Paul Dubrule Hotel and Tourism School opens in Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Paul Dubrule Hotel and Tourism School (Ecole d'Hotellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule) has officially opened in Siem Reap, offering young Cambodians fresh opportunities in the country's growing travel and tourism industries.

The school offers nine-month programmes in five specific areas of instruction: Cooking and Cuisine, Restaurant & Bar Services, Front Office & Reception,  Housekeeping & Laundry and Travel Agency Services.

Students have access to eight fully equipped classrooms, a mock-up front office and lobby area and four mock-up guest rooms. There are laundry and housekeeping facilities, in addition to conference and meeting rooms with complete audiovisual aids.

Early in 2003 the school will open its Training Restaurant serving lunch, light refreshments and afternoon tea to the public. Revenue from the restaurant will be used to finance existing programmes at the school.

Graduates are expected to be in demand once completing their training. The school will offer recruitment services to both enrolled students and perspective employers. Employers have the opportunity to advertise available  positions and to recruit from within the school. All students will follow the school's career preparation programme to gain valuable knowledge in how to prepare and apply for work within the industry.

Participating hotels in Siem Reap have also been selected for practical training and will offer two two-week internships during the programme to provide  hands on experience.

Students are provided with uniforms and can enjoy daily lunch in the student cafeteria. Scholarships are available to the majority of students and are  financed by private donations from individuals or companies. The school is registered with the provincial education board in Siem Reap and the Ministry of Tourism in Phnom Penh with full NGO status.

The new institute is a joint effort between Accor co-founder Paul Dubrule, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Cambodian Government. A  personal donation of US$1.2 million by Mr Dubrule was used to build the school on land donated by the Cambodian government. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its 'French Association of Volunteers of Progress' is providing US$200,000 a year to finance the school's five European volunteers.

Mr Dubrule visited Cambodia for the second time four years ago after stepping down from his day-to-day responsibilities of running Accor.

"I was the mayor of Fontainebleau at the time, which has since developed a sister city agreement with Siem Reap. Within this partnership, I thought what they needed was training, they needed a school. Without training there will be no way for Cambodians to develop new skills.

"At first I thought I would find the financing for the school in Europe but after returning to Paris for a few months I decided to do it myself. Fund raising should be for the operation of the school itself, but not for the construction,"  Mr Dubrule, said.

He personally opened the school late last year after an eight-month 15,000-kilometre bike ride from Fontainebeau to Siem Reap.

Private contributions and corporate sponsorships are welcomed. For more information contact school director Mr Bernard Creff on Tel: (855-63) 963-672, Fax: (855-63) 963-671 or e-mail: pdubrulegm@camintel.com