Phnom Penh - Cambodian authorities will canvas beggars in
popular tourism spots to determine why they beg and what it will take
to stop them, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said Monday.
One of the world's poorest countries with thousands of beggars,
Cambodia is trying to turn tourism dollars into a means of fighting
poverty and enhancing the tourism industry at the same time, Thong
Khon said by telephone.
'We want to research beggars at the tourism areas and find out why
they need to beg and how we can help them,' he said. 'If there are
problems we can solve, such as providing education or jobs, tourism
revenue will go towards that.'
Although rights groups have said they doubt the government's
sincerity, the plan is already working at some popular tourist sites,
according to the government, and it has encouraged support from
private companies to continue the trend.
For instance, the Choueng Ek 'Killing Fields' museum,
controversially leased to a little-known Japanese company in 2005,
now offers scholarships for students in need and is training former
beggars to grow and sell flowers for visitors.
'This is how tourism can cut down poverty,' Thong Khon said.
Cambodia expects more than 2 million foreign tourists in 2008, and
tourism is a staple of the narrowly based Cambodian economy.
The minister's comments came out of a meeting earlier this month
when tourism experts met in the northern tourism capital of Siem Reap
to discuss ways to combat endemic begging in tourist areas which the
government says is damaging the lucrative industry.
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