FAKE HANDICRAFT IN SIEM REAP

Although tourism in Siem Reap has dramatically increased  from around 200,000 visitors in 2005 to over 2 million visitors in 2014 with tourist expenditure reaching  USD $100 million on souvenirs, Siem Reap remains one of the poorest provinces in Cambodia. Most of the population in rural areas of Siem Reap Province lack access to the tourist market.

The influx of imported souvenirs and machine-made replicas of traditional handicraft in Siem Reap forces hundreds of artisans to turn to farming and other activities to supplement their income. Around 80% of souvenirs sold in Siem Reap are imported from neighboring countries while local artisans struggle to compete with cheap machine made items.

Often tourists can’t identify authentic products from machine-made replicas and sellers are told they are made in Cambodia.

Our mission

To support the development of local handicraft businesses and strengthen the handicraft sector in Siem Reap province.

Our vision

A strong and competitive local handicraft sector.

Join a hat making workshop or create your own pottery at Angkor Handicraft Association (AHA) and support local artisans in Cambodia preserve their traditional handicraft skills. Family friendly, the association offers other learning experiences as well as a shop where you can buy handcrafted items, each of distinctive quality and handmade by local artisans. 

WHOLESALE TRADE CENTER

The Wholesale Trade Center is designed to promote local handicraft products and to facilitate commercial connections between national and international traders and participating local handicraft enterprises. The initiative is supported by the Siem Reap Provincial Administration and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The Wholesale Trade Center offers a wide range of products from the major handicraft producers from Siem Reap province including silk, ceramics, natural fiber, stone art and bronze. It is located on the second floor of the AHA Souvenir Market.

Wholesale & Trading

Angkor Handicraft Association works closely with producers and investors looking to generate  wholesale business opportunities. Individual customers, small fair trade businesses and large companies looking to work with handmade Cambodian products can contact AHA for support in the following areas:

• Negotiation: AHA can help investors negotiating pricing, production and delivery timelines with local producers. We guarantee complete transparency and encourage customers to become familiar with the producers business model.
• Design: We work with producers to determine how customizable their goods are and to help them create samples following customer requirements.
• Project Management: Coordinating the production of hand made goods in Cambodia can be challenging. AHA has the expertise to manage production processes in rural areas on behalf of customers.
• Quality Control: We work with customers and producers in establishing quality standards for wholesale orders. Please remember that all our members work with hand made products.
• Payments: As a way to facilitate the access to international markets for rural producers AHA accepts payments through bank transfers or Western Union
• Shipping: AHA can provide shipping advice, necessary documentation and quotations for delivery.