TUI Colourful Cultures Siem Reap
The handicrafts sector in Cambodia is dominated by small, NGO-driven social enterprises that provide employment to around 20,000 professional artisans. Despite its potential, the sector faces significant challenges. Most artisans are employed by informal, non-registered structures or NGOs, which do not foster empowerment or provide social security benefits. Additionally, the sector is still recovering from the COVD-19 crisis, which left many artisans unemployed and without support.
TUI Colourful Cultures Siem Reap preserves local cultural heritage and empower creatives in the Siem Reap region by creating an innovative social business model that combines training, incubation and guaranteed income to artisans to sustain their living.
Siem Reap, Cambodia, is known for the majestic Angkor Wat architectural complex attracting around two million tourists annually. The handicraft sector is a vital part of the local economy, providing employment to thousands of artisans. This sector is dominated by small, NGO-driven social enterprises that focus on traditional crafts such as silk weaving, rattan and sedge weaving, ceramics, and lacquers.
Despite its potential, the sector faces sustainability challenges due to its informal nature and reliance on NGOs, which often results in low wages and limited social security for artisans. The COVID-19 highlighted the need for a new business model that promotes sustainable development, empowers artisans, and leverages Cambodia’s tourism industry to support local communities and preserve Khmer culture.
TUI Colourful Cultures Siem Reap combines a hybrid business model of incubation and cooperative system. It provides full entrepreneurship training for up to 200 local artisans in the Satcha Handicraft Centre. Theoretical education includes marketing strategies, business creation, language training and art and design technic. Artisans create high-quality handmade products from locally sourced raw materials. All participants are members of a cooperative which commits to buying their products during the training, guaranteeing a stable income. In addition, they receive benefits such as social security, pension funds and bonuses when their children graduate from high school or university.
The project strengthens links with the tourism industry. It establishes partnerships with 50 tour operators and 50 top hotels to encourage them to promote the programme and the visit to the Satcha Handicraft Centre. Four tourist retailer associations help them shift from imported products to locally made. The Satcha Handicraft Centre hosts 50 dinners yearly for tourist groups with handicraft demonstrations and cultural shows featuring traditional dance, boxing and shadow puppets. In addition, tourists can participate in Do-it-yourself workshops and experience carving, weaving, painting and other crafts.
The project will extend its activities to two additional rural areas, including one in Kulen Mountain.
Project Partner
Satcha Handicraft Incubation Center: Satcha is a Cambodian handicraft centre that incubates local artisans, mixing traditional knowledge with contemporary design to showcase Cambodian’ talents to local and international visitors and to transmit this know-how over time while having a sustainable social, economic, and environmental impact.
