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
27 Mar 2025 • 33m24s

Ep 245: Russian Tourists, Chinese Planes & Singapore's Forensic Concert Tourism Planning: March 2025 in Review

“Should South East Asian nations be worried by moves in South Korea and Türkiye to attract more Chinese and Russian tourists?” March proved to be the most fascinating month so far in 2025 for travel and tourism talking points in South East Asia. For our regular monthly rewind, Gary and Hannah travel through Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and The Philippines, plus China, South Korea and, rare for us, Turkiye.
Play
21 Mar 2025 • 43m14s

Ep 244: Taking South East Asia's 'Less Bad Travel' Pulse, with Stuart McDonald, Travelfish

“The term ‘sustainable tourism’ has been bankrupted. It’s meaningless now”. None of the environmental and social issues confronting tourism are new, but how do we address them more realistically? How can travellers tread more lightly and be less impactful on the places and communities they visit? What is “Less Bad Travel”? How does it differ from staple travel industry terms, such as responsible tourism? This week, Hannah is joined by Bali-based Stuart McDonald, founder of Travelfish and a highly experienced South East Asia travel editor, writer and trip advisor, to navigate the way forward for low-impact travel.