Greentravels (ministry of tourism)

Placement organization

Name of organization: Greentravels (ministry of tourism)
Town/city: Phnom Penh
Country: Cambodia

Website: http://www.tourismcambodia.org/

Student

Name of student: Eline van der Zanden

Specialist area: ITMC
Placement period: 2013-2014

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour operator
Organization’s activities: Writing a business plan to start up a tour operator for community based eco-tourism trips
Help with activities of the Ministry of Tourism as I was located in their office
Target group of the organization: tourism
Company culture: In Cambodia the hierarchy is quite notable. You as a foreigner will not experience this to great extent because they see you as a “valuable asset” although you do see it in your working environment.
In the office communication is informal among colleagues in the same position. Communication to a person in a higher position is formal. Even as you will need to wear formal attire.
Number of employees: 1 in Greentravels company. 10 in NCTP department
Dress code: formal
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? No

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? I was located in the office of NCTP (National Committee for Tourism Professionals)
Brief description of your daily activities: For Greentravels:
Doing research about communities in Cambodia
Writing a business plan

For ministry of tourism:
Participate in training’s for hospitality and food safety
Brief description of your company assignment: Writing a business plan and marketing plan for a tour operator specialized in community based eco-tourism
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: I received very little supervision. You need to be able to work independently but this gives you also freedom in planning your own work. Contact with my supervisor was mostly via e-mail.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Independant, flexible, representable
Additional company requirements for this placement? –
English: Intermediate
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Company arranged accommodation
How did you go to work every day? tuk tuk (“Cambodian public transport”)

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? Yes, work visa
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents: on arrival
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? 30 minutes
Did you need certain vaccinations? Yes
How long in advance? 1 month

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? no

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € circa €800
Accommodation (monthly): € €230
Local transport (monthly): € €120
General costs of living (monthly): € €300
Costs of visa: € €0
Costs of work permit: € €0
What did the company pay for/to you? Visa

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I knew already a bit of the culture. Before I went I looked up the countries political situation and some general things you need to know about the culture before you go. You will learn a lot about the culture when you are there, very interesting!
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? yes

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: 111333@edu.nhtv.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: The way of working is totally different than the western way of working. You cannot really tell your own opinion or say something directly. The person in the position higher than you is the one who makes the decisions. I would say just go with the flow as it can be pretty unstructured sometimes. Furthermore put some effort to make contact with the local people. It is very interesting if you hear stories about their lives.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: In the city you can find many restaurants and bar. Also you can go to the gym if you want or do any other kind of activity. As there are a lot of expats living in Phnom Penh there is also a lot to do.
From Phnom Penh it is easy to travel around to other places.

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link