When most people think of Cambodia, they think of the majestic temples of Angkor Wat, one of the great wonders of the world, a must see for visitors to the country.

“Most travellers cited Angkor Wat, one of the great wonders of the world and the heart and soul of our national pride, as one of the temples to discover the beauty and adventure that awaits them in the regions of this diverse and captivating country.” (Dr. Thong Khon, Ministry of Tourism, 2010)

Tourism is Cambodia’s largest industry, second only to textiles for GDP growth in (2015).

Cambodia has an abundance of cultural and natural resources. According to Ministry of Tourism, the average stay of tourist in Phnom Penh ranges from 1-2 days while in Siem Reap this is around 3-4 days.

Community based tourism has been introduced as a method to help alleviate poverty in underdeveloped countries at a grass-roots level. Currently there are around 50 community based tourism sites (CBT) which have been established in Cambodia. Some have thrived while others have struggled to establish and become sustainable. The most frequent challenges at CBT sites in Cambodia relate to limitation of knowledge in marketing & promotion, service deliveries in terms of hospitality, product development and tailor-made itineraries, foreign language and adaptation to minimum standards.

In response to these challenges, Tourism for Change aspires to support CBT sites focus on marketing & promotion through the creation of an interactive information website. Tourism for Change is a social enterprise project initiated to assist the local community in obtaining

revenue through resource conservation. Our aim is also to fill the void created by the short stay duration of tourists to Cambodia. It is widely acknowledged that people living in the communities often lack the skills and experience to effectively promote and market the potential of local tourism sites. Tourism for Change will play a vital role in connecting the community with domestic and inbound tourism opportunities. Part of our long term vision is to educate the local people in these tourist sites to meet the CBT standard set by ASEAN.

Our team firmly believe that Tourism for Change will assist local communities achieve direct benefits from the project, while ensuring tourists enjoy their experience of Cambodia’s nature, lifestyle, culture and people and are committed to this outcome. The project can simultaneously have an impact through community development activities included in the tour package such as volunteering, English education and cultural exchange.

‘Tourism for Change’ will provide access to the world wide web through a dedicated website for the promotion of community based tourism throughout Cambodia

 Increase in the number of tourists visiting community based ecotourism sites through better promotion of available options.

 Poverty alleviation from access to jobs for local people through the increased tourism activity across the country, provided by community based tourism

 Increase the level of participation in volunteering opportunities within Cambodia by people from outside the country. This will assist with the social and economic development of Cambodia for the greater good of its people