A presentation made during a World Parks Congress event "Welcome Visitors: Making Tourism Work for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development: Part 1 – Critical Success Factors" that took place on 17 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Supported by the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group and UNDP

1. What you see is what you pay
Profiting from eco-tourism in Cambodia
Ross Sinclair
Wildlife Conservation Society
Cambodia Program

2. • Good story…
• About a solution…
• With a happy ending…
• And more to come!
• Making Tourism Work for PA’s
& Sustainable Development!

3. Cambodia Northern Plains landscape
(>1 million hectares)
Cambodia
SE Asia

4. What we had in Cambodia
• Large expanse dry deciduous forest in northern plains
• Globally significant populations 25 threatened species
• Two Protected Areas – authorities limited resources

5. What we had in Cambodia
• Poor rural communities (unclear tenure/user rights)
• Clearance by communities widespread & unplanned
• Hunting threatened species consumption & sale

6. What we had in Cambodia
• Protected Areas at threat from agricultural concessions
2008 2012

7. What we had in Cambodia
• Populations of endangered species in decline

8. What we had in
Cambodia
• People who cared/mandated protect – WCS, Government
• Massive tourist market – Angkor Wot, 4.5 million visitors

9. What we had in
Cambodia
• Opportunity for Making Tourism Work for PA’s & Sustainable Development

10. What we did in Cambodia
• Park, people & NGO - clearly articulated & agreed process to address issues
• Land tenure &/or user rights secured for communities
– Participatory land-use plan that are official government documents
• Focus on additional Income for communities
– Conservation enterprises: eco-tourism and Wildlife FriendlyTM Ibis Rice
• Robust social institutions to manage activities & decision-making

11. The business model
• Dedicated organization for eco-tourism
• Focused a segment of market – bird watchers
– Now expanded to ‘nature lovers’
• Partnerships with business – tour companies
• Focus on service
– English speaking guides, great lodges, etc.

12. The business model
• Focus adding value in community
– run guesthouses, guides, service staff, etc.
• Add-ons to capture more tourist $$
– donate to nest protection, etc.
• Payments - $30/tourist ONLY if see birds
• Community funds are discretionary
– strengthens committee

13. What we found in Cambodia
• Populations endangered species increasing
• Nest protection scheme - > 90% success rates
• Rates of deforestation declined
• Hunting of threatened species greatly reduced
Giant Ibis

14. 300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Deforestation Rate (ha/year)
What we found in Cambodia
Payment villages Inside PAs Outside PAs
Deforestation rates
remain low in villages
with Payments
2005: Protected Area started
• PA’s reduce deforestation rates
• Payments reduce deforestation rates further

15. What we found in Cambodia
• $30/tourist = $2,000-$4,000 (max $15,000) per village
• Employment: average $160 / year
• ~30% households benefit - employment or selling services/products
• All households benefit from social institutions & agreements

16. What we found in Cambodia
• Household & community income increased sufficiently to change
behavior & generate conservation outcomes
• Households in scheme wealthier at faster rates than outside

17. What we found in Cambodia
ns * *
Biodiversity
Payments
Agri Payments Ecotourism
Payment program
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
-2
Change in Household Wealth Status
Series1 -0.19956029 0.75201459 0.71430678
• Household & community inside
wealthier faster than those outside
Households
are wealthier
Households
are poorer

18. What we found in
Cambodia
• Business is profitable (Cambodian)
• USD$135,000 profit last year
• USD$150,000 investment back
into conservation this year

19. What we found in Cambodia
• Communities now patrol their Community Protected Areas
– in coordination with park authorities
• Park is now seen as a model for Cambodia
• Value of the park has been demonstrated to higher levels of government
• Political and bureaucratic support for the park is now high

20. What happened in Cambodia
Conservation
Cancelled land concessions
Concessions
No project Project

21. What we learned in Cambodia
‘Critical success factors’
• Existing tourist infrastructure & tourists
• A product (wildlife!) people will pay to see
• Direct links conservation (wildlife) to incentive ($)
• Social institutions capable of change behavior
• Generate enough $ to change behavior

22. Next steps in Cambodia
• Continue to grow the sector, business & impact
• Tourism projections of 20 million into Cambodia by 2020
• Fastest growing sector in tourism
• Opportunities for impact investing
• Scalable in terms visits and sites
• New guesthouses & infrastructure
• Adding value – merchandising, etc.

23. The ‘Critical success factor’:
What you see is what you pay
Bird-Watchers
Wildlife
Village
Attracts
Only pay if
see wildlife
No Hunting
Land-use Plan
No illegal cutting

24. Acknowledgement
• Johnny Orn & team - Sam Veasna Centre
• Tom Clements, Ashish John & team – WCS
• Ea Skoha & team – Min. of Environment
• Tan Setha & team – Forestry Admin.