The Mekong challenge - Cambodia's hotel and guesthouse workers - their recruitment, working conditions and vulnerabilities

This survey is part of a series of studies into recruitment practices and working conditions in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) of children and young women in sectors vulnerable to human trafficking, and the associated and inherent sexual and labour exploitation.

The Mekong Challenge – Cambodia’s Hotel and Guesthouse Workers, their recruitment, working conditions and vulnerabilities takes the reader and researcher to the heart of one of Cambodia’s fastestgrowing tourist areas to investigate the working conditions of vulnerable young people – especially girls and women – who have been attracted by the potential to improve their livelihoods.

With both domestic and international tourist arrivals in Cambodia increasing each year, the Kingdom’s travel and tourism industry, as a whole, is expanding. This expansion has provided another welcome avenue for much needed investment and economic activity. But as more young job seekers are attracted to this growing sector, there is also an increased opportunity for labour and sexual exploitation of those moving to tourist areas in search of work. While the risks of human trafficking are real, the report dispels myths that workers in the travel and tourism industry are more prone to trafficking-related exploitation. However it does reveal a fast-growing industry with the potential for labour exploitation of young people. An area that needs to be monitored carefully.