware of how to deal with positive and negative outcomes. As the Ministry of Tourism should represent the interests of the whole population, have no commercial axe to grind and should not be controlled by financial objects (Swarbrooke 1999) they are in leading position to be able to control the negative impacts that international tourism has on the community.
ChildSafe is currently working with ha campaign aimed at international tourists. This is the
THINK campaign that is designed to introduce travellers to the indirect results of giving money to children. The negative consequences of this might be that the tourists indirect support drug abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, social disparity, dependency and illiteracy. As the children targets travellers for money ChildSafe works with informing the travellers in better ways to help these children. To better control this it might be necessary to get the government more involved in the matter of international tourism.
Swarbrooke (1999) for example argues that the public sector can influence tourism through legislation, regulations and incentives. However, it should be mentioned that to control the behaviour of tourists is a complex matter, nonetheless controlling the tourism industry. If awareness is made concerning positive and negative consequences it can be possible to create a sustainable social development and also contribute to the local economy of the destination
(Hassan 2000).
The Ministry of Tourism can implement taxes to manage the impact of international tourism.
In this way they can receive revenues and reinvest this in the destination to develop sustainable tourism. This can be a positive effect of international tourism as the tourists can contribute financially to the development of the tourist destination (Swarbrooke 1999). As the
Cambodian government shall represent the interest of the community they shall also support long-term sustainability (Swarbrooke 1999). It is therefore also necessary that the organization that has the main responsibility of developing a sustainable social community also controls the short-term profits (Swarbrooke 1999) of the actors within the country’s tourism industry. This will benefit the society as they will benefit long-term.
17 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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7.3 TO WORK WITH SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN CAMBODIA
According to Shaw & Williams (2004) it is possible to prevent negative outcomes and promote positive outcomes through sustainable tourism as it can protect the social environment of a destination. Sok Sokun18 mentions that they use an international definition for the term sustainable tourism as they do not have an individual definition for Cambodia.
They believe that sustainable tourism should benefit the society today and the next generation. Regarding ChildSafe, Turgesen19 answers that the term sustainable tourism is not really recognizable; instead the term responsible tourism is more well-known. Even if
ChildSafe is not familiar of the term sustainable tourism it is believed that according to the definition of this research study they do work with sustainable tourism. Choi & Sirakaya
(2005) Explains that sustainable tourism shall improve quality of life for the host community and at the same time provide a quality experience for the visitor and maintain the environment which both the host community and the visitor depend. This definition is also supported by Richards & Hall (2000). However, Turgesen mentions that with sustainable tourism and responsible travel a new trend has come about. This is a growing trend of humanitarian tourism which has created a new breed of orphanages. These orphanages use vulnerable children to make money and are more operating as businesses than helping children. This is an issue for the Ministry of Tourism as they might can control or warn the international tourists to be aware of these kinds of tourist attractions.
Shaw & Williams (2004) argue that integrating the needs and ways of life of the local community in relation to development of tourism is necessary to prevent problems as conflicts and negative outcomes for the local culture. The work done by ChildSafe includes giving tourists tools and alternatives that that are adapted to the needs and ways of life of the local community. Therefore this organization is working active with the consequences of international tourism. However, Turgesen mention that tourists are just one part of ChildSafe.
It can therefore be mentioned that this is really a task for the Ministry of Tourism. Especially concerning one of the main negative impacts of international tourism, that is to say child sex tourism. Griffin (2002) argues that to reach a positive outcome concerning sustainability depends on how well the tourism industry and authorities respond to future tourism development. Sok Sokun mentions that the government and the Ministry of Tourism do not support child sex tourism and works together with different NGO’s concerning the matter.
However, it might be necessary for the Ministry of Tourism to put more effort regarding the matter and force the government to implement more strict laws and regulations. Hunter
(2002) mentions that sustainable tourism should be closely integrated with all other activities that occur within the host region. It is therefore possible to say that a more strict control of the tourism industry is needed by the government to protect the social community.
Investments in sustainable tourism can be done to increase the positive outcomes of international tourism for the social community. It can for example be necessary for the
Ministry of Tourism to implement marketing tools (Dibbs et al 2001), restrictions
(Swarbrooke 1999), incentives (Budeanu 2007) and education (Czinkota & Ronkainen 2004) for the international tourists. To make travellers more aware of the organization the founders of ChildSafe has worked a lot with branding and creating a logo making them more visible.
This could be supported by the Ministry of Tourism through international marketing before the tourists visits the destination and also whilst finding themselves in the country.
18 Sok Sokun, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
19 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
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Turgesen20 believes that they are right on-time concerning the country’s growth in tourism numbers. ChildSafe Cambodia markets its activities to international tourist through guidebooks, social ads and by TukTuk drivers to increase visibility of the ChildSafe message.
This is a way to promote sustainable social development in relation to international tourism.
Turgesen says that they currently are developing strong relations with the Ministry of Interior as they are the ones that command the immigration booths. This is therefore a way for the government to act in the development of sustainable tourism to reach out to the visitors that come to the country. The work done by ChildSafe can be supported by the Ministry of
Tourism to help the organization to distribute there message. However, the governmental department lack of budget and perhaps would do more if they could.
7.4 CREATING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY
Turgesen believes that negative consequences of international tourism can be reduced but not prevented by promoting sustainable tourism and responsible travel but increased pressure from the government is needed as they can make sure that laws are enforced and that certain cases that are brought to court receive the proper attention. Turgesen mentions that the government is being more supportive and they do understand more clearly the consequences of creating the right type of justice. However, he believes that the government could do more by allowing ChildSafe to reach out to travellers at airports to get better access to travellers and endorsing the message.
Sok Sokun21 mention that negative impacts of tourism can be prevented through promoting sustainable tourism. They mention that they promote sustainable tourism with signboards but believe that this is not much effective. They do however acknowledge that the responsibility lays on the government. The beliefs between the two organizations differ concerning the effects of sustainable tourism. It seems as the Ministry of Tourism want to do more but lack of resources seem to be an obstacle. According to Shaw & Williams (2004) the Ministry of
Tourism could to promote a sustainable social development involve the local community through participation, share profits fairly with the local community and involve communities rather than individuals. The participation of the local community is also emphasized by
Turgesen. Nimmonratana (2000 quoted in Shaw & Williams 2004 pp. 183) mention that to engage the local community in tourism development is done by better cooperation with regional tourism authorities. However, Allen & Brennan (2004) argue that it shall not be assumed that community members share the same interests.
Turgesen says that the government can do more to control the international tourists. As the government is the host and the tourist are the guests they need to show that if you visit
Cambodia you need to respect the culture. Turgesen believes that if this information comes from the government this would be a very powerful message to travellers. The Ministry of
Tourism mention that sustainable tourism is very important for the development of the tourist destination Cambodia as tourism stands for the country’s second economic priority. If the governmental department only recognise the economic revenue of international tourism without taking consideration to the positive and negative outcomes it can be difficult for them to control, distribute and reinvest in the Cambodian community. It is necessary to plan for a long-term development. The Ministry of Tourism however mention the work that is done in
20 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
21 Sok Sokun, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
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relation to sustainable tourism; it is development of eco-tourism sites in the north-eastern parts of the country and tourism infrastructure. This is a way to promote the community as the
Ministry works with pro-poor community based tourism. This is what is mentioned concerning investments in sustainable tourism.
According to Turgesen22 other negative outcomes of international tourism are tourists that only come to Cambodia to party and unfortunately this is a disturbance to the local communities as the effects can be drug use, more civil unrest and more fights. Turgesen says that if the government express that the tourists can enjoy their visit while understanding
Cambodian culture and respecting the country’s culture it would benefit the community. It might be necessary for the government to control and manage the behaviour of international tourists even more so that international tourism would instead contribute to the promotion of creating a sustainable social development. If control is taken by the government over the international tourists and a development of an internationally recognized sustainable tourist destination is created the country could gain a superior position (West et al. 2006). This position could be a source of advantage and create a competitive advantage in comparison to other tourist destinations.
It can be necessary to cooperate within the country between different organizations to achieve a goal. Concerning ChildSafe, they have over 40 hotels that are certified and around
300 staff members that have received training, they also work with taxis, TukTuk drivers, travel agencies, Internet cafés and restaurants. Turgesen says that this is a way to show people visiting Cambodia that there is a movement of responsible tourism in this country. He continues to say that they have seen an increase of business for their network members. This can therefore be seen as a way that international tourism can support the community and contribute to a sustainable social development.
ChildSafe and the Ministry of Tourism have a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding).
According to Turgesen the MoU states that the governmental department supports the organization’s activities. He continues to say that they do not necessarily agree on everything but they share a common goal and they need to work together. Shaw & Williams (2004) explain that there usually exist a fragmented nature of control and this could influence the relationship between the two organizations. As there is no shared definition between the organizations regarding sustainable tourism they need to find a common denominator to be able to work towards the same goal. As Turgesen mentions that they do have an understanding concerning a future goal it can be said to be an advantage for the future development of sustainable tourism.
Sok Sokun23 explains that the Ministry of Tourism works together with different organizations concerning sustainable tourism, for example UNWTO (United Nations World
Tourism Organization), SNV (Netherlands Development Organization), ADB (Asian
Development Bank), and other international organizations. Together with the MoU that exist with ChildSafe it is necessary to take into consideration the attitudes of different organizations and understand their future visions regarding sustainability and how willing they are to benefit the community from tourism industry revenue (Mowforth & Munt 2003). Concerning decision-making in these organizations it can be a complex matter that involves values, politics and future objectives (Eriksson-Zetterquist et al. 2005). It is therefore possible to say
22 Mark C. Turgesen International ChildSafe Coordinator, interview 8 April 2008.
23 Sok Sokun, Deputy Director of the Planning & Development Department, interview 22 April 2008.
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that it exist different attitudes towards the development of social sustainability in relation to international tourism within the tourist destination Cambodia. The common goal of ChildSafe and the Ministry of Tourism concerning a sustainable development for the community is important to define to be able to work together to promote through tourism a sustainable community development. According to Shaw & Williams (2004) rivalries among different groups and organizations impede progress and only contribute to poor tourism products.
Perhaps a common definition of sustainable tourism will help these two organizations to understand each other and also strengthen their relationship and cooperation concerning their common goal of promoting a sustainable community.
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7.5 THE DESTINATION AUDIT
As the Ministry of Tourism is believe to be in position of control and manage the future development of the tourist destination Cambodia it is their vision that will be put in relation to the analysis of the tourist destination in the destination audit. This audit will take the above analysis in consideration and will be adapted to the aim of the report that concerns in what way international tourism can contribute to a sustainable social development.
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8 REFLECTIONS & FUTURE
Before a conclusion is drawn it is necessary to reflect on the future development of Cambodia as a tourist destination in relation to the work that is done by ChildSafe. This chapter will therefore inform the reader of some thoughts and reflections concerning the future development of Cambodia as a tourist destination in relation to the consequences that international tourism can create.
International tourism can be used in many ways to promote a sustainable social development.
However, it is believed that laws, regulations and incentives are needed and are most effective concerning the matter of controlling the behaviour of tourists. In the case of
Cambodia, that is in a state of development regarding all aspects within the community might be in more need of management and control so that the impact on the social community is minimal. At the same time it is important that it exist organizations such as ChildSafe that uses a positive message to encourage the international visitors to contribute to the local community.
If there is an interest from the international tourists to promote a sustainable social development why not use this opportunity to promote a sustainable development. The fact that the country is a Third World country means that the local community can be very vulnerable in the development of tourism. The rapid increase of tourist numbers in Cambodia can therefore be a danger for the local community as they have no time to adapt to this development and the actions of the tourists that come to visit. The vision of the Ministry of
Tourism to reach 4.5 million visitors by 2015 can thus be harmful for the country.
Based on the above analysis and our observations made during our stay in the country we believe that there is a growing dependency on the tourism industry to support the economic development in Cambodia. The positive outcome of tourism concerning revenue can through this dependency quickly turn itself into a negative outcome as other industries will be neglected. If the community will trust only the tourism industry to support them what will happen when the interest of tourists decrease?
As a final point the future for the tourist destination Cambodia is unclear. This is due to many factors such as stakeholders, the economic situation of the country, the outside world and uncertainties within the country. The need for organizations such as ChildSafe is believed to be valuable in the future development of the country as a tourist destination and in relation to a sustainable social development. It is also believed that a stronger recognition from the
Ministry of Tourism concerning the negative impacts of tourism together with a message that would emphasize on sustainable tourism is needed to benefit the local community significantly in relation to the development of Cambodia as a tourist destination.
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9 CONCLUSION
In this chapter the conclusion of the research study will be presented. This conclusion is based on the preceding analysis that concerns a discussion of the consequences of international tourism on the social community in relation to the work done by ChildSafe and the attitudes within the Ministry of Tourism. This conclusion will be based on the questions posed in the introducing chapter together with the aim of the study.
The aim of this study was to investigate how international tourism can influence the social community in Cambodia. The intention is to analyze in what way international tourism can contribute to the community and create a sustainable social development. The conclusion of this research study is that both ChildSafe and the Ministry of Tourism agree on the positive outcomes that international tourism can create for the social community. They do not however agree on the negative impacts that international tourism can have on the community.
As ChildSafe emphasize that the main problem is child abuse, disturbances and exploitation of the weak U.S. dollar the Ministry of Tourism mentions that negative outcomes of tourism is believed not to affect the social community significantly. The Ministry of Tourism however mentions that they do not support child sex tourism and is working with an NGO regarding this matter. It is concluded that of course ChildSafe will identify many negative outcomes of international tourism as they work actively with this on an everyday basis. In the case of the Ministry of Tourism it is concluded that further recognition is needed about the negative impacts that international tourism can create. Even the positive outcomes of tourism must be recognised to be able to plan and manage the revenue connected to the tourism industry. Concerning how international tourism can contribute to the community and create a sustainable social development it is concluded that it can help the community to generate income. In the case of the ChildSafe project international tourism can contribute to the community by educating international tourists to be responsible in their actions. This can also be done by the government by developing more sustainable tourism alternatives that are directly connected to benefit the social community. It is concluded that further recognition and support from the Ministry of Tourism is necessary to be able to achieve a sustainable social development in relation to the development of international tourism. Regarding the work that is done by ChildSafe to promote a sustainable social development in relation to international tourism it is concluded that more assistance from the government is needed. The
Ministry of Tourism could for example help the organization to distribute their message and implement legislation, regulations and incentives to control tourist behaviour. By doing this it is possible to use international tourism to promote the community.
ChildSafe is no result of increased international tourism but is believed to be important for the future development of tourism in Cambodia. According to this study and our definition of sustainable tourism it is concluded that they do work with sustainable tourism as they work with informing travellers through campaigns and giving them tools and alternatives that are adapted to the needs of the local community. They work actively with consequences of tourism and try to maximize the positive outcomes and minimize the negative outcomes with the help of international tourists and also the local community.
International tourism can therefore be used to promote the social community if there is support and information for the international tourists when they arrive in the country.
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Alternatives such as ChildSafe certified hotels, restaurants and TukTuk drivers can help these businesses to increase their revenue at the same time as they contribute promote a sustainable social development. Despite the work that is done by ChildSafe it is still necessary to do more and on another level, therefore it is essential for the Ministry of Tourism to recognize the impacts that international tourism has on the social community.
It is believed that more than an understanding between the both organizations is needed.
Regarding the term sustainable tourism the organizations could agree on a common definition that would help them to understand their common goal. This definition could also help other organizations to understand the work that is done to protect and support the social community in relation to the impacts that international tourists might cause.
Regarding the development of Cambodia as a tourist destination ChildSafe believes that negative consequences can be reduced but not prevented by promoting sustainable tourism.
The Ministry of Tourism believes that sustainable tourism is crucial for the future development of the tourism and that negative consequences can be prevented. The attitude within ChildSafe seems more realistic as there always is some level of negative impacts when dealing with the tourism industry. As ChildSafe believes that the government could do more to control tourists this is also concluded in this report. A clear message from the
Ministry of Tourism regarding the negative outcomes that the international tourist can create might help to reduce the impact.
The future development of international tourism and the impact it has on the local community is unclear due to the different values and different objectives that exist with stakeholders within the destination. The conclusion from the Destination Audit is however that the Ministry of Tourism should take control and implement a focus differentiation strategy by focusing on sustainable tourism to promote a sustainable social development. The vision of the Ministry of Tourism was used as it is believed that they possess the greatest power of change for the tourist destination Cambodia.
Finally, the conclusion of this study is that international tourism affects the social community in many ways, both positive and negative. International tourism can also contribute to the community and create a sustainable social development if there is support, information, incentives or regulations for the tourists that interests them or controls them in a way that is beneficial for the local community. ChildSafe might not be a result of increase tourism in
Cambodia but it is concluded they possess a very important role in the development of
Cambodia as a tourist destination.