Khiri Travel helps Cambodia’s Banteay Chhmar community with a new tourism product

PHNOM PENH - Banteay Chhmar Community-Based Tourism project is a group of local villagers from the Banteay Chhmar community dedicated to preserving and protecting the cultural heritage of their local temple site. Khiri Travel is aiming to create a responsible tourism industry in the town of Banteay Chhmar. The CBT project started in 2007 and since then has grown considerably.

There are several members of the local community who use their homes as homestays for travelers visiting Banteay Chhmar. Heritage Watch is working in cooperation with the community to help in areas of educating the local community about the importance of protecting their cultural heritage and the benefits to their livelihoods from tourism activities. Some of the local community are also tour guides for Banteay Chhmar temple and are involved in a training program.

Khiri Travel has recently started a luxury safari tent project in cooperation with the Ministry of Fine Arts and Culture and the Banteay Chhmar CBT organization. The project will give travelers a unique experience at one of Cambodia’s amazing temple sites. The project creates employment and training via a sustainable business. The community also has a local fund and in December 2010 used part of it to install solar panels. These have dramatically cut fuel expenses previously needed to run a gasoline generator. Water security and other projects will follow soon. Booking can be done under Khiri Travel website.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews