The collaboration with World Monuments Fund will support conservation training and heritage awareness initiatives at Angkor Archaeological Park.

Park Hyatt Siem Reap announced a collaboration with World Monuments Fund (WMF) designed to support long-term conservation training at Angkor Archaeological Park and deepen responsible guest engagement with one of the world’s most important cultural landscapes.

The Collaboration

The collaboration has two core elements:

Funding the Heritage Foreman-Training initiative through the Suzanne Deal Booth Institute for Heritage Preservation. This six-month program will equip 25 local foremen with the technical skills needed to care for Angkor’s historic temple complexes. Drawn from local communities in and around Siem Reap, the participants will be trained to serve as the custodians of Angkor, ensuring the highly specialized knowledge required for long-term conservation remains in Siem Reap and that the conservation of Angkor remains locally led in perpetuity.

Broadening awareness of the WMF’s heritage training initiatives by offering Park Hyatt Siem Reap guests exclusive, intimate-scale educational experiences in Angkor Archaeological Park. Led by WMF and their team of specialists, visits to active conservation sites at the 9th-century hilltop temple Phnom Bakheng will offer guests rare behind-the-scenes insight into the traditional craftsmanship, preservation techniques and complexities behind one of the world’s most-visited cultural heritage sites.

Leadership Comment

“Siem Reap is home to one of the world’s most extraordinary cultural treasures, and we are honored to support the important work World Monuments Fund has carried out at Angkor for decades,” said Himanshu Kapoor, General Manager of Park Hyatt Siem Reap. “We are excited to offer guests a unique opportunity to connect more deeply to Cambodia’s rich heritage through experiences that are both meaningful and memorable, while contributing to the preservation of Angkor for future generations.”

40 Years Of Locally Led Heritage Preservation

World Monuments Fund (WMF) has invested approximately $19.5 million in conservation projects across Cambodia. Much of this work has been carried out by Cambodian professionals who have received training through WMF-supported programmes.

Since the 1990s, the organisation’s training initiatives have supported more than 100 Cambodian conservation technicians annually. WMF has undertaken conservation work at sites including Phnom Bakheng, Angkor Wat, Preah Khan and Ta Som as part of its long-term involvement in heritage preservation at Angkor.

WMF Perspective

“For nearly four decades, WMF has worked alongside our Cambodian partners at Angkor to safeguard one of the world’s most important cultural landscapes while rebuilding the technical knowledge needed to sustain it,” said Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of World Monuments Fund. “At the heart of this effort is our long-standing training program, which equips Cambodian conservators with the skills to care for these monuments over the long term, ensuring that preservation is locally led and enduring. Support from Park Hyatt Siem Reap strengthens this work by connecting responsible tourism with hands-on conservation and expanding opportunities to train the next generation. This collaboration demonstrates how the private sector can play a vital role in protecting heritage across the region, ensuring that Angkor remains resilient and accessible for generations to come.