Cambodia & Francophonie: "Our dream is for local communities to operate independently"

Interview with Nguyen Thi Khufu, Program Specialist at the International Organization of La Francophonie

Nguyen Thi Khufu, Program Specialist at the International Organization of La Francophonie

Vietnamese national, French teacher turned sustainable development specialist, Nguyen Thi Khufu joined the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) in September 2025 to lead the operational side of the Destination Éco-Talents (DET) project. She granted us this interview on the sidelines of the inauguration of the second DET center in Siem Reap, hosted in the iconic spaces of Artisans Angkor.

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Nguyen Thi Khufu, I am Vietnamese, and I currently hold the position of program specialist at the OIF, within the Destination Éco-Talents sustainable tourism promotion project.

How did this year's call for projects go? How many applications did you receive, and what is the planned timeline?

I wasn't in the position last year, having joined the OIF in September 2025, but this year I had the chance to participate in the process from its launch. We received more than 120 applications from four countries: Cambodia, Vietnam, Cabo Verde, and the Comores. The Comores were the most represented on their own. The evaluation jury worked on all these files, and we should, within one or two weeks, select three projects per country — that's a dozen winners in total.

What types of initiatives particularly appeal to you? What determines, in your view, the success of a project?

These calls for projects aim to bring forth true eco-talented destinations — places for community, cultural, or ecological tourism.

Our compass is above all the local population: we want them to be trained, to access decent employment, and, in the long term, to increase their income thanks to the influx of visitors.

Projects vary greatly by country. In Cambodia and Vietnam, applications often highlight sites of great natural beauty with a very strong cultural dimension — which precisely matches the spirit of the program.

They systematically include a training component in tourism trades: homestay management, catering, family entrepreneurship… The idea is for each beneficiary to be able to run their own activity.

Opening of the Destination Éco-Talents Center at Artisans Angkor

This is complemented by a component for developing tourist products designed to preserve traditional know-how. Because these projects often take root far from urban centers — in mountains or rural areas — where intangible heritage is still alive but fragile.

Finally, a third axis focuses on promotion and communication for the site. This is where we introduce the Francophonie dimension: not necessarily academic French, but simple welcome phrases — hello, goodbye, how are you — to facilitate the first contact with French-speaking tourists. We also encourage project leaders to integrate French on their web pages and social media, to give real visibility to La Francophonie on the ground.

This is not your first stay in Cambodia. What have been your impressions of the country's tourism development?

I discovered Cambodia for the first time in 2007, on the occasion of a conference on French language teaching — I was a French teacher myself at the time. We visited the Angkor temples; there was still a certain tranquility there, far from today's crowds.

Since then, I have returned several times, to Phnom Penh as well as Siem Reap. What strikes me is how Cambodia has managed to blend modernity and tradition — a rare and precious balance.

Artisans Angkor is, for me, its most accomplished symbol: Khmer craftsmanship is showcased there with contemporary rigor, without betraying its soul.

I found the same harmony in the restaurants and on the sites. As for the temples themselves, their state of conservation is remarkable, the result of exemplary international cooperation involving UNESCO, France, China, India, and many other partners.

A final word on the duration and sustainability of the project?

As our director reminded us this morning, OIF projects play a catalytic role. They are not designed to last indefinitely, but to kickstart a dynamic. That's why we ask each project leader, from the start, to think about the sustainability of their initiative. Once the destination is well established, once tourism is in place, local communities must be able to operate all the mechanisms themselves. That is our deep ambition — and, if you will, our dream.