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In addition to the policy advice provided in developing Cambodia’s Tourism Recovery Roadmap and Siem Reap Tourism Master Plan, with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UNESCO is providing a diverse range of short-term job and training opportunities to local communities to promote sustainable tourism and inclusive community development.

Designed to enhance the skills of artisan entrepreurs and tourist guides, and to accelerate the economic recovery of the tourism and handicraft sectors after COVID-19, the UNESCO learning programme comprised a webinar, an online course, and an in-situ training in Siem Reap.

Throughout the programme, artisan entrepreneurs and tourist guides were encouraged to place sustainability at the heart of their activity and marketing strategies, while advocating for sustainable tourism to create memorable and unique experiences for visitors coming to Angkor. At a time, when participants resumed their businesses, the training provided an opportunity for them to reflect on what could be done differently, to invest in sustainability for long-lasting and stronger businesses. .

In order to revive the community boat rides in Siem Reap after two years of inactivity, the APSARA National Authority repaired the existing infrastructures and facilities, with the aim to improve the livelihoods of the community living in Baray Reach Dak while enhancing the experience of visitors coming to Angkor. The repairded facilities include one information center, to welcome visitors was restored along with one rest area and two additional pirogues were built. The community has now 8 pirogues and can accommodate up to 32 tourists. In addition, docks were installed in four areas around the Neak Poan temple: in East Preah Khan, in front of the nursery and in the location of the Eastern and Western ancient docks. New signage will also be added.

A key activity implemented for the rehabilitation of the community boat tour was the selection of community members to manage the boat rides and welcome tourists. The community members were trained in hospitality to provide quality services to the tourists. Key partnerships were established with the private sector to bring visibility to the boat tour and attract visitors. One information session, inviting travel agencies, and partners form the tourism sector in Siem Reap, was organized by APSARA in September 2022, to receive their feedback on the new tours and discuss how to integrate them into their travel packages. .

Organised at the Institute of Khmer Traditional Textiles (IKTT), located in Dak Som Village (Angkor Thom District), the training seeks to enhance the skills and knowledge of the MGC Museum’s staff in natural textiles dyeing and hand weaving (including tie-dying, also known as IKAT) and to enrich the collections of the MGC Museum with new textiles, produced during the training, to promote traditional know-hows and the work of Cambodian weavers.  

The training in silk processes is one of the key project activities, benefiting seven women working for the Mekong Ganga Cooperation Asian Traditional Textiles Museum (MGC Museum) in Siem Reap. Since August 2022, the seven employees of the MGC Museum have learnt how to execute the following four steps: 1) selection of the silk threads, 2) preparation of the silk: cleaning, drying, and spinning of the threads into bobbins, 3) tie-dyeing of the silk threads: wrapping of the silk thread into the tying stand, knotting, natural dyeing, removal of the knots, and second dying of the silk (up to 4 times, until the final pattern is obtained), and 4) hand weaving.

The project beneficiaries work for the MGC Museum in administration, ticketing, textiles conservation, and as guides. Through this training, they have improved their knowledge about silk processes, and methods used to produce textiles exhibited at the museum and shall apply this knowledge in their work, to enhance the experience of visitors coming to the museum. .

In partnership with the APSARA National Authority, the process of organizing the walkways for a total length of 476 metres at Angkor Wat commenced to reduce the erosion of the stones, as in the past, especially during the rainy season, the mud stuck to the soles of the shoes, causing the soil to rub against the stones. In addition, the newly built walkways would support to better control the flow of tourists visting the temples and contribute to promoting the beauty of Angkor Wat in all seasons.