Ministry of Tourism – National Committee for Tourism Professionals

Placement organization

Name of organization: Ministry of Tourism – National Committee for Tourism Professionals
Town/city: Phnom Penh
Country: Cambodia
Website: http://cambodiatourismprofessionals.gov.kh

Name of student: Celine Versteegh

Specialist area: ITMC
Placement period: 2014-2015

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Government
Organization’s activities: The National Committee for Tourism Professionals aims to improve the mobility of tourism professionals among ASEAN countries. In order to do so, they are in the process of improving the quality of tourism professionals in the nation. By organizing activities and having tourism schools educate according to Mutual Recognition Arrangement-standards (arrangement among ASEAN-member states) they are trying to create coherence in qualification.
Target group of the organization: tourism professionals
Company culture: Formal culture with strong hierarchy
Number of employees: 10
Dress code: formal
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Changed some agreements in the 1st week

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? National Committee for Tourism Professionals
Brief description of your daily activities: Assisting in writing speeches or official announcements for the Minister of Tourism. Assisting colleagues with tasks such as writing a guideline on a specific process. Working on a pre-feasibility study for a new system.
Brief description of your company assignment: Was requested to write a destination branding report, whereas the country is trying to distinguish itself from neighbouring countries. Thus, had to discover their USP’s, besides Angkor Wat/Siem Reap. Eventually write recommendations for improvement, which will then be delivered to the Minister of Tourism.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: Very little supervision. Will be asked once in a while to show your progress, but other than that you are responsible for your own time management.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? independent & teamplayer, flexible
Additional company requirements for this placement? MS Office
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Internet
How did you go to work every day? by Moto

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? yes, business visa upon arrival, which has to be extended later on
Do you need a work permit? no
How did you arrange the necessary documents: visa on arrival at the airport
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? 15 minutes
Did you need certain vaccinations? Yes
How long in advance? Few months in advance, rabies shots requires intervals of several weeks

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): € approx. €750
Accommodation (monthly): € $300
Local transport (monthly): € $60 rent of moto, $10 gas
General costs of living (monthly): € $300
Costs of visa: € $35 upon arrival. $160 extension
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? You get nothing, unless you go on a mission. However, that is quite rare. I had to do research in Siem Reap: i got a really small budget for accommodation and food.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I watched some YouTube videos, read some traveller blogs and articles
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? yes. There is a strong hierarchy, where speaking your mind is not supported. And punctuality is not a thing. Expect people to be late for appointments

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: c_versteegh@hotmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: The office has a strong hierarchy, please respect this. Formal clothing is required: women need to pay attention to covering their shoulders and knees.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: The city is not very big, but there is a lot to do. Most popular tourist sites are the Genocide museum and killing fields.

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link