The community-based tourism (CBT) co-operative at Banteay Chhmar village has been awarded the highest accolade from the Ministry of Tourism’s annual awards.
Banteay Chhmar, also known as the ‘Citadel of Cats,’ was once a shining jewels of the Khmer Kingdom’s Angkorian Period. Built in the 12th century CE, this temple compound is a dazzling tale of imperial splendor set amongst the tangled vines and thick jungles of Cambodia’s wild north. It’s little wonder that these stunning archaeological ruins have been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List for Cambodia since 1992.
But the past 800 years of neglect have wrought considerable damage. The inner temple complex has slowly collapsed, while the outer sections have fallen victim to overgrowth or encroachment from the nearby villages. Prior to GHF’s interventions, the systemic structural instability threatened to topple what remained of the ruins, endangering the heritage of the site and the few tourists who visit it.
Since 2007, Global Heritage Fund has been working with local partners, including the Cambodian Ministery of Culture and Fine Arts (MCFA), to conserve the historic treasures of Banteay Chhmar. But here at GHF, we knew that Banteay Chhmar needed more than just technical fixes and structural repairs. With the help of local people and in partnership with Heritage Watch and Agir pour le Cambodge, we invested in the operations and skills CBT needed to transition Banteay Chhmar from subsistence to a diverse economy that includes sustainable tourism.
Since its founding in 2007, the CBT has been an overwhelmingly positive force in the community, creating new business and educational opportunities for locals. While the profits of private enterprise remain in the hands of the individual business owners, the CBT’s income from visitors to Banteay Chhmar is shared amongst all the villagers. A team of volunteer committee members manages the allocation of funds, training of local guides, supplementary education for CBT members, and initiation of community projects.
The CBT’s successes have been inspirational. Nine homestays have been established in the villages surrounding the site, offering 30 rooms for 25-50 visitors per night. From 2008 to 2017, tourism numbers have increased over 200 percent, bringing about a shift in the local economy and growth in English-language guiding and homestays. In just the past decade, average tourist spending has increased from $7.50 per visit to around $30 per tourist.
These successes have not gone unnoticed. The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism recently honored the Banteay Chhmar CBT with the “Best Tourism Community 2018-19” Award. The Banteay Chhmar CBT also was awarded ASEAN’s Tourism Standard 2019-2021 Award, and local homestay owner Mrs. Khoeun Sreymom was awarded ASEAN’s Tourism Homestay Standard 2019-2021 Award.
At GHF, we empower communities to preserve the timeless heritage of the past and ensure that it is a vibrant part of the present. We know that heritage can be a powerful force for economic development and that communities thrive when their members are invested in their homes and in each other. Our programs like the CBT are protecting endangered heritage sites by helping real people lift themselves out of poverty and draw on their unique histories to create new economic opportunities. Our work is possible with your support — thank you for helping us change lives and protect our world’s historic places like Banteay Chhmar!