Cambodia & Tourism: Siem Reap Bets on Adventure and Authenticity to Reinvent Itself
- Editorial team
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
As international arrivals to Angkor collapse in 2026, the province is turning to a new edition of the Cambodia Branding Forum, on 29 September in Siem Reap, to reposition the destination around active and adventure tourism.
A Forum Born of Urgency
Siem Reap, gateway city to Angkor Wat, is preparing to host the third edition of the Cambodia Branding Forum (CBF) on 29 September 2026, this time devoted to active and adventure tourism, place branding, and placemaking. Organized by Millennium Destinations, co-hosted with the Siem Reap Tourism Alliance (STA), the event will run from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Commune at Rose Apple Square, with an optional afternoon workshop led by the STA and a second day, on 30 September, dedicated to "field experiences" offered by partners.
The choice of theme is no coincidence. Siem Reap province is going through one of the most severe tourism crises in its recent history in 2026. According to figures released by Angkor Enterprise, the state body in charge of ticketing at the archaeological site, international arrivals to Angkor Archaeological Park fell by 29 percent over the first eight months of the year, with only 474,993 foreign visitors recorded between January and August, against a much higher base in 2025. Ticket revenue followed the same trend, dropping 27.4 percent to USD 22.54 million over the period.
The decline began as early as the first quarter, with arrivals down 32 percent between January and March, and held steady through the first half of the year (-31.7 percent) and into summer. Nationally, the National Bank of Cambodia reported an even sharper collapse in international arrivals, down 47.9 percent in the first half of 2026, to 1.8 million visitors compared with 3.4 million a year earlier. Authorities and industry professionals point to several contributing factors: border tensions with Thailand, the reputational damage from online scam-center scandals, global economic fragility, and rising fuel prices.
In response, the Ministry of Tourism launched a "Siem Reap Tourism Services Mega Sale 2026" in early August, offering discounts of 10 to 50 percent on accommodation and services via the Cambodia Wonder platform. But industry professionals, including former Cambodia Tourism Federation vice-president Peter Brongers, consider these measures insufficient and are calling for stronger international marketing and better air connectivity, including temporary landing-fee waivers for airlines opening new routes. It is in this context that the CBF aims to offer a structural response rather than a purely promotional one: building a differentiated offer around Siem Reap's own identity, beyond Angkor alone.
Looking Beyond Angkor
As the event's website puts it: Angkor remains at the heart of Siem Reap's identity and international reputation, but the province has much more to offer — nature, rivers and wetlands, rural life, walking and cycling, sports, culture, spirituality, creativity, wellness, and local experiences. The forum's goal is not simply to attract more visitors, but to make Siem Reap a better place to live and stay, while strengthening its appeal for business, investment, talent, and events.
The program opens with an inspirational video from Suvimol "Dee" Thanasarakij, executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), followed by an opening address from Maulita Sari Hani, Asia-Pacific regional director of Planeterra, on "bringing Siem Reap's identity to life through community-powered adventure." A plenary panel will then explore how the destination can become "irresistible in a changing travel world," covering shifting markets, artificial intelligence, resilience, skills, and investment trends.
Three Co-Creation Workshops
The heart of the morning is devoted to three parallel co-creation workshops designed to turn ideas into concrete action:
· Product — "How can Siem Reap become an active and adventure destination?", co-hosted by Nikolas Hatz of the Siem Reap Tourism Alliance, focused on co-creating market-ready experiences, itineraries, and partnerships, from soft and rural tourism to more demanding sports activities.
· People — "How can local talent be turned into tourism opportunity?", co-hosted by Clémence Petit of Destination Eco-Talents, focused on skills, creativity, and entrepreneurship, particularly for young people, women, and local communities.
· Place — "How can Siem Reap look and feel more like Siem Reap?", co-hosted by Marielisa Padilla, on how identity and culture can shape public spaces, neighborhoods, and year-round events.
Each workshop is expected to deliver three priority ideas, potential partners, and a concrete next step, ahead of the closing session scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
A Movement Launched in 2024
The Cambodia Branding Forum was launched in 2024 by Millennium Destinations, led by founder and CEO Catherine Germier-Hamel, as a platform for dialogue on place branding and placemaking in Cambodia. The first edition was held on 28 March 2024, followed by a special "Francophonie" edition on 11 July 2024 at Connexion, Koh Pich, in Phnom Penh, ahead of the Francophonie Summit that Cambodia had hoped to host in 2026. That edition brought together figures such as Thourn Sinan, president of the Cambodia chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and Frédéric Tambon, former director of Atout France for South Korea and Switzerland.
According to the organizer, the CBF "goes beyond destination marketing": a strong sense of place is not just a logo or a slogan, it depends on the real quality and identity of the territory itself. The forum describes its approach as unconventional, "interactive, practical, and action-oriented," rather than a traditional conference.
Local Impact and Partners
The Siem Reap edition follows Millennium Destinations' "Lotus Path" approach — local participation, responsible sourcing, collaboration, and practical follow-through. Organizers say net proceeds from the event will support local projects in Siem Reap, including education, women's cooperatives, conservation, and community-based tourism.
The forum is backed by several local and international partners: the French-Cambodian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Siem Reap Chapter and Asia Sustainable Travel as supporting partners, Lotus Silk Farm and Three Corner Coffee Roaster as signature partners, and Urban Living Solutions along with host venue Commune at Rose Apple Square as Gold partners. The forum is open to roughly 100 to 120 participants from the public, private, community, and development sectors — tourism, hospitality, sports and outdoor activity professionals, creative industries, NGOs, media, and academia — with no prior expertise in tourism or branding required.
At a moment when the province is seeking to restore international footfall after a particularly difficult year, CBF 2026 positions itself as a space to collectively rethink Siem Reap's future, building on what makes it distinctive beyond its temples: its landscapes, its people, and its way of life.
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