By Dominique Darmon, Campaign Officer SNV

On May 18, 2009, I travelled to Cambodia to visit The Mekong Discovery Trail, an SNV initiative to promote sustainable tourism. I was accompanied by film maker Albert Reinders and cameraman Leon Mennens. Our goal was to make a video for SNV (the Netherlands Development Organisation), to document this project.


Part 1 - Phnom Penh and the Killing Fields

Choeung Ek looks like a nice park, with palm trees scattered around a well-trimmed lawn –the kind of place families would go to for a Sunday picnic. We approach a small pagoda, or stupa. Behind the glass window, rows and rows of human skulls are neatly lined up. I soon find out that Cambodia’s genocide has become a major tourist attraction.
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Part 2 - Kratie and the Kampi Dolphin Pool

I start to wonder whether we are doing the region a favour by trying to attract more tourists here. Won’t larger crowds cause more pollution?

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Part 3 - Koh Trong Island

I share my concerns with Dany about tourism bringing in more pollution and problems to the community. “We’re not trying to attract big crowds!” she replies. “We only want to target the responsible tourists, the eco-tourists. If more of these people come, the local communities will greatly benefit! Tourism is an excellent way to alleviate poverty.”

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