1. S
Why do sustainable
tourism projects fail or
succeed?
Frédéric Thomas
Associate Professor
IREST/EIREST – University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
PM4SD™ European Summer School | PROGRAMME
Leadership and Management in Sustainable Tourism:
Professionalising project management
Naples, 8-12 July 2013 Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples

2. Introduction
S Does the responsibility of projects‟ failure or success lies
primarily with development agencies or with local
communities?
1. Too high requirements from international organizations to
rapidly transform low-skilled or unskilled workers into
entrepreneurs
S The Complexity of Entrepreneurship
S The introduction of new „forward-thinking‟ concepts
S The novelty that tourism represents
S The complexity of local power structures
2. Lack of business capacities by implementing agencies

3. Case studies
S Bazoulé – Burkina Faso
S www.bazoule.net/campementbazoule.html
S Chambok ecotourism site, in the province of Kampong
Speu, Cambodia
S www.chambok.org

4. Bazoulé – The Site
S About 30km of Ouagadougou (4000 inhabitants)
S Village known for its crocodiles‟ pond (3 hectares)
S About 2500 visitors per year including 50% of
international tourists

5. Bazoulé – The project (1)
Association du Développement
Touristique de Bazoulé (ADTB)
Comité de coopération de Belfort
Ministère de la Culture, des Arts et du
Tourisme
Address local
issues by the
implementation
of a tourism
project++
2006
Request for financial assistance
to ST-EP

6. Bazoulé – The project (2)
3 bungalows with 3 beds, bathrooms and showers
3 bungalows with 2 beds, bathrooms and showers
6 bungalows with 2 beds only
1 bungalow with on bed only
One restaurant
Museum
(musée des arts et
des savoirs Mossi)

7. Bazoulé – Project Analysis
Conclusions conjointly made in 2010 by UEMOA officials
1. Started in 1999, the project was built without any business plan (An
audit was made in 2010).
2. No tourism specialist on board
3. The proximity to Ouagadougou and the low standard of rooms makes
that the occupancy rate for the bungalows is about 4%
4. In 2009/2010, 177 overnight stays for a turn over of €1,320 / Costs
€1,450
(Initial investment for the accommodations = €38,000 / depreciation costs)

8. Chambok – The site
S Community of 9 rural villages located 2 hours from
Phnom Penh towards Sihanoukville
S 40-meter high waterfall
S Strong illegal logging and hunting activities

9. Chambok – The Project (1)
Mlup Baitong
CCBEN
Establish a project
to provide an
additional income
for the local
people and help
protect the
surrounding forest
The Chambok ecotourism project can be divided into three main phases:
• Project establishment, (completed in 2002)
• Project implementation and improvement (2003 to 2006):
 Developing infrastructure, facilities, tourism services;
 Marketing;
 Capacity building for MC members and service providers;
• Project graduation (2007 to 2009):
Total cost
(2002 – 2009)
US$226,000
In 2009
15,000 visitors
(1000 foreigners)
20,000 USD

10. Chambok – The Project (2)
S Construction, renovation and maintenance of infrastructure and
facilities.
S Building the capacity of the CBET MC members and service
providers.
S Establishment and marketing of income generation services and
tourism products.
S Keeping the eco-tourism site environmentally friendly
S Formation of a Women Association and development of micro-
businesses.

11. Chambok – Project Analysis
Conclusions made in 2011 by Cambodian officials:
1. Existence of tensions in terms of involved vs. left out
categories of populations.
2. Since the organization has left, the revenues are decreasing
(access to market, networking, etc.)
3. The gains are bigger for the population with the previous
charcoal activity leading some of them to still cut trees when
the community leader is absent.
4. The project is heavily dependent on the personality of the
community leader.
5. No health services for the tourists or for the population

12. Recommendations (a)
S Tourism-led poverty reduction programme -
Opportunity study guidelines by Caroline
Ashley, Jonathan Mitchell and Anna Spenceley, ITC 2009
(www.intracen.org)
S Tourism Initiative Assessment Primary Data
Checklist by Christine Jacquemin and Frederic
Thomas, SolARE 2012
(www.sol-are.org)

13. Recommendations
A meta analysis using an analytical grid called “Tourism Initiative
Assessment Primary Data Checklist”
Greenbelt initiative, Siem Reap, Cambodia (GIZ)
Tourism
Initiative
Description
Market
Demand
Analysis
Expected
Impacts

14. Tourism Initiative Description
What is planned to
be offered
- - -
Main features
Where
&
How long
What to see / do
(in the site or along
the way)
List of necessary
services (existing /
to be created)
List of
complementary
services (existing /
to be created)
How to reach the
site or the starting
point of the circuit
Enabling
environment
(Institutions, HR,
Partnerships,
Stakeholders)
Attractiveness of the
destination
What makes the activity attractive, unique, complementary?

15. Market Demand Analysis
Key
Target
Markets
Volume
Motivations
ALOS
Expenses
Family with kids / individuals /
group of friends / larger groups
Locals / Regional / Westerners
/ etc.
Existing and Foreseen

16. Expected Impacts (Economic)
Economic
Environmental
Socio-
cultural
Direct Beneficiaries
/ Indirect
Beneficiaries
Who owns
Who operates
Who works
Expected # of
products/activities
sold @ what prices
Created Human
Resources
Is it financially
profitable?
•For business owners
•For the destination
Is it financially
sustainable?

17. Expected Impacts (environmental)
Economic
Environmental
Socio-
cultural
Impact on
biodiversity
Energy
efficiency
measures
Resources
management
Waste
management
Mitigating
measures
foreseen?

18. Expected Impacts (Socio-cultural)
Economic
Environmental
Socio-
cultural
Local communities
involvement (how
they view it?)
Local communities
involvement (how
tourism operators
view it?)
Contribution to
cultural heritage
preservation?
Human resources
(requirement, train
ing, job creation)
Mitigating
measures
foreseen?

19. Why do sustainable tourism
projects failed or succeed?
Merci
Frederic THOMAS
Associate Professor
IREST / EIREST
frederic.thomas1@univ-paris1.fr