phuketrichard wrote:

ElisPonce wrote:

phuketrichard wrote:contact the experts at ta

or
why do they need you? anyone is free to ask anything on ANY FORUM

Thanks for the advice! I'm thinking though that TAs are possible competitor since they offer tour guiding services, to which we are an alternative.

You're right about the usefulness of forums as well! They're free and you get numerous advice. They are however more useful when at the planning stage. The concept of having a local assigned to you during the duration of your trip gives you the luxury of real time advice Think having a tour guide but you only communicate through digital means. Do you think this will be of value to tourists, especially at a destination like Cambodia?

a local tour guide only via digital
totally worthless idea

I totally respect your opinion. But for what it's worth, can you elaborate why you think this idea is not worth pursuing?

^^ Have you ever visited Siem Reap? Have you ever been to Cambodia?

Username Taken wrote:^^ Have you ever visited Siem Reap? Have you ever been to Cambodia?

I haven't visited Cambodia but planning to this year!

ElisPonce wrote: I totally respect your opinion. But for what it's worth, can you elaborate why you think this idea is not worth pursuing?

Asking for business advice on an internet forum is your first mistake. Don't let anyone try to persuade you about the value of your idea. The way i see it, you are trying to apply "the sharing-economy" business model to tour guides, just as Uber did it for car transport and airbnb did it for short term accommodation. I'm sure some people told those business founders their ideas were dumb too. "No one is ever going to rent their home out to total strangers!" blah blah blah. Those naysayers were wrong.

If you think you can do it, then make it happen. I say good luck to ya.

Rutiger wrote:

ElisPonce wrote: I totally respect your opinion. But for what it's worth, can you elaborate why you think this idea is not worth pursuing?

Asking for business advice on an internet forum is your first mistake. Don't let anyone try to persuade you about the value of your idea. The way i see it, you are trying to apply "the sharing-economy" business model to tour guides, just as Uber did it for car transport and airbnb did it for short term accommodation. I'm sure some people told those business founders their ideas were dumb too. "No one is ever going to rent their home out to total strangers!" blah blah blah. Those naysayers were wrong.

If you think you can do it, then make it happen. I say good luck to ya.

That's exactly what we're into. I very much appreciate your advice and it's indeed crazy how conventional wisdom can be proven wrong by innovations in the shared economy. Thanks for the encouragement!

Rutiger wrote:

ElisPonce wrote: I totally respect your opinion. But for what it's worth, can you elaborate why you think this idea is not worth pursuing?

Asking for business advice on an internet forum is your first mistake. Don't let anyone try to persuade you about the value of your idea. The way i see it, you are trying to apply "the sharing-economy" business model to tour guides, just as Uber did it for car transport and airbnb did it for short term accommodation. I'm sure some people told those business founders their ideas were dumb too. "No one is ever going to rent their home out to total strangers!" blah blah blah. Those naysayers were wrong.

If you think you can do it, then make it happen. I say good luck to ya.

Yeah, but no. Poor analysis. Houses are pretty easy to standardize and rate, taxis too. Khmer tour guides over the internet? No, real infrastructure for them - lack of smartphones, internet in general, etc. No language skills (those with them are already working in hospitality etc. and won't have time to do this). And so on...

It could work in New York or London; it will never work in Cambodia. It also won't work in New York or London because of the amount of knowledge you'd need to do a good job. There's a reason tour guides in the UK have to pass the "blue badge" standard for the area they work in... and it's a fuck ton of work which commands a hefty wage premium when you're done.

I never said if I thought if his idea was viable or not. I said I recognized the business model he was aiming for and wished him well on creating something new.

If this idea works after a trial run in the Philippines , Pakistan and Afghanistan , it will work here in Cambodia.

Mate, I personally think it's a great idea. I had a mate who started a similar business on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland about 25 years ago. It was a hit. He took people to little known beaches for a day, they surfed, fished, went beach and bush driving in 4 wheel drives and then he finished up with a BBQ on the beach with some true locals at a beautiful secret spot near Noosa. They saw places and experienced things only a local could show them
I would have to bow down to the combined local knowledge and cynicism of our Destination "experts" The Grinch and Phuket Richard though. Neither of them live in the country, but they can both tell you all the reasons Thailand is better than Cambodia. If they say you are full of shit , then you must be.
Nah, seriously, ( shit .... I'm TRYING here General) they just think they know it all, yet in reality, know absolutely jackshit about this country.
I think your idea has a lot of potential. I'm basically currently doing exactly what you are suggesting, but not getting paid for it.I'm not the only one either. I know a number of people down here, both Khmer and Barang who would be very interested in showing people just how beautiful this place is.
Please Pm me,
Dave.

Of course it can work, there are many expats who know the country and it's history better than the locals. The French guy who does the architecture tours is a case in point. Tour guides do have to be licenced officially, though
I am not sure why Phuketrichard gets shit here, envy I suppose. He would have driven his own car far more miles in Cambodia than anyone on this forum except for me. Unlike me he takes damn fine photos and he is the number one authority on Burma.
I know places in this country that most have never been and I have taken many visitors on trips that they have described as their best experience ever.
Those of us who speak Khmer have a huge advantage, I can think of the perfect barang guide on 440 who could lead war story tours, I myself could do the dead journo and dead Khmer singer tours. And the Takeo canals which is the best trip in the country if one likes both history and fast boats.
That previous bloke seems to have a problem, one of those monastery's where no one speaks would suit him better than an internet forum.