Siem Reap has long lived in the shadow of Angkor Wat — but a new private-sector initiative is determined to change that. The Siem Reap Tourism Alliance (STA) is a newly formed, non-profit coalition of local tourism businesses joining forces to showcase everything this vibrant Cambodian city has to offer, from its rich culture and gastronomy to its nature, creativity, and people.
Born out of years of collaborative workshops and a shared frustration with fragmented international visibility, the STA aims to give Siem Reap one unified voice on the world stage — and we’re actively looking for partners to help make it happen.
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The Siem Reap Tourism Alliance (STA) is a newly formed, private-sector-led initiative designed to unite the tourism industry in Siem Reap.
The STA acts as a bridge between businesses and stakeholders, coordinating efforts to promote Siem Reap and ensuring a thriving, well-connected tourism ecosystem.
The idea for the Siem Reap Tourism Alliance did not originate from a single individual. It emerged naturally over the past year, following several years of support from the GIZ ICONE Program, particularly through the Tourism Support Package workshops and joint training activities.
In these sessions, we consistently heard the same core message from tourism experts and from tourists themselves: Siem Reap has incredible tourism potential beyond the Angkor temples.
However, our international visibility is often fragmented and still low compared to our neighboring countries. Furthermore, independent tourism providers lack a unified platform to jointly promote the richness of the destination under one single umbrella.
As a group of local tour operators and tourism entrepreneurs, we realized that we shared a common ambition: to promote Siem Reap internationally with one unified voice, in a modern, collaborative, and professional way.
We are looking for partners — ranging from hotels and restaurants to massage, spa, and activity providers—who are committed to elevating our city's tourism offering. We also welcome strategic collaborations with industry associations and other key stakeholders.
What STA Is – and What It Stands For
Under the leadership of Mr. Nikolas Hatz (www.linkedin.com/in/nikolas-hatz/), a tourism development expert from GIZ ICONE who has worked with us for several years, the idea of creating the Siem Reap Tourism Alliance was born.
The Siem Reap Tourism Alliance is:
• A private-sector-led, non-profit initiative.
• Uniting tourism providers of different sizes and backgrounds.
• Focused on increasing Siem Reap’s international visibility.
• Driven through collaboration, joint marketing, and strong partnerships.
Together, we want to show the world that Siem Reap is so much more than just temples. It encompasses culture, history, nature, adventure, gastronomy, community, creativity, and, above all, the warmth of our people.
What STA Is Not
It is equally important to clarify from the start what STA is NOT:
• STA is not a competitor to any existing association, club, or federation.
• STA is not replacing or duplicating any official government efforts from the Ministry of Tourism, the Cambodia Tourism Board, or provincial authorities.
• STA is not political or opinion-forming.
Instead, STA complements the existing destination marketing and promotion efforts by adding a stronger focus on Siem Reap as a diverse and unique destination.
Why STA Matters Now
The tourism recovery has made clear that:
• Visitors expect a diversity of experiences.
• International promotion requires coordinated storytelling.
• The private sector needs a shared platform to connect with global partners.
The STA responds to these needs directly. It voices our shared commitment for a stronger, more resilient, and more visible Siem Reap.
Our work focuses on three core domains:
1. International Promotion
• Representation at regional and international fairs (e.g., ITB Asia, ITB Berlin, WTM London).
• Connecting local providers with global markets for international partnerships.
• Digital storytelling and social media presence through modern, targeted campaigns.
• Organizing Familiarization (Fam) trips and press trips.
2. Destination Diversity & PEOPLE+ Framework
• We aim to highlight authentic experiences beyond the temples.
• We want to celebrate our true heroes in tourism—our Cambodian people.
• To achieve this, we plan to promote culture, history, nature, gastronomy, community, creativity, and local Cambodian products abroad.
3. Networking Activities
• Providing opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange to foster collaboration.
• Establishing connections with international partners and networks.
In 2026, we plan to:
• Further establish our brand identity and digital presence.
• Launch the official STA website.
• Run our first international marketing campaign.
• Organize our first Familiarization trip.
• Expand partnerships.
Join Siem Reap Tourism Alliance
As you can see, we have a lot planned and are actively seeking partners who share our perspective and wish to join our initiative to support our purpose.
Calling all Siem Reap tourism stakeholders — from hotels and restaurants to spa and activity providers: join our Alliance and partner with us. We are also looking to connect with strategic overseas partners to expand our international network. Get in touch today to explore collaboration opportunities.
Learn more at linkedin.com/company/siem-reap-tourism-alliance
Love Angkor/SR, what would be three specific examples of experiences you would want visitors to consider beyond the temples. thanks!
Thank you very much for your message. The best 3 experiences are 1. connecting with the locals, 2. try local food 3. experience the countryside. Cambodia is much more then only Angkor. Please come back and I will show you the real Cambodia. :-)
I love the arts scene in Siem Reap, there's a great vibe and lots of fun events across all of Cambodia centred around performing and visual arts. Also the wellness scene is really blossoming. I love visiting Banteay Srey (yes there is a temple there) but the food scene - noodles and palm sugar industry is also excellent. Tonle Sap lake, Kulen Mountain waterfall, Peurng Tanon rock formations - these are all incredible natural wonders around Siem Reap!
Exciting! Please reach out if you need help with media/public relations.
Thank you very much for your message. We will let you know if we need help. Thank you very much for your offer.
Sounds like an excellent initiative Andre. Best of luck with it.
Thank you very much for your reply. The private sector has joined forces to promote Siem Reap. For many people around the world, Siem Reap remains undiscovered—despite being home to the largest temple complex on earth and offering so many other incredible activities to explore. We want to put our destination back on the global map
I should have asked, are you at ITB Berlin by any chance?
This year we are not at the ITB, maybe next year.
Looks great and if I come back it would be my third time in SR, good luck!
Hi Roberta,
Thanks for your message, and please let me know when you're planning to visit Cambodia again. We would love to show you some of the more off-the-beaten-path locations and share our story on why travelers should definitely visit Cambodia.
This is interesting!
Thanks for liking this post. I also believe we are working on something very interesting to promote Siem Reap. The private sector now has to take the lead in promoting the destination ourselves.
I'm so interested to see the formation of this group - all the best! Siem Reap is earthy and authentic and one of my favourite places on the planet. I hope you can attract more intentional travellers who want to discover the real Cambodia and spend time exploring what Siem Reap has to offer in addition to the temples.
Hello Sarah, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. We are also incredibly enthusiastic about Siem Reap and Cambodia. Because we feel there is a lack of effective promotion for Siem Reap, we founded this Alliance. It consists of entrepreneurs who have been in the tourism industry for many years and perform their work with true passion.
A massive thank you to the Travel Massive community for giving us the stage to introduce the Siem Reap Tourism Alliance! We are beyond excited to be here.
First and foremost, we are looking for fellow entrepreneurs in Siem Reap who share our fire—people who work with true passion to promote their unique products within the tourism industry.
But we aren't stopping there! We are looking to build powerful partnerships with:
- Content Creators: Bloggers and influencers who love storytelling.
- Media Experts: Strategic partners like travel magazines and journalists.
- Event Visionaries: Organizations behind travel fairs where we can join forces.
By building this broad, collaborative network, we aim to kickstart a movement that puts Siem Reap firmly on the map for every traveler dreaming of Cambodia. Let’s make it happen together!