International Workshop in Cambodia Discusses Effective Measurement and Monitoring of Tourism Sustainability

 By Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL - Siem Reap, Cambodia
The first Asia Workshop of the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Inventories - INSTO took place in November in Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia.

Photo by Caroline Chau

The first Asia Workshop of the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Inventories - INSTO was successfully co-hosted on November 17 to 20, 2019 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, in collaboration with the Monitoring Centre for UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories (MCSTO).
​I attended this highly inspiring and energizing event aimed at further advancing the dialogues among the established and potential observatories in Asia-Pacific region and strengthening knowledge about the regular monitoring of tourism at the local level, as the Founder & CEO of Millennium Destinations and delegate representing South Korea.
The workshop was targeted at: 

• Representatives of National Tourism Administrations/Organizations in Asia and the Pacific region; 
• Representatives from Observatories already established  in Asia and the Pacific Region;
• Representatives from the interested destinations and other tourism stakeholders (such as Australia, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand etc.);
• Officials and industry representatives from Cambodia. 

All participants demonstrated a strong commitment to advance a transparent, evidence-based approach of tourism and to develop sustainable tourism observatories as tools of alignment for the purpose of transforming the vision and ambitions of destinations, so that tourism can effectively and efficiently contribute to the satisfaction of both visitors and residents, the well-being of local communities and the conservation of their environments, rather than just focusing on the growth of international tourists arrivals and tourist receipts. 

Considering the continuous growth of tourism in the Asia and the Pacific region, it seems crucial to be able to collect and monitor the necessary relevant data to make sure that tourism is planned, managed and controlled. 
​As of today, there are 28 observatories in the world (including 9 in China), and the Kingdom of Cambodia expressed its intention to establish one Sustainable Observatory in Kompong Phluk in 2020. Japan and the Republic of Korea also expressed their interest in establishing observatories.
​This was welcomed by Dr. Dirk Glaesser, Director of Sustainable Development of Tourism, and by Mr. Harry Hwang, Deputy Director of Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific.
The UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories was created in 2004 with the main objective to support the continuous improvement of sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector through systematic, timely and regular monitoring of tourism performance and impact and to connect dedicated destinations in order to better understand destination-wide resource use and foster the responsible management of tourism.

With H.E Mr. Tith Chantha, Permanent Secretary of State, highly represent of H.E Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia (5th from left)

On November 20, I took a field tour to Kampong Phluk Eco-tourism Community, located in Siem Reap province close to Tonle Sap Lake. The Kampong Phluk commune has 3,707 peoples (911 families).
Kampong Phluk Eco-Tourism Community was established on April 17, 2015. It covers 12,329 hectares in 3 villages and plays an important role to attract many national and international tourists.