For more than three decades, Pierre Tami has dedicated his life to improving the welfare of Cambodia and the wider Mekong region.
A Swiss-born social entrepreneur, Pierre first came to Cambodia in the early 1990s with his wife Simonetta and young family. He and Simonetta co-founded Hagar International in 1994, a pioneering initiative that created rehabilitation programmes and social enterprises for women and children who had survived violence, abuse, and trafficking.
Since then, his work has always followed the principle he keeps close to heart – Memento Audere Semper, or “remember to always be bold.” Guided by this motto, Pierre has continued to build enterprises that blend purpose with professionalism.
He founded Shift360 to expand fair economic opportunities for youth, established the Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia – the country’s first internationally accredited culinary school – and is now spearheading the Mekong Hospitality Alliance, which unites schools across the region to raise standards of training and employment.
What has kept him anchored in the region, Pierre says, is “the resilience of the people – and the belief that opportunity, when coupled with dignity and purpose, can transform lives.”
In this interview, we asked Pierre about his many projects, his optimism for Cambodia’s future, and how he envisions the evolution of hospitality and hospitality training across the Mekong.
You’ve worked in Cambodia and the Mekong region for over 30 years. What first brought you here, and what continues to motivate your work today?
“I first came to Cambodia in the early 1990s with my wife Simonetta and three daughters, just as the country was emerging from decades of conflict. We were drawn by a desire to contribute to rebuilding efforts, particularly in the area of rehabilitating women and children, poor, abandoned and victims of all kind of abuse and violence.
Over the years, what’s kept me here is the resilience of the people – and the belief that opportunity, when coupled with dignity and purpose, can transform lives. I’ve witnessed firsthand how investing in youth and women – through skills, mentorship, and values – can spark ripple effects across families, communities, and even nations. We even replicated this concept and organization in Afghanistan, Laos and Vietnam.
Creating and innovating opportunities for youth and women remain my deepest motivation.”
How do you see food and culinary tourism contributing to more inclusive and sustainable tourism in the region?
“Food has an incredible power to connect people! Culinary tourism not only draws visitors to local markets, farms, and kitchens – it also supports small producers, women entrepreneurs, and heritage foodways.
When done thoughtfully, it redistributes tourism benefits beyond capital cities and luxury resorts. It also inspires environmental awareness through local sourcing and waste reduction.
In this way, food can be a gateway to more sustainable and people-centered tourism models, where the story and the flavor of a place are equally respected. It creates jobs, and inspires young people to channel their values and dreams of the future into something concrete.”
What inspired you to start the Mekong Hospitality Alliance, and what kind of impact do you hope it will make in the years to come?
“The Mekong Hospitality Alliance was born from a simple yet powerful idea: that hospitality schools in the region, often working in silos, could achieve so much more by collaborating. By sharing resources, exchanging students and faculty, and co-creating programs, we can raise the bar for training and employment across borders.
Our hope is that this alliance becomes a vibrant ecosystem: one that nurtures excellence, uplifts disadvantaged youth, and brings regional integration to life through the lens of hospitality and service.
I was trained and worked in the airlines business when I was young. The “Star Alliance” model inspired me to replicate across hospitality colleges and institutions so we enlarge the market, we deploy larger amount of highly professionally trained workers into the industry and we can become a hub.”
The Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia is such a unique model. How has it helped young people gain skills and build careers in hospitality?
“The Academy is Cambodia’s first internationally accredited culinary school, and it was built with the mission to give young Cambodians – regardless of economic background – access to world-class training. We combine technical skills with soft skills, values, and English-language instruction.
Many of our students come from rural areas or disadvantaged communities, and within a few years, they’re working in top hotels, restaurants, and airlines – not just in Cambodia, but across the region and even in the Gulf.
The Academy has shown that investing in quality training changes the trajectory of lives. A number of important key elements in this project are worth considering.
First of all, it was created thru a PPP model which then required a subdecree to be issued by the Prime Minister. It, brought together the various sectors like government, private sector and funders together in bringing a solution to the chronic problem of lack of professionally trained staff.
It emphasizes the importance of gender, where we currently have a parity in terms of females studying to become chefs. Last and not least, we don’t leave the poor and vulnerable behind, as it is commonly done in especially strongly commercial-oriented institutions.
The creation of a scholarship fund, named after our late daughter Naomi who studied hospitality and sadly passed away at the young age of 23, allows those who do not have the financial means to study at the Academy to request a scholarship which is given after strict vetting.
We had a number of successful graduates who not only work in five-star hotels, but also were awarded golden medals in Dubai, started their own businesses in Cambodia and those who continued to further their studies because of their exceptional talents.”
You’ve led several social enterprises that mix business with purpose. What lessons have you learned about using business as a force for good?
“One key lesson is that purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive. In fact, when they are aligned, they reinforce each other. A social enterprise must be professional, financially viable, and driven by strong values.
But more than that, it must listen – to its beneficiaries, to its employees, and to the communities it serves. I’ve also learned that the best ideas often emerge when people with very different backgrounds sit around the same table. Humility, trust, and clarity of mission are what sustain impact over time.
It’s a very inclusive model – and it is not done as a marketing campaign, like many times ESG is used, but rather through a real discoveries of human needs and a human-driven response. I guess People, Profit and Planet best summarizes the concept.”
What kind of change would you like to see in how tourism is developed in the Mekong region – especially when it comes to supporting local communities?
“I’d like to see a shift from extractive tourism to participatory tourism. That means moving away from models that treat communities as backdrops, and toward ones that involve them as co-creators and decision-makers.
More support should go to small and medium enterprises, especially those led by women and youth. Infrastructure investments should consider long-term community benefits, not just short-term visitor needs. And tourism education must instill values of respect, sustainability, and inclusion from the start. We must protect what makes the Mekong region so special – its people, cultures, and landscapes.”
Finally, what are your hopes for the future of tourism in Cambodia and the broader Mekong subregion?
“My hope is that tourism in this region evolves to reflect the best of who we are: resilient, creative, and deeply rooted in community.
I see a future where the Mekong is known not only for its natural beauty and heritage, but for its leadership in responsible and inclusive tourism. I hope we continue to invest in people – the chefs, butlers, housekeepers, artisans, and entrepreneurs – who are the true storytellers of this region.
If we do that, tourism will not only recover; it will thrive in a way that uplifts everyone. We are currently launching a Housekeeping and Butler Academy, as we speak, another step forward to enhance quality which in turns attracts more visitors who in turn experience true hospitality.
Remember where the word ‘hospitality’ originates from and its meaning: From the Latin, essentially, “hospes” encompassed the relationship between someone offering lodging and a visitor or guest, highlighting the reciprocal nature of welcoming and being welcomed.
This concept of welcoming and generosity is central to the meaning of hospitality.”
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From pioneering rehabilitation programs to founding Cambodia’s first international culinary school and now driving regional cooperation through the Mekong Hospitality Alliance, Pierre Tami’s work shows how linking opportunity with dignity can transform lives. His story reflects the spirit of the Mekong itself – resilient, innovative, and determined to build a more inclusive future through tourism and hospitality.
