A mom-and-pop store in Tmatboey selling books, magazines and VCDs on birds, alongside beer and snacks. — LEONG SIOK HUI Saturday October 27, 2007
By LEONG SIOK HUI
The Star (Malaysia)
Out of the 27 nominees from eight countries short-listed for Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards 2007, six properties were chosen as finalists. Wild Asia then sent a team of assessors to visit each property.
The Tmatboey project was considered unique because the community took a huge leap into responsible tourism (RT).
“You’re looking at a village with a 60% literacy rate and which has never seen a tourist until the last few years,” says Rick Gregory, one of Wild Asia’s advisors and RT assessors.
“It’s a big step for them because they are running a tourism venture that protects their habitat and natural resources, gives back to their community, educates tourists and the locals, and reduces their waste stream.”
How does Tmatboey fare?
Tmatboey’s project is 100% community-run. The cook, housekeepers and guides are locals. They maintain and run the chalets and source for food and supplies from the village and the nearest town (Tbeng Meanchey, about 45km away).
The ladies run a mom-and-pop store selling bird-related magazines and VCDs, soft drinks, chilled beer and snacks. Guests can take guided walks into the village and get to know the local customs and culture.
Solar panels power all the lights and fans in the chalets and dining hall. Water is sourced from a village well or the rain. Organic wastes are fed to pigs and livestock. And plastic bottles are recycled at Tbeng Meanchey.
“Tmatboey’s strength is the villagers’ commitment to conservation of the birds and their natural areas,” says Gregory, a Kuala Lumpur-based environmental consultant and writer.
“Alternative income from ecotourism can offset or stop additional forest-clearing for padi planting.”
The community also receives strong backing from Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment. By visiting where the locals live, visitors can see the development the tourist dollar brings, says Gregory.
Room to improve
Limited exposure to foreigners means the villagers are still learning how to cater to, or manage, tourist expectations. For instance, the cooks had to learn to whip up spaghetti and other Western dishes to satisfy guests who didn’t take well to local cuisine.
“Also, they lack proper monitoring of water and waste,” says Gregory. “They need to monitor how much water guests are using per day so that during the dry season, the well or rainwater collected is sufficient.
“Since it’s a new facility, there’s no waste build-up yet but they need to think of ways to reduce and recycle waste and introduce proper waste and sewage treatment,” he adds. Also, the Cambodians are very keen to please their guests.
“It’s difficult for them to tell the tourists the code of conduct, for example, appropriate dressing or behaviour,” says Gregory.
But what’s important is that the Tmatboey folk have a proper responsible tourism structure in place.
For more information on WA’s Responsible Tourism Awards 2007, visit www.wildasia.net.
The Tmatboey project was considered unique because the community took a huge leap into responsible tourism (RT).
“You’re looking at a village with a 60% literacy rate and which has never seen a tourist until the last few years,” says Rick Gregory, one of Wild Asia’s advisors and RT assessors.
“It’s a big step for them because they are running a tourism venture that protects their habitat and natural resources, gives back to their community, educates tourists and the locals, and reduces their waste stream.”
How does Tmatboey fare?
Tmatboey’s project is 100% community-run. The cook, housekeepers and guides are locals. They maintain and run the chalets and source for food and supplies from the village and the nearest town (Tbeng Meanchey, about 45km away).
The ladies run a mom-and-pop store selling bird-related magazines and VCDs, soft drinks, chilled beer and snacks. Guests can take guided walks into the village and get to know the local customs and culture.
Solar panels power all the lights and fans in the chalets and dining hall. Water is sourced from a village well or the rain. Organic wastes are fed to pigs and livestock. And plastic bottles are recycled at Tbeng Meanchey.
“Tmatboey’s strength is the villagers’ commitment to conservation of the birds and their natural areas,” says Gregory, a Kuala Lumpur-based environmental consultant and writer.
“Alternative income from ecotourism can offset or stop additional forest-clearing for padi planting.”
The community also receives strong backing from Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment. By visiting where the locals live, visitors can see the development the tourist dollar brings, says Gregory.
Room to improve
Limited exposure to foreigners means the villagers are still learning how to cater to, or manage, tourist expectations. For instance, the cooks had to learn to whip up spaghetti and other Western dishes to satisfy guests who didn’t take well to local cuisine.
“Also, they lack proper monitoring of water and waste,” says Gregory. “They need to monitor how much water guests are using per day so that during the dry season, the well or rainwater collected is sufficient.
“Since it’s a new facility, there’s no waste build-up yet but they need to think of ways to reduce and recycle waste and introduce proper waste and sewage treatment,” he adds. Also, the Cambodians are very keen to please their guests.
“It’s difficult for them to tell the tourists the code of conduct, for example, appropriate dressing or behaviour,” says Gregory.
But what’s important is that the Tmatboey folk have a proper responsible tourism structure in place.
For more information on WA’s Responsible Tourism Awards 2007, visit www.wildasia.net.
