Tourism & Forum : Siem Reap Wants to Exist Beyond Angkor
On 29 September, the Cambodia Branding Forum brought together more than 130 tourism professionals, artisans and artists. The question on the table: how do you keep visitors longer with something other than temples? The answers came out of workshops on active tourism, crafts and places worth living in.
Siem Reap Beyond Angkor: The Bet on Active Tourism
Angkor remains the heart of Siem Reap's identity. The forum's organisers want to attach the rest of the province to it: rivers and wetlands, countryside, villages, food, sport, spirituality, crafts. Many of these assets already exist. They need to be made easier to understand and easier to book.
The debate took place shortly after the launch of the Siem Reap Tourism Development Plan 2026-2030. It was framed differently from usual. Not "how do we sell Siem Reap?" but "how do we strengthen its experiences and create more value locally?"
The idea comes down to five verbs the organisers keep repeating: come, explore, stay longer, return, recommend. The stated goal is not simply more visitors. It is to make Siem Reap a place people want to visit, but also to live in, invest in and hold events in.
The Cambodia Branding Forum (CBF) 2026 was held at Commune at Rose Apple Square. Millennium Destinations, led by Catherine Germier, organised it, with the Siem Reap Tourism Alliance (STA) as co-host. The organisers count 131 registrants: hoteliers, tour operators, entrepreneurs, artists, artisans, teachers, conservation specialists, sport and wellness professionals. The figure refers to registrations, not people actually in the room.
The forum dates from 2024. Its first edition, on the Francophonie, took place in Phnom Penh on 11 July 2024. The principle has stayed the same: a destination's reputation has to rest on the quality of the place, not on a campaign alone. Catherine Germier put it this way: "A destination is a living ecosystem, and nobody can make it thrive alone."
Ninety-Three Ideas Before the Doors Opened
At registration, everyone could submit an idea or a problem. Ninety-three contributions came in and set the questions for the plenary. They show a wish to keep visitors longer, to create jobs for women, young people and small businesses, and to make the city more pleasant on foot.
Registrants also asked for clearer information for visitors, offers that are easier to book, better cooperation between hotels, tour operators and communities, and greener public spaces. One wrote: "I believe Siem Reap can move beyond temple tourism and become a destination where tourism directly feeds inclusive local development."
A few specific proposals circulated: a shared adventure pass, a "Kulen Heritage Trail" linking the mountain to the lake, programming around the Angkor equinox, experiences combining Kun Khmer training with heritage discovery. These are proposals, not commitments.
Opening: The Mekong and Communities
Suvimol "Dee" Thanasarakij, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, spoke by video. She placed Siem Reap within a regional approach to sustainable and inclusive tourism across the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Maulita Sari Hani, Regional Manager for Asia Pacific at Planeterra, then gave the keynote, "Uplifting Communities through Tourism." Planeterra connects community enterprises with travel operators. She tied tourism to women's empowerment, jobs for young people, cultural conservation and environmental protection, using the collaboration between her network and G Adventures as an example: visibility that turns into customers and income.
Plenary: People From the Ground, Not Officials
The panel was titled "Reimagining Siem Reap: How Do We Become Irresistible in a Changing Tourism World?" Eight local speakers each answered one question. Four of them are women.
Akim Ly, founder of Adventures Cambodia, was asked where she would take a visitor with one extra day, without showing them a single temple. Daniel de Gruiter, of Lolei Travel, was asked what Siem Reap can offer that artificial intelligence cannot manufacture: the human connection with a place. Joshua Jones, of Three Corner Coffee, who works with Bunong growers in Mondulkiri, argued that a cup of Cambodian coffee tells a destination's story better than an image campaign. Sokleang Kim, the "Tuk Tuk Lady", said what drivers, guides and market vendors, who meet visitors every day, would want changed first.
David Vuth, of the Target 8.9 programme, spoke about small businesses as co-creators of the experience, not just beneficiaries. Hong Ho, founder of CWE Travel, addressed what the destination still connects poorly. Sathya Sor, of Artisans Angkor and head of its Destination Eco-Talents centre, raised the question of who tells the destination's story. Sokchanlida "Vanda" Horn, co-founder of Solo Landscapes, argued that communities should be partners, not an "authentic" backdrop.
Three Workshops: Product, People, Places
Participants then moved to generating ideas, in three parallel workshops.
Product. Nikolas Hatz, of the STA, facilitated, with Daniel de Gruiter. Jean-Benoît Lasselin, of C4 Adventures, set out a simple rule: "A striking landscape is not, in itself, a tourism product." For him, an experience is defined by its journey, its audience and its safety, and noise, litter or light pollution destroy it. Moritz Grotepass, of Wakeparx, said that about half of Wake Park Cambodia's guests are residents. Sébastien Ung, of ISF Cambodia, proposed two formats to test with hotels and companies: a Corporate Team Challenge and an Active Discovery + Football. Paid experiences would fund local coaching.
People. Clémence Petit, of Destination Eco-Talents (OIF), facilitated, with Catherine Germier. Alyssa Loera Kardos, of ReMade in Cambodia, showed hotel textiles turned into accessories, deadstock fabric made into uniforms designed by Khmer creators, and fishing nets turned into jewellery. Her message: "Someone has to take the first step." Sok Visal, founder of KlapYaHandz, presented Superfans OS, a platform still in development to help artists keep a direct link with their audience. Reakshar Chhorn, of Agir Pour le Cambodge, described the community-based tourism centres of Popel and Anlong Thom, on Phnom Kulen. A community needs more than market access, the discussion pointed out: confidence, skills, and a willingness to host.
Places. Marielisa Padilla led the workshop, with Jesse Lee Gray. Douglas Woodring, of Ocean Recovery Alliance, presented his water-themed festivals. Vichea Tes, of Phare, The Cambodian Circus, showed how Cambodian artists can become a viable attraction: "A cause draws attention. A viable business keeps the place alive."
Participants mapped the places they care about, from Street 60 to Srah Srang, from Wat Damnak to Wat Bo village, from forest cycling trails to the Tonle Sap communities. Four concepts came out of it: a pedestrian street, a mural trail, green and active courtyards, an urban treasure hunt.
The pedestrian street drew the most support. It would take the form of a temporary intervention on Achar Sva Street, along the river: seating, bicycle parking, lighting, barriers. The Water Festival could serve as a test, subject to permits. The idea is to start small, watch how it is used, then adjust.
The mural trail would link existing and new paintings in Wat Bo village, with QR codes for explanations, restorations and a launch festival with live painting. Participants aim for at least ten murals. The green courtyards and the treasure hunt, which would run through an app, remain under study. Marielisa Padilla puts it plainly: "No single player ever makes a great place."
What Is Settled, and What Is Not
At the end of the morning, each workshop reported back three priority ideas, its possible partners and one concrete next step. The organisers are clear: the forum produced a working base, not signed agreements. What remains is two planning proposals, active-tourism formats to test, and possible collaborations between creators, hotels and communities.
Several questions remain open. How do you link the ideas to real customers and a business model? How does visibility turn into fair income for artists? How do you involve communities at their own pace and on their own terms? Which partners and what resources are needed to test the proposals?
A calendar of actions will be circulated, followed by a follow-up event. Net profits are meant to go to local initiatives: education, women's cooperatives, conservation, community-based tourism.
After the Forum: Siem Reap 2035 and Field Trips
Ken Wood presented the idea of a Cambodia Ecotourism Network, which would bring together tourism businesses, community networks, conservation organisations and public institutions. A networking reception closed the morning.
That afternoon, the STA and Millennium Destinations held the Siem Reap 2035 – Tourism Future Forum, focused on the long term. On 30 September, field trips offered a Jeep adventure with CambodiaJeep.com and Lolei Travel, an artisan immersion at Lotus Silk Farm, with a visit to the workshops and a boat ride on the lotus lake, or a day by bicycle with Ripple Effect Rides. A thank-you party took place at Wake Park Cambodia.
Lotus Silk Farm and Three Corner Coffee Roaster were signature partners. Urban Living Solutions (Commune at Rose Apple Square, Velea Residence) and Wake Park Cambodia were gold partners. The organisers are now asking participants for feedback to decide which initiatives to pursue.
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