What's CCBEN?
CCBEN - Cambodia Community-Based Ecotourism Network - is a network of thirty or so institutions involved in or supporting community-based ecotourism in Cambodia that meets quarterly with the aim of protecting the natural and cultural resources of the country and raising the living standard of the local communities that are involved in ecotourism projects. It's been going since 2002 and is involved in information exchange and networking, local capacity building, tourism research, and the marketing and promotion of various destinations. As ecotourism becomes increasingly sexy to a more-demanding tourist population, more projects will be added to the existing menu of CCBEN supported sites that currently exist.These are: the bird sites at Ang Trapeang Thmor, Prek Toal and Tmatboey; the two Ratanakiri sites at Yeak Laom and Virachey National Park; Banteay Chhmar; Chambok in Kompong Speu; Koh Pdao on the Mekong River and Kompong Phluk. These initiatives are now well-established and will soon be joined by new projects being undertaken at Prek Tnout near Kampot by Save Cambodia's Wildlife, in the Cardamon mountains at Chipat by Wildlife Alliance and the WWF-supported Mondulkiri Protected Forest. The latter project is one that I'm visiting on the 17th of this month to partake in a four-day bicycle adventure tour in a remote region of this northwest province. At the same time, the Mekong River Discovery Trail project will be hosting a tour of its range of proposed products - cycling, homestay, kayaking, bird-watching, and more - along the Mekong River between Kratie and the Laos border.
These projects are designed to increase the range of options for tourists wishing to do more than visit the original options of temples, beaches and city tours. They will bring tourism to parts of Cambodia that have been starved of participation in this booming industry and they will add a variety of experiences that will keep tourists in Cambodia for longer. CCBEN and its members are playing a vital role in promoting this new and exciting chapter of tourism in Cambodia. Link: CCBEN.
posted by Andy Brouwer at
10:10 AM
2 Comments:
But will the communities actually benefit from this increase in tourism? Or will they only be able to sell a coke or a beer in return for having groups of tourists gawking at them and sticking their Nikon lenses into the communities lives? Will it be controlled by an elite like so many other tourism activities in Cambodia, with the elite paying lip service to 'participation' as they think that is what the punters want to hear??
The idea is that the community builds a strong foundation for ensuring the visitors to the sites are rewarded with something worth visiting for starters whilst also offering them the chance to spend some of their wealth in the project area. the price of say the village homestay in Banteay Chhmar will be shared amongst the villagers who are part of the project and who will be involved in looking after the guests. all of these projects will have been looked at closely by CCBEN to avoid the concerns you have but there's no guarantees of course. This is Cambodia afterall and everyone is still in the early throes of engaging tourists and tourism projects, so there's opportunity for less scrupulous people to take advantage i'm sure. however, in trying to provide community projects like these at least the promise of spreading the wealth from tourism and giving people from the community jobs is certainly on the right path. It can work and CCBEN will be doing what they can to ensure it does work.
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