Cambodia’s Shinta Mani Wild has been flagged as a leading example of curating a “green premium” tourism experience, as the region’s leading hospitality experts claim hotels and resorts across Southeast Asia are failing to understand the concept and how to use it to attract quality guests.

The message that the region’s hotels and resorts are falling behind counterparts in other parts of the globe when capitalizing on the benefits of sustainable tourism was debated at the annual PHIST event, Southeast Asia’s largest sustainability forum.

“Hotel developers in Southeast Asia have broadly failed to make sustainably a must as they do in Europe or North America. It’s a massive disconnect,” Bill Barnett, managing director of hospitality and real estate advisory group C9 Hotelworks, said at the event, which was held on the Thai island of Phuket this week.

Offering advice to the region’s hoteliers, he added that by championing green and mindful practices, ranging from waste management and energy conservation to farm-to-fork dining, sourcing organic produce from local farmers, and better community engagement, resorts can streamline costs and build goodwill.

In doing so, they can also enhance their appeal to clients who place a premium value on experiences that are ethical, sustainable, and unique, a press release about the event stated.

Jesper Palmqvist, STR Global’s Area Director for Asia-Pacific, added, “It’s important that the industry develops green champions, best practice documents and training modules that can be modified by hotels. Furthermore, hotels need to be pressured into fulfilling international sustainability certification. This would show more ambition to adopt new criteria relating to the environment and thus stay ahead of the curve.”

Other discussions about ways to seize the opportunities that sustainable tourism offers were presented to the audience that comprised more than 1,000 people from the region’s hospitality sector.

Examples included Shinta Mani Wild A Bensley Collection in the Cardamom Mountains, which was designed by revered Bill Bensley, who attended the event. Shinta Mani Wild offers luxury, tented accommodation in the heart of the jungle.

The venture has teamed up with NGO Wildlife Alliance and provides funds from each stay to protect the surrounding nature sanctuary from illegal poaching, mining, and logging.

Ahead of PHIST, the region’s outdoor lodging players gathered to agree to form the Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association (APOLA), a trade body to guide, promote and structure the development of the outdoor lodging sector in the region as it expands.

APOLA’s mission will be to help define standards for the region, raise awareness, develop an accounting system for project financing and educate the industry about the advantages of the lower impact, sustainable hospitality model.

Interested developers, owners and managers in the sector from Cambodia are being invited to join the association. For information, email contact@apola.io.

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