His Excellency, Dr Thong Khon is the Minister of Tourism for the Royal Government of Cambodia having held this position since 2007. He is recognised within ASEAN countries as a champion for sustainable and community-based tourism, strongly advocating that Cambodia should create products that protect natural and cultural heritage and contribute to the maintenance of cultural integrity and sustainable livelihoods. As the Minister of Tourism, he has supported and taken personal interest in joint projects of the Ministry and the University’s Sustainability Research Centre. Projects include strategic planning for tourism on Cambodia’s coast with the assistance of the Australian Government, and development of community based tourism standards in association with ASEAN. His Excellency has shown courage and selflessness as he undertook to gather the remnants of the educated populations after the Pol Pot era to form the basis for future government and societal leadership in Cambodia. His Excellency is medically trained. This training combined with his vision for sustainable tourism and his influence in politics continues to improve the community and economic and environmental health of the population.