1) The document discusses community-based tourism (CBT) and ecotourism in Cambodia, noting their potential roles in sustainable development, poverty reduction, and conservation. 2) It provides an overview of CBT/ecotourism principles and philosophy in Cambodia, including empowering local communities, benefit sharing, and respecting local culture while contributing to conservation. 3) Challenges to CBT/ecotourism development are discussed, such as external agendas not always focusing on local capabilities and lack of attention to ensuring communities can independently manage projects long-term. Building local capabilities is emphasized as an important mechanism for sustainable development.

1. Achieving Development Goals and Sustainability:
Analysis of Community-based (Eco-) Tourism and
Endogenous Development in Cambodia
Dr. NETH Baromey
Royal University of Phnom Penh
International Symposium and Workshop 2011
Tourism and Endogenous Development – In Search for Sustainable Tourism
Center for Sustainable Development Studies, Toyo University, Japan

2. What is CBT/CBET?
“ Responsible tourism owned and managed
by community in collaboration with other
stakeholders in order to enhance the local
well-being, natural and cultural resource
conservation, host-and-guest interaction
and education. ”
(CCBEN & SNV, 2009; MoT, 2011)

3. Disability to
implement SD policy
Do not follow democratic
structures yet
Dependence on primary
resources for local
livelihoods & economic
development
Not yet have opportunities
to exploit own resources
• Empower local
communities in
resource governance
& endogenous
development
Social Aspect
• Non-conventional
economic strategies
• Externalize
conservation costs
• Developed and
managed by local
communities
Economic
Aspect
•Local participation in
conservation
•Conservation structures
and strategies at local
level
•Incentives for
conservation
Environmental
Aspects
Why CBT/CBET
in Cambodia?

4. Significance for sustainable
development
 Justify conservation regime &
support global environmental
governance
 Poverty reduction in rural areas and
community development
 Improved livelihood strategies
 Community empowerment &
participation
 Active citizenship
Why Cambodia Needs CBT/CBET?
Sustainable
Community
Development
Alternative
Livelihood
Strategies
Social
Inclusion &
Good
Governance
Conservation
Structures &
Strategies

5. 1. Involve and empower community members to ensure ownership
and transparent management
2. Establish partnership with relevant stakeholders
3. Gain legal recognition from relevant authorities
4. Achieve social well-being and human dignity
5. Establish a fair and transparent benefit sharing mechanisms
6. Enhance linkages to local and regional economy
7. Respect and preserve local culture and tradition
8. Contribute to natural resource conservation
9. Improve quality of visitor experiences by strengthening
meaningful host and guest interaction
10. Develop self-sufficient and self-reliant society
(CCBEN and SNV, 2009)
CBT/CBET Principles in Cambodia

6. Economic
Considerations
Socio-Cultural
Considerations
Environmental
Conservation
Considerations
Business &
Consumer
Satisfaction
Considerations
Human
Development
& Stakeholder
Collaboration
Considerations
CBT/CBET Philosophy in Cambodia
Host-Guest
Interaction

7. CBT/CBET Development Potential in Cambodia
2.87
3.07
3.30
7 sites
17 sites
9 sites
There are 46 CBT/CBET sites, 33 of which are officially registered (MoT, 2011).

8.  Both small scale and large
scale ecotourism operations
exist in Cambodia, but so far
most of the development
projects concentrate on
participatory community-
based approaches.
 Pro-poor and anti-poverty as
well as pro-conservation
mechanisms through CBT /
CBET
Tourist motivations & expectations of
visit (MoT, 2011)

9. Tourist Activities & Expenditure
1) Swimming
2) Mountain and village biking
3) Forest trekking & hiking
4) Ox/horse-cart riding
5) Boat trips
6) Camping in the forest
7) Bird watching
8) Wildlife viewing
9) Village exploration / touring
10) Learning indigenous culture
11) Home-stay with the locals
12) Learning local culture / livelihoods
(silk weaving, rice production processes, local gastronomy, etc.)
13) Educational and research tours – learning about plant & animal species
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Local service
providers
Environmental
conservation
Community
development fund
Others (i.e.
supporting local
poor, etc.)
Sources: CCBEN & SNV (2010)

10. Type of CBT/CBET in Cambodia
1) Spontaneously occurred through the initiatives of the
local communities based on their local resources and
which focus on the economic development objectives
2) Happened as a result of intervention from external
stakeholders aiming to support rural communities
transforming themselves and building their capability to
adapt to socio-politic and economic changes through
endogenous development programs
3) Introduced as a tool to support and foster community
protected areas (CPAs) and CBNRM frameworks

11. Map of PAs and Emergence of CPAs in Cambodia
 PAs+CPAs (26% of the total land area): non-extractive policies, yet provides
opportunities for non-consumptive economic activities, such as ecotourism.

12. Concerned stakeholders:
• State actors – Ministry of Environment (MoE); Ministry of Tourism (MoT); Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) through its Fishery and Forestry
Administrations; APSARA Authority (AA)
• Non-state actors - environmental institutions / donor agencies
(IUCN, WWF, GEF, CI, FFI, WCS, Wildlife Alliance, Global Heritage Fund, etc.); local
environmental and developmental NGOs (i.e. Mlup Baitong, CRDT, Osmose, CEPA
, LLEE, Kafdoc, Sam Veasna Center, etc.); Development Partners (i.e. ADB, IFC-
WB, UNDP, SNV, USAID-Cambodia, etc.); Community Organizations (i.e. Tataikrom
Community in Kong Kong Province); Semi Non-Profit Organizations (i.e. Khmer Village
Home-stay; Agir pour le Cambodge, etc.)
* CBT and CBET are defined, introduced, and implemented in accordance with
pioneers’ agendas/politics/policies in close collaboration with individual state
bodies (CBET via MoE, CBT via MoT, ...).
Conception of CBT/CBET Development
in Cambodia

13. Conception of CBT/CBET Development in Cambodia

14. • Capacity building (mainly environmental education
programs)
• Multifaceted CBNRM & conservation mechanisms
• Community democratic decentralized governance
(participation, advocacy, empowerment, etc.)
• Community social capital building (bonding, bridging & linking)
• Tourism products (attractions, amenities/services, activities)
development
• CBT/CBET value chain and supply chain
• Integrated livelihood strategies
• Government-private sector-community partnership building
• Establishment of MSME activities in the community
• Building of community social enterprises
• Marketing and promotion

15. Conception
stage
Intervention
stage
Post-
intervention
stage
Govt. + I/LNGOs Community Community
Development Intervention Stages of
CBT/CBET Related Actors in Cambodia
 Conception & intervention stages are considerably a
difficult threshold due to limited capacity and awareness
of the local communities & their inspirations to see
immediate impacts to solve their food insecurity.

16. Good Practices and Lessons Learnt -
CBT/CBET Sites in Cambodia
1) From community mobilization to community participation in
CBT/CBET development & implementation – Chambok Site

17. Good Practices and Lessons Learnt -
CBT/CBET Sites in Cambodia (cont.)
2) Well-established community management and development structure –
Chambok Site

18. Good Practices and Lessons Learnt -
CBT/CBET Sites in Cambodia (cont.)
3) CBT/CBET revenues and development strategies
support “The Commune Development Plan”
4) Community involvement in natural and cultural
restoration / conservation and community development
programs
Community-led Mekong turtle
conservation activity
Community re-plantation activity Khmer house prototype

19. Good Practices and Lessons Learnt -
CBT/CBET Sites in Cambodia (cont.)
5) CBT/CBET capacity building programs contribute to
general education and knowledge/skill development, yet
more concentrated on conservation & development
management
6) Existence of legal frameworks and protective documents
Tourist activity with local students Environmental educational message and community-led protection signpost

20. Good Practices and Lessons Learnt -
CBT/CBET Sites in Cambodia (cont.)
7) Creation of job opportunities leading to diversified local
economy / livelihoods and MSMEs
8) Promotion of women empowerment, trust & reciprocity
amongst members, and solidarity, collectivism and
connectiveness in the whole community

21. Good Practices and Lessons Learnt -
CBT/CBET Sites in Cambodia (cont.)
9) Generation of opportunities for social organizations and
economic activities at community level
10) Promotion of governance and conservation of local
resources
11) Provision of protective security & integration in the
entire development system
12) Community-private sector collaboration & sustainable
community development initiatives (i.e. formation of youth
volunteers for agricultural extension and tourism business set-up
services at Chambok CBET Site)

22. Challenges to CBT/CBET as a
Sustainability Tool in Cambodia
Pioneers
• Conservation Agencies
• Development Agencies
Agenda
• Conserving Environment
• Enhancing Economic Strategies
Limitations
• Result-based development approaches
• Lack of adequate attention on people
• People lack the capabilities to carry on the projects
22

23. Challenges to CBT/CBET as a Sustainability
Tool in Cambodia (cont.)

24. Challenges to CBT/CBET as a Sustainability
Tool in Cambodia (cont.)
Source: http://altmapcambodia.blogspot.com/search?q=concession+map

25. Fund-driven development design
+
Agenda-based interpretation & implementation
Conception
stage
Intervention
stage
Post-
intervention
stage
Govt. + I/LNGOs Community Community as
Independent Managers
& Entrepreneurs???
Contemporary Challenges to CBT/CBET
Development in Cambodia

26. Mechanisms for Sustainable & Responsible
CBT/CBET and Endogenous Development in
Cambodia
“... community resiliency
resulted from the
enhancement of capacity and
ability to carry out
endogenous development
initiatives for sustainable
community development.”
Capability-
supported
Sustainability
Economic
Development
HR
Development
Community
Empowerment
Community
Health
Conservation
1. Community Capabilities

27. Capabilities in CBT/CBET Development Context
CBT / CBET
Development Outcomes
Measurement Indicators
1. Economic
Development
Job opportunities and job creation
Business and investment mechanism
Economic development strategies
Development model, supporting mechanism and partnership
2. Human Resource
Development
Basic education, acquiring wisdom
Human capital development
The integration of traditional and modern knowledge and technology
3. Conservation Existence of community conservation policies
Practice of conservation strategies
Outcome of conservation strategies
Record of good NRM governance
4. Community
Health
Human relationship including community’s mental and spiritual health,
social cohesiveness, and self-identity
Human-nature relationship including physical health and human attitude
towards nature and environment
5. Community
Empowerment
Policy framework
Local governance
Level of local control and ownership
Organizational structures
Links with other relevant institutions
Sources: Sen, 1999; Murphy & Murphy, 2004; Schaper, 2005; Hall, Kilpatrick & Mitchell, 2005;
Thimothy, 2007; Fennel, 2003, 2008; Figgis & Bushell, 2007; Neth, 2008; Rith, 2010.

28. 2. Sound ecotourism policy, including regulation and guidance
at community level based upon context sensitivity and case-
specific conditions
3. Incorporate business consideration into overall CBT/CBET
development plans
4. Product development & diversification + service quality
improvement, specification and standardization (incl. eco-
labeling and certification)
5. Community inputs & initiatives from the onset of
development + proactive & interactive stakeholder
collaboration
Mechanisms for Sustainable & Responsible
CBT/CBET and Endogenous Development in
Cambodia (cont.)

29. 6. Government investment in human resource development as
well as soft and hard CBT/CBET infrastructure
7. Value chain and supply chain development & management
system
8. CBT/CBET entrepreneurship, social enterprises, and market
access (supply-demand interactive system)
9. CBT/CBET destination and risk / crisis management
10. Integration of primary production sector with overall
CBT/CBET product development based on innovative
approaches
Mechanisms for Sustainable & Responsible
CBT/CBET and Endogenous Development in
Cambodia (cont.)

30. • Neth, B., Rith, S. and Knerr, B. (2008). Global Environmental Governance and Politics of
Ecotourism: A Case Study of Cambodia. In: Proceedings of the 12th EADI Conference on “Global
Governance for Sustainable Development: Needs for Policy Coherence and New
Partnership”, Geneva, Switzerland.
• Neth, B. (2008). Ecotourism as a Tool for Sustainable Rural Community Development and Natural
Resource Management in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. Germany: Uni-Kassel (Kassel
University) Press.
• Rith, S., William, P.W. and Neth, B.(2009). Community-Based Ecotourism and Rural Livelihood
Diversification: Reframing the Approach to Community-Based Ecotourism Development. In:
CBNRM Volume II – 2009, Chapter 24, pp.471-492. Proceedings of National Symposium on
“Emerging Trends, Challenges and Innovations: CBNRM in Cambodia”, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• CCBEN & SNV (2009). Cambodia Community Based Tourism Standard Report. Phnom
Penh, CCBEN.
• CCBEN & SNV (2009). Cambodia Community Based Tourism Supply Chain Analysis Report. Phnom
Penh, CCBEN.
• Rith, S. (2010). A Social Relational Approach to Community-Based Ecotourism Development:
Policy Intervention strategies. Ph.D. Thesis. Canada: Simon Fraser University.
• USAID-Cambodia-MSME (2010). Community-Based Tourism Entrepreneurship and Market Access.
• Mekong Discovery Trail (2010). Products / Services Mini-Manual: River Life Adventure in
Northeast Cambodia.
• Ministry of Tourism (2011). Tourism Strategic Development Plan 2011-2020.
• Neth, B., Rith, S. and Yokohari, M. (Forthcoming). Enhancing Sustainability through the Building
of Capabilities: Analysis of CBET Development Case. Paper presented at the Ecotourism Research
Symposium of the 3rd World Ecotourism Conference, 03-05 October 2011, Cambodia.
• www.tourismcambodia.org/cbet_sites/index.php?view=destinations
References

31. Thanks for Your Attention!