Ep 214: Running Away to the Circus, and Cambodia's Tourism Recovery, with Craig Dodge, Phare

About This Episode

15 May 2024 • 30m55s

With a 5.0 TripAdvisor rating, Phare, the Cambodian Circus based in Siem Reap, must be doing something right.

We speak to Craig Dodge, their Senior Director of Sales and Marketing, about the journey this social enterprise has taken from humble beginnings in Battambang to shows in New York City. Along the way, we talk Cambodia’s tourism recovery and the pull between positioning it as a mono destination vs part of a multi-country Southeast Asian itinerary.

Lastly, we finish off with why Craig is such an advocate for Cambodian attractions and tour operators to get online.

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
8 Dec 2025 • 34m57s

Ep 277: The Geopolitics of Travel & Tourism in ASEAN, Asia Pacific & Beyond in the Era of AI

“I was at a tourism conference in Hangzhou in 2018, where Chinese companies showed how they were using AI to personalise travel for users. That’s nearly eight years ago.” In 2025, AI became a strategic commercial tool in all sectors, including travel and tourism. But it isn’t widely understood just how effectively embedded AI already is in China’s tourism sector, and how far ahead its leading players are to much of the world.
Play
5 Dec 2025 • 39m50s

Ep 276: Visa-easing Tricks, Tariff Turmoil, Vietnam's Breakout Year & What Happened to the ASEAN Tourism Visa?: 2025 in Review

So, another year is almost over - but what did we learn in 2025, South East Asia’s third full year of travel since the Covid pandemic? This week, Gary and Hannah delve through the archives to take stock of an eventful 12 months for travel and tourism in South East Asia and the broader Asia Pacific region. We journey from the regional turmoil of Trump’s tariffs to the tourism impacts of scam centres, and from Singapore setting the standard on SAF to Timor Leste becoming ASEAN’s 11th member.