A Philadelphian practices responsible tourism in Cambodia, spending her money where it will do the most for the people. See pictures here.
Since I became a parent, vacations have been spent with my husband
and daughter visiting family in the Midwest or escaping reality in
Disney World. When I do get the chance to travel on my own, I venture to
more remote locales, pursuing activities that might sound strange, but
refresh me more than the Magic Kingdom or a seashore sojourn.
So it wasn't surprising to anyone who really knows me that I spent my
vacation last year in Cambodia as a pro bono consultant conducting a
study for a group that combats sexual violence against children - one of
the child-protection issues that stirs my soul.
This time, the surprise was all mine during the trip when I
discovered - starting with a restaurant meal that former street children
prepared and served - a travel trend. Responsible tourism, also known
as sustainable or ethical tourism, is about your travel dollars not only
buying the experience you crave, but also benefiting your destination's
residents and communities.
"People are becoming more concerned about their impact on the
communities they visit and want to feel they can contribute in some
way," said Michael Horton, of ConCERT (Connecting Communities,
Environment & Responsible Tourism), a nongovernmental organization
based in Siem Reap. ConCERT's mission "is to maximize the benefits from
tourism and travel of all kinds for the most vulnerable people in
Cambodia," according to its website.
Responsible travel can range from staying at a "green" hotel to
living with a local family to helping build a school. Websites,
including the International Center for Responsible Tourism, offer
information on these and other excursions. Cambodia's Ministry of
Tourism website lists opportunities for experiencing community-based
tourism and community-based ecotourism, in which tourist activities and
businesses are managed by or in consultation with residents.
The amount of money produced through responsible tourism is hard to
measure, but it most likely accounts for only a small portion of the
more than $1 trillion in worldwide tourism receipts last year.
Wherever the destination, take a few minutes to learn about whether
the volunteer activities really benefit local residents, or are centered
on making travelers feel good and raising money that might be
ill-spent.
An example: Horton and some groups caution against visiting children
in orphanages. Children are not helped by a stream of random,
unfamiliar, untrained adults coming and going. In fact, he said, some
institutions purposely neglect children because foreigners are more
likely to give money if the youngsters look needy. Imagine if the
situation were reversed, Horton said. "Children who are placed in
residential care in the U.S. or the U.K., for example, will certainly
have many issues and the general public are not allowed free access to
such places."
The first mention of a responsible-tourism concept was in a landmark
1980s book on the impact of leisure and travel, said Harold Goodwin, a
professor of responsible tourism management at Leeds Metropolitan
University in England and founder of the responsible tourism center. It
gained momentum at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in
South Africa, as many poorer countries sought to make tourism an
economic engine.
While ecotourism is more popular among Americans, it is the social-good niche that I encountered in Cambodia.
The last time I was in Cambodia was 15 years ago, when I did
humanitarian work there for six months as part of my graduate-school
program. Back then, the Khmer Rouge still roamed and the Southeast Asian
nation's main source of visitors was workers for aid agencies. Now,
tourism thrives in the impoverished country, and nongovernmental
organizations that work with some of the most disadvantaged Cambodians
are trying to get a piece of it and working with private businesses to
guard against exploitation.
I stayed at the Billabong Hotel in Phnom Penh, which on its website
declares, "Sex tourists are not welcome." That policy, embraced by many
hotels, reflects Cambodia's status as a popular sex-tourist destination.
Also on the Billabong's website is a link to the ChildSafe Network, a
group of "local and international people, businesses, and groups that
protect children from abuse and prevent them from being placed in
abusive situations." Other hotels, expensive and moderately priced
alike, are members of the ChildSafe Network, with some also supporting
local nonprofit groups.
The two times I dined at Friends the Restaurant, I sat in the
pleasant front patio. The servers, former street children who received
training at a local nongovernment program called Mith Samlanh, were
instantly and constantly attentive, and chatted as much as their English
skills (which were greater than my Khmer language skills) allowed. If
the server was new to the job, a more senior staffer accompanied him.
The food is served as small, tapas portions - the beef tacos with tomato
salsa and the stir-fried chicken with mango and cashews were both
excellent; the mixed-berry smoothie perfectly refreshing.
Next door to the restaurant is its sister store, Friends 'n' Stuff,
where I found a trove of colorful and cool stuffed animals, purses,
jewelry, and other crafts made by street children and their families in
countries where the nongovernmental organization Friends-International
operates.
After these experiences, I read in tourist guides about other
businesses in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (the gateway town to Cambodia's
ancient temples) whose aim is to make money and help disadvantaged
Cambodians learn skills and earn money. I decided to buy all my
souvenirs at stores that benefit Cambodians.
I bought fabric at the Rajana fair-trade craft shop, where the
products are made by families in villages throughout the country. A
tailor at the shop turned the fabric into a blouse for me and a dress
for my daughter. A silk purse came from the National Center of Disabled
Persons. When I felt like pampering myself, I went to the Nailbar inside
Friends 'n' Stuff and got an inexpensive manicure and pedicure from
young women taking hair and beauty classes at Mith Samlanh.
For entertainment, I took in a show at the Sovanna Phum Art
Association, an independent group that promotes traditional Cambodian
music, dance, and shadow puppetry. When I wanted to take home a shadow
puppet, the staff made one for me and explained the art and craft of it.
(My daughter made out like a bandit from this trip.)
I snacked on a cappuccino and lemon cheesecake at the Jars of Clay
coffee shop/bakery/restaurant that a British woman started in the 1990s
to help poor, young women.
Nim, 53 (she gave only one name), has worked at Jars of Clay since it
opened, a tenure that has distanced her from the difficult life she led
in the Cambodian countryside with an abusive husband. After meeting the
Jars of Clay founder, she learned to bake and prepare Western food. Nim
earned enough money to feed her two children and send them to school
through the 11th grade, a high level of education in Cambodia that most
people cannot afford. She beamed as she talked about her children, now
grown and married. The job at Jars of Clay has helped Nim feel like the
competent mother and skilled employee that she is.
After finishing my work, I spent the final few days of my trip in
full-pamper mode and traveled to Siem Reap Province to see Angkor Wat
and other temples, and enjoy a spa treatment or two.
The temples are the country's biggest tourist attractions - about 1.4
million visitors went to Siem Reap last year, according to Cambodian
government statistics. Armed with my new knowledge about responsible
tourism, I sought out restaurants and shops that benefit the local
community in Siem Reap. I already had made a reservation at a fancy,
privately owned hotel-spa. Had I known about them, I would have moved to
the nearby hotel that trains young, disadvantaged Cambodians to work in
the hospitality and tourism industries, or one of the luxury hotels
that works with local social-service organizations.
Still, I was perfectly fine with where I stayed. Responsible tourism
shouldn't be about doing good out of a sense of guilt. That doesn't make
for fun traveling.
It's about thinking how you can have an enjoyable trip and help local
communities through the choices you make. My vacation was all the more
invigorating because my choices not only bought me cake and cappuccino
and lovely souvenirs, but because they helped create opportunities for
women like Nim.
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