An incubation program to build resilience and drive innovation in an industry drastically impacted by COVID-19
tourism startups and small businesses
hours of one-on-one mentorship
Building the resilience of the tourism sector
We launched Cambodia’s first ever tourism incubation program in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Our mission: to engage service providers and innovators in the tourism sector to rebuild and re-imagine the future of sustainable, community-based tourism in Cambodia.
Through the program, we provided 6 startups and businesses with intensive training, extensive one-on-one mentoring, and strategic connections to dozens of tourism experts and business partners across the region. We also provided a combined $30,000 in prototyping funding to the 6 ventures. Our holistic support was critical to bolstering the teams’ operational strength and mental health during a challenging period. Despite the devastation caused by the pandemic, many of the startups we supported through the program were able to weather the lockdowns and today have become leaders in Cambodia’s domestic tourism industry.
Our approach
Mentorship & Coaching
Teams received extensive one-on-one mentoring, peer coaching circles, and dedicated emotional support to enhance their operational capacities and mental wellbeing.
Practical Skill Development
Through masterclasses and coaching sessions, teams enhanced both soft and technical skills crucial for startup success and industry impact.
Public Exposure & Recognition
Through strategic connections to industry experts, large social media reach, and promotion from Cambodian government ministries, the ventures grew their visibility and credibility.
Business Planning & Resilience
Workshops, coaching (with experts and peers), and field trips built tangible business skills in market research, strategic planning, financial planning, marketing, and more.
“We love the mentoring sessions where we meet thoughtful mentors who share, guide, and support us not only in business development but also mental health during these hard times. They gave us time to reflect on our work which is very helpful. And I really love the network, the team, and other partners as well. It really helps us to understand our role better in the sector and what our next step should be.”
Participant in the Khmer Tourism for the Future Program
Meet the inspiring changemakers
WeFarm (Yfarm)
WeFarm (Yfarm)
WeFarm (Yfarm) has been supporting youth and young farmers on sustainable farming since 2018. They have organized training courses on sustainable agriculture topics and community-based tourism.
YEA Catalyst (Young Eco)
YEA Catalyst (Young Eco)
YEA Catalyst (now YoungEco) is an agency working in partnership with community-based ecotourism to strengthen management capacity, develop diversified products, and brand their destination to marketplaces.
Uot App
Uot App
The vision of Uot App is to become the leading digital trip community in Cambodia. Their mission is to enhance and enable travel by providing digital trip information.
NTFP-EP Cambodia
NTFP-EP Cambodia
NTFP-EP supports communities to set up and operate community-based ecotourism in the upper Mekong River, including capacity-building on management, hospitality, market linkage, and more.
Cambodian Rural Discovery Tours (CRDT)
Cambodian Rural Discovery Tours (CRDT)
Cambodian Rural Discovery Tours (CRDT) is a not-for-profit tour operator supporting community-based ecotourism by developing educational and community development tours to remote destinations in Cambodia.
Usher (by RunAway)
Usher (by RunAway)
Usher (by RunAway) is a digital platform to connect international and local tourists to the local guides (freelance guides and eco-tourism site owners). Tourists can book or contact them directly through the platform before they go.
Solo Landscapes
Solo Landscapes
An adventure tour operator for explorers and nature lovers! Besides running tours, Solo Landscapes is committed to supporting the training of local guides in waste management practices and hosting skills.
Yi Family Homestay
Yi Family Homestay
Yi Family Homestay provides an immersive experience in permaculture in their eco-lodge premises, combining organic gardening, ecological design, and collaborative community projects.
Our impact
total hours of mentoring provided through the program
participating ventures officially registered their businesses with program support
in prototyping funding mobilized for 6 teams
of the participants reported that the program had a “very significant” or “significant” contribution to the growth of their business
Socio-emotional support to entrepreneurs
The Covid-19 pandemic deeply affected the mental health of the participating teams — all of them startups in the tourism industry barely able to operate. We were providing important training and mentorship that helped build these startups’ long-term business resilience, but we realized this wasn’t enough in the face of the participants’ severe stress and anxiety. One of our mentors thus pivoted her focus from business to mental health, giving them a safe space to share their struggles with a dedicated socio-emotional wellbeing coach.
Since then, we have worked to incorporate a wellbeing focus across all of our programs. Perhaps other ventures are not dealing with a pandemic — but the life of an entrepreneur can be isolating, uncertain, and stressful. As we work to help businesses succeed, we need to ensure the people behind the businesses are holistically supported too.
Our Partners
