GIRL POWER DRIVES NEW TOURISM IN CAMBODIA |柬埔寨女力催油門 機車載客遊金邊
Girl power is driving a new tourism business in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. An all-female tour company is offering customized motorcycle tours, aiming to ease the gender imbalance of the male-dominated moto-taxi industry.
With bright red T-shirts and scooters, these are the Motogirls – an all-female company offering guided moped tours in and around the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
==CHEA RENOU, founder of MotogirlTour==
We think there are many tourists – mainly women, who travel alone and who are concerned about their safety when they travel to new or unfamiliar countries or places.
The MotogirlTour was set up by a 25-year old university student, Chea Renou, who quit her desk job as an accountant to start the business. It was launched in Dec. 2015, and claims to be the first of its kind in this socially conservative country where gender roles are clearly defined. Crossing the gender barrier is never easy. Some drivers ‘ parents strongly opposed their choice of work.
==HORM NICH, driver-guide at MotogirlTour ==
They said it was not good because firstly it’s against our traditions and secondly because we are ‘good’ girls, we should not allow men an opportunity to touch us.
Despite their parents’ reservations, the women pushed ahead and today they operate a small but successful business, employing six women part-time, all of them university students or young professionals. Most of the company’s bookings come through their website or through word of mouth.
==WHITNEY KOELLING, tourist from US==
I think it’s much safer to travel with a group of women. I don’t really feel comfortable coming up to someone on the street and asking them to take me to faraway places, so it was really nice to be with someone I can trust.
==CHEA RENOU, founder of MotogirlTour==
And they have a lot of jewelry and you can have breakfast or lunch in here.
The guides share their lives and lifestyles with the customers, but the tours don’t incorporate much historical information yet. Tour prices start at US$12 including helmet, bottles of water and GPS – as well as a more personalized and customized tour of the city.
TRANSLATED BY：SASHA CHIU
Published by Novinky.cz
December 2016
