Cambodia & Tourism: Cécile Martin-Phipps, "Making Siem Reap a Destination Recognized for Its Sustainability"

On April 21, 2026, Siem Reap inaugurated its second Destination Éco-Talents center, located in the Artisans Angkor workshops. One day of work, two workshops, about twenty partners — and a strong signal: the city is now positioning itself as a major anchor for sustainable tourism. Cécile Martin-Phipps, director of the IFDD, led the workshops and presided over the ceremony. It was her first visit to Cambodia. We met with her.

Cécile Martin-Phipps, Director of the IFDD

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Cécile Martin-Phipps, and I direct the Francophonie Institute for Sustainable Development, a subsidiary body of the International Organization of La Francophonie, headquartered in Quebec—although La Francophonie's headquarters is in Paris. I've been leading the Institute for four years.Previously, I worked in India for the International Solar Alliance—so there was real continuity around environmental and sustainable development issues. What drew me to the IFDD was precisely the opportunity to weave solidarity links around these issues through the Francophone lens.

Tell us about the Destination Éco-Talents project. How are you involved, and what are its main outlines?

The Destination Éco-Talents project stems from a vision championed by the Secretary-General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, who saw sustainable tourism as a common thread capable of combining economic development, biodiversity and ecosystem protection, women's empowerment, and anchoring youth in their territories.The core idea is to offer local communities—youth and women first—the chance to train in sustainable tourism in French, or to develop ecotourism circuits in the four pilot countries: Cambodia, Vietnam, Comoros, and Cabo Verde.The goal is for the generated revenues to be better distributed, contributing to genuine protection of ecosystems and the populations that depend on them.

Concretely, what's happening here in Cambodia?

Our action in Cambodia revolves around two main components. The first is training: in Phnom Penh as in Siem Reap, we support ministries, vocational training institutes, and NGOs to integrate sustainable tourism and Francophonie dimensions as real value-adds. Whether for students already in the tourism sector or precarious youth seeking a vocation, the challenge is twofold: improve their professional integration and boost their incomes through this Francophone added value.The second component involves developing sustainable ecotourism circuits—"ecotalent destinations"—which can take the form of homestays, agro-ecology projects supplying committed restaurants, or enhancement of cultural and natural heritage. We aim to make these destinations visible to Francophone tourists while enabling local communities to see them as genuine economic opportunities.Everyone knows the Angkor temples—but fewer know about the Francophone guide offering electric bike tours, or projects like Salabay and Bayon, which train guides, develop agro-ecology, and supply city restaurants. That's all part of Destination Éco-Talents.

And the Artisans Angkor center—what role does it play in this setup?

This center is what you might call a hub, to borrow the trendy English term. It naturally benefits from the flow of visitors coming to discover Khmer craftsmanship, an exceptional cultural heritage whose very essence is drawn from nature: vegetable lacquer, sandstone, precious woods.The idea is for this place to become a space for encounter and exchange among the various actors in Francophone sustainable tourism, so they can talk to each other, make themselves known, and collectively contribute to making Siem Reap a destination recognized for its sustainability—not just its temples.

During the April 21, 2026 workshop

How many projects were selected under the call for projects?In Cambodia,

we selected three projects last year, and we will support eight in total. However, it's important to note that the IFDD is not a traditional funder. We are a catalyst, a trigger, a facilitator—we create sparks so that local communities, whether artistic, touristic, or cultural, can appropriate the Francophone aspect and sustainability as assets.

This is your first stay in Cambodia. What are your impressions?

I'm stunned. By the beauty, the refinement, and the quality of preservation—both cultural and natural. It's an alchemy rarely found in destinations under such intense tourist pressure. Cambodia has something singular.