khmer sources

Miss Tourism of Cambodia

It was all glitz and girls at the recent Miss Tourism Queen International pageant held in Hanghzou, China in June. Eighty-five contestants vied for the crown, pouting and preening in snazzy getups and strutting on heels wearing tiny bikinis.

Cambodia was represented by Sun Srey Mom. A 22-year-old student from Kompong Cham, Srey Mom was not successful, but she says she was happy just to be a part of the competition.

"You know I am very proud with the opportunity I was given and to hold the Cambodian flag on stage with other women from around the world. I know I wasn’t beautiful enough compared with the other contestants, but I am very happy, because it was a chance for me to promote tourism in Cambodia and for me to learn and share experiences with the other entrants," Srey Mom says.
Srey Mom also discovered that most of her fellow contestants towered above her.


"In Cambodia I am considered tall, but when I arrived in China and stood with all the others, I was one of the shortest! I am 173cm height [Ford Model’s minimum height] and there are few women that tall in Cambodia, but some of my contestant friends were 185cm," she says.
"I don’t have the ability to achieve huge success, but I think entering the competition was a small achievement that I did on behalf of Cambodia."

The Miss Tourism Queen International pageant was founded in 1949 and has been held in more than 80 countries. It aims at boosting the tourism industry in participating countries, promoting cultural exchanges between countries and strengthening friendships.

Srey Mom packed her suitcase with pictures of Angkor Wat and examples of Cambodian traditional cloth to show "the world" what this country has on offer.

"Cambodia is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet," she says. "We have Angkor Wat and many other temples besides; beautiful and clean beaches; waterfalls and mountain; and so this is why I tried my best to use this competition to promote Cambodia as much as I could."

Srey Mom had some success as amateur travel agent saying she’s persuaded her close friends "Miss China, Miss Japan, Miss Ireland and Miss Vietnam" to visit, "especially to see Angkor Wat."

She charmed the judges in the talent section of the competition, dancing traditional Cambodian ramvong. "After Miss Eritrea danced to Latin rhythms, Miss Latvia did a belly dance and Miss Dominican Republic sang a rap, I enchanted the audience with ramvong."

Sun Srey Mom is not just a sarei sahat—she is also a volleyball instructor at Phnom Penh’s Preah Yutkanthor High School, a second-year student of Management at Asia Europe University and she can speak English and Chinese.

And in true beauty queen style: "I enjoy my work as a volleyball instructor, because I love children."

She has a hectic day: five hours courtside at Preah Yutkanthor High School, modeling school at Sapors for four hours and then on to university in the evening. She is willing to put in the time.

"For me sport is my life, but modeling and acting are my dream, and I don’t want to abandon either of them. Both careers are important for me and I think each of them can contribute to our national rehabilitation. As a volleyball instructor, I can promote physical well-being in the younger generations, while my modeling and artistic pursuits are an emotional ‘food’ for the public."

When asked how she felt when slipping into the two-piece in China, Srey Mom says she was shy and felt very strange.

"I nearly fell when I had to walk across the stage, because it was the first time I’d ever worn a bikini. I think I was the winner of ‘The Most Shy’ award!”

Miss Philippines, Justine Gabionza, won the competition earning a cool $30,000. Miss Serbia and Montenegro was 1st runner up, followed by Miss Congo and Miss Singapore. Cambodia was to host its own beauty pageant in a televised competition in October—its first in more than 40 years, but was canceled in August after funding difficulties.