Wednesday, October 17, 2007

New tourist route could be answer to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat woes

Oct 17, 07
By Stéphane Hanot
TravelVideo.TV


PHONM PENH, Cambodia (eTN) - As tourism in Angkor Wat continues to grow unabated, a new tourist route could alleviate some of the tourist pressure. For many years now, the Cambodian government has been looking for solutions to take some of the pressure out of the site. As the first seven months of 2007 brought 442,000 visitors to Siem Reap International Airport, a growth of 38 percent, Angkor Wat is poised to continue to take a beating from the hordes of tourists that visit the world heritage site.

The Apsara Authority, which manages the Angkor Wat complex, recently introduced new paths with tourists taking different routes to enter and exit the temple.

The objective now is to make certain that tourists do not flock to the site at the same time. The idea is to create circuits around Angkor Wat to spread the number of visitors and take some of the pressure faced by Angkor top attractions.

“As France and Japan are sharing the presidency of the Permanent Secretary for the International Coordinating Committee for the Preservation and Development of the Historical Site of Angkor under the UNESCO, we work closely with Cambodian authorities to find the best solutions to accommodate tourism requirements,” explained Jean-François Desmazieres, French Ambassador in Cambodia. “The target is not to kill the hen with the golden eggs but at the same to preserve the authenticity of Angkor.”

Even if the committee plays only a consultative role, it has been able to avoid the development of the most incredible projects such as a subway to the temples.

According to the Ambassador Desmazieres, Angkor Wat can indeed accommodate a fairly high number of tourists every day. “During the time of Khmer Kings, they were already thousand of visitors per day to Angkor Wat temples,” he said.

The committee has also been working with Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism for the creation of new tourist sightseeing such as traditional handicraft or silk producing villages. The most ambitious project is the development of a new tourist road, which would link Angkor Wat to the spectacular Preah Vihear temple, via the old city of Koh Ker where many temples can still be visited. Discussions will take place about tourism development from October 26 to 28, when the Coordinating Committee meets.

In another development, Cambodia’s tourism minister recently signed a joint declaration with tourism ministers from Laos and Vietnam on trilateral cooperation at the meeting in Ho Chi Minh City. The ministers agreed to encourage their national tourism agencies to boost exchange of information and experiences in tourism development and promotion. They also agreed to jointly hold and attend tourism events and tours and cooperate in personnel training.

According to published reports, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, under the “three countries – one destination” scheme, will implement measures to boost tourism and cultural activities as well as encourage public-private partnerships with regard to tourism development.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The ministers agreed to encourage their national tourism agencies to boost exchange of information and experiences in tourism development and promotion” with Laos and Vietname?

Tell me what does Cambodia success in tourism had to do with Laos and Vietname? So Cambodia is so rich now that it wants to share its wealth with Laos and Vietname?

Over my dead body! As long as the issue of the Vietcong illegal supplement border treaties are no solved and there shouldn't be any cooperation between Cambodia and Vietname and the oppression of 10 million Khmer Krom people by the Vietcong government! Fuck that!

This is what happens to Cambodia when Cambodian people allowed all these foreigners to think for them but too often these foreigners think about their own pocket books and their political agenda than dirt poor Cambodian people!

Shaking my head!

Anonymous said...

To: Shaking my head! 2:05PM:

NOT "this is what happens to Cambodia when Cambodian people allowed all these foreigners to think for them....."

Cambodian people can not do any thing we are slaving to the Fucking Viet Youn! Thos so called leaders are prisoner guards appointed by the Youn>

They not only let the youn think for them, they are taking oeder from the Youn!

SEE what they do to our religion and give land to Youn now as concessio!