Cities In Action: Implementation & Success
The Appraisal Process: Verifying Smoke-free Status
Before any city is officially declared a Smoke-free Tourism City, it must undergo a rigorous evaluation to ensure it meets the national standards established by the Ministry of Tourism.
Step-by-Step Technical Evaluation
The appraisal typically follows a four-step roadmap to ensure objective and transparent results:
- Sensitization: Workshops are conducted to inform local businesses and municipal authorities of the specific compliance requirements.
- Technical Assessment: The Smoke-free Environment in the Tourism Sector Working Group conducts field visits to city offices, commune offices, and tourism business sites.
- Scoring & Validation: Teams utilize a point-based system to quantify compliance. Cities demonstrating strong performance are officially nominated for the award.
- Official Declaration: Upon successful validation, the city is formally declared a Smoke-free Tourism City by the Ministry of Tourism.
Tool: The SFTC Rating & Appraisal Form
Technical teams utilize a standardized, 100-point appraisal system divided into two distinct categories to ensure full accountability:
Indicator 1
Tourism Business Rating
(32 Indicators)
Used to evaluate hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-related sites.
View indicator
Indicator 2
Administrative Rating
(12 Indicators)
Used to assess the performance, leadership, and enforcement capacity of municipal and district authorities.
View indicator
Key Focus Areas for Appraisal
- Physical Prohibitions: Ensuring a 100% smoke-free environment inside buildings and within a 5-meter radius of entrances.
- Visibility: Verifying the prominent display of “No Smoking” signs in reception areas, guest rooms, and workspaces.
- Removal of Paraphernalia: Confirming the complete removal of ashtrays and cigarette refuse receptacles.
- Advertising & Sponsorship: Ensuring zero collaboration with the tobacco industry and a total ban on all tobacco advertising.
- Products Bans: Verifying the total ban on e-cigarettes, Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs), and shisha.
Recognition Criteria & Scoring Thresholds
To be officially recognized as a Smoke-free Tourism City, a municipality (City, District, or Khan) must demonstrate high-level compliance across both public and private sectors. Recognition is granted only when the following two scoring thresholds are met:
- Key Indicator 1 (Tourism Businesses): At least 80% of all tourism business and service sites within the municipality must obtain a score of 80 points or more based on the official assessment.
- Key Indicator 2 (Local Administration): The municipality itself must obtain a score of 80 points or more on the administrative assessment conducted by the Smoke-free Environment in Tourism Sector (SFET) Working Group
Success in Action: Kampot City, the foundational model for smoke-free tourism
Following the 2022 adoption of the national SFTC Guidelines, Kampot City was strategically selected as the first pilot site to test the framework’s viability. This transition from policy to practice began with a high-level technical launch on December 22, 2022, led H.E. Hor Sarun, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Tourism and Mr. Leang Roeun Sothy, Mayor of Kampot City.
Strategic Implementation Pillars
The SFET Working Group provided intensive institutional and technical support to the Kampot City Administration, facilitating a multi-sectoral campaign to ensure the city met the rigorous 80/80 scoring threshold required for official recognition. The SFET working group has monitored the City Office, commune offices, tourism business sites to assess performance against the national guidelines.
The success of the pilot was driven by five key implementation pillars:
- Business and Workplace Advocacy: The campaign team conducted field visits to both tourism and non-tourism business sites to provide direct sensitization on smoke-free regulations. These efforts included the installation of “No Smoking” signage in high-traffic areas, most notably the City Wet Market.
- Educational Outreach in Schools: To protect the next generation, the team conducted awareness sessions at three local schools, specifically highlighting the health risks associated with electronic cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs).
- Direct Public Campaigning: Under the Mayor’s leadership, the city launched the “Reduce and Eliminate All Forms of Tobacco for a Smoke-free City” campaign to secure broad community support.
- Visual Awareness and Branding: To ensure constant visibility of the initiative, the Kampot City Administration hung promotional banners throughout major public thoroughfares.
- Interactive Photo Campaign: A dedicated photo backdrop was installed in a prominent public park, encouraging residents and tourists to engage with the initiative through social media and community photography.
Technical Validation and Awarding
To ensure the declaration was based on objective evidence, the Smoke-Free Environment in the Tourism Sector (SFET) Working Group conducted rigorous on-site evaluations of the City Office, commune offices, and tourism establishments.
After verifying that the city met all 44 combined indicators (32 for businesses and 12 for administration), Kampot City was formally declared Cambodia’s first official Smoke-free Tourism City on March 10, 2023. This milestone was celebrated with an official awarding ceremony and a victory parade through the town, signaling the program’s nationwide expansion.
The Awarding Ceremony for Kampot City.
The ceremony was a landmark event for tobacco control in the region, presided over by distinguished guests including H.E. Hor Sarun, H.E. Mao Thornin, and representatives from the WHO, SEATCA, and SCAN.
- National Recognition: The Ministry of Tourism granted the Kampot Governor the official Recognition Certificate and trophy.
- Regional Honor: SEATCA and SCAN awarded the governor a special honor recognizing Kampot as the first Smoke-free Tourism City in Cambodia.
- Public Awareness: The event concluded with a celebratory parade through the town, reinforcing the community’s commitment to a healthier tourism environment.
Strategy for Long-Term Sustainability
The expansion to a nationwide network is driven by “active compliance” rather than just symbolic declarations. Smoke-free Tourism Cities are automatically accepted as members of the Smoke-free Cities Asia Pacific Network (SCAN) to ensure that they remain updated on intternational best practices.
Factors for Success:
- Leadership Engagement: Active participation ensures smoke-free policies are integrated into local governance.
- Industry Interference Mitigation: A strict "no-engagement policy" prevents the tobacco industry from sponsoring tourism initiatives.
- Technical Excellence: Continuous monitoring and technical recognition, such as the World Conference on Tobacco Control 2025 abstract acceptance, validate the program's standards.
Future Outlook:
- Network Expansion: Identifying additional candidate cities for SFTC declaration.
- Ongoing Monitoring: Conducting follow-up assessments to maintain high enforcement levels.
- Resource Mobilization: Seeking mayor-led contributions to ensure the long-term funding of public awareness campaigns.