Ecotourism is more than taking tours to view wildlife in a natural habitat. It is also a mechanism for protecting that environment.

SVC and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia are dedicated to fulfilling the aims of ecotourism: long-term environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.

SVC exclusively organises day trips from Siem Reap and itineraries across Cambodia to see rare birds in their natural habitat at WCS sites.

The ecotourism generates income and employment for villagers in remote sites who provide food, accommodation and local guiding for the visitors. SVC ensures that revenue stays in the village by training community members to manage accommodation, cook and local guiding for the visitors. At Tmatboey this generated $8000 in earned income in 2008.

A conservation contribution is levied on each visitor travelling with SVC, which is used for livelihood development projects such as school extension, wells, new roads, a rice bank as well as nest protection. The CC for Tmatboey in 2008 was $3000.

Ecotourism is linked to conservation by WCS who ensures no-hunting and land-conversion agreements with the community are honoured.

SVC trips are lead by English speaking guides trained in bird identification by WCS experts. When they are not guiding tourists they are working in the villages offering training in the provision of services.

SVC is a non-profit making local NGO, any surplus revenue generated from ecotourism is used to support the conservation projects at the sites it visits.

For more information on the sites we visit and the work we do please visit our website
www.samveasna.org

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