Subject： Culture Heritage and Tourism Practice

Title: What is the problem of heritage tourism developments in

Cambodia?
Name: PHEAK SIENGHUO 彭胜华
I. Introduction

The Khmer Rouge regime's killing fields and decades of civil war in Cambodia during the 20th
century utterly damaged the country's tourism economy and fundamental infrastructure. Early in the
1990s, international engagement aided the revival of Cambodian tourism. Over the past three decades,
legacy tourism has played a significant part in the rapid expansion of Cambodia's tourism industry. The
Cambodian government established a general tourist authority in 1988, and during the early 1990s, the
Ministry of Tourism and other departments supported the sector. And Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of
Tourism, recovered the tourism ministry on March 14, 2014.

Cambodia is more than just a country with numerous cultural histories and tourist attractions. The
world heritage that was inscribed on the world heritage list also had a hand in the development of tourism.
Heritage in Cambodia still continues to play an important role in attracting tourists from all over the
world to visit the kingdom. Cambodia joined UNESCO in July 1951, and the UNESCO Office in Phnom
Penh opened fully in 1991, contributing to the strengthening of cooperation between Cambodia and
UNESCO. Cambodia has remarkable pre-Angkorian and Khmer history, and nowhere is this more
evident than in its three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Preah Vihear Temple, the Temple Zone of
Sambor Prei Kuk, and the Angkor Archaeological Park. There are also another six intangibles that have
been successfully listed on the World Heritage List, including the Royal Ballet, the Shadow Puppet
Theatre, the Tug of War, the Long Neck Lute (Chapei), and the Khmer Male Mask Dancer. Kun Lbokator,
on the other hand, was recently designated a world intangible heritage site.

Despite having more than ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Cambodia's tourism industry is
still developing slowly compared to its neighbors. We shall investigate the issue with Cambodia's tourism
development in this study. What is the problem of heritage tourism developments in Cambodia?

II. Heritage Tourism in Cambodia

Cambodia currently has a population of around 16 million people spread across an area of 181
035 square kilometers. Cambodia shared a southern border with Vietnam, Thailand, Lao PDR, and the sea.
The country is rich in cultural and natural heritage, the most famous of which include the temples at
Angkor, the Freshwater Great Lake of Tonle Sap, the Mekong River, and the cardamom mountain range,
rich in fauna and flora. The first human occupation associated with a silex chopping tool industry dates
back to 71 000 years ago at the Laang Spean cave site in Cambodia's northwestern region. The Fou Nan
period from the first to sixth centuries, the Chen La period from the seventh to eighth centuries, the
Angkorian period from the ninth to mid-15th centuries, the Post-Angkorian period from the mid-15th to
the third quarter of the nineteenth century, and the Modern Period from the late nineteenth century to the
present. A recent site survey recorded that Cambodia has over 4,000 archaeological sites of various types,
such as temples, burial sites, ancient roads, bridges, stone quarries, hydraulic structures, and pagodas.
 Along with other national authorities, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is the main
governmental entity in charge of maintaining the nation's heritage. The management of the Angkor, Preah
Vihear, and Sambor Prei Kuk World Heritage Sites is carried out by the APSARA (Authority for the
Protection and Safeguarding of Angkor and the Region of Angkor), Preah Vihear National Authorities,
and Sambor Prei Kuk National Authorities, respectively. The nation has the 1996-enacted Cultural
Heritage Protection Law, has ratified numerous international conventions for the preservation of natural
and cultural heritage, and has signed numerous bilateral agreements with China, Thailand, Viet Nam, and
the United States for the illegal trade in antiquities.

Cambodia has three sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Angkor, Preah Vihear,
and Sambor Prei Kuk) and eight more on the tentative list; additionally, there are also five intangible
cultural heritages (the Royal Ballet, the Shadow Puppet Theatre, the Tug of War, the Long Neck Lute
(Chapei), and the Khmer Male Mask Dance Drama). Recently, UNESCO has officially added the
Cambodian martial art "Kun Lbokator," more commonly referred to as "Bokator," to its World Heritage
List, according to Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Mr. Phoeurng Sackona.

1. ANGKOR Temple

Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over
some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of
the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous
Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations.
UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings.
ANGKOR was inscribed in the World Heritage List in Danger on 14th December in 1992. The forth
criteria that UNESCO considers necessary for inscribing Angkor as a world tangible cultural heritage are
as follows:

Criterion (i): The Angkor complex represents the entire range of Khmer art from the 9th to the
14th centuries, and includes a number of indisputable artistic masterpieces (e.g. Angkor Wat, the Bayon,
Banteay Srei).

Criterion (ii): The influence of Khmer art as developed at Angkor was a profound one over
much of South-east Asia and played a fundamental role in its distinctive evolution.

Criterion (iii): The Khmer Empire of the 9th-14th centuries encompassed much of South-east
Asia and played a formative role in the political and cultural development of the region. All that remains
of that civilization is its rich heritage of cult structures in brick and stone.

Criterion (iv): Khmer architecture evolved largely from that of the Indian sub-continent, from
which it soon became clearly distinct as it developed its own special characteristics, some independently
evolved and others acquired from neighboring cultural traditions. The result was a new artistic horizon in
oriental art and architecture.

The successful conservation of the property by the APSARA National Authority, monitored by
the ICC-Angkor, was crowned by the removal of the property from the World Heritage List in danger in
2004.
 2. Preah Vihea Temple

Temple of Preah Vihear situated on the edge of a plateau that dominates the plain of Cambodia,
the Temple of Preah Vihear is dedicated to Shiva. The Temple is composed of a series of sanctuaries
linked by a system of pavements and staircases over an 800 metre long axis and dates back to the first half
of the 11th century AD. Nevertheless, its complex history can be traced to the 9th century, when the
hermitage was founded. This site is particularly well preserved, mainly due to its remote location. The site
is exceptional for the quality of its architecture, which is adapted to the natural environment and the
religious function of the temple, as well as for the exceptional quality of its carved stone ornamentation.
On 7 July, 2008, Preah Vihear was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is only a special
criteria that UNESCO considers necessary for inscribing Preah Vihea temple as a world tangible cultural
heritage are as follows:

Criterion (i): Preah Vihear is an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture. It is very ‘pure’ both in
plan and in the detail of its decoration.

UNESCO has been assisting the Preah Vihear National authority in safeguarding the integrity of
the archaeological site and the authenticity of the historical monument in line with the principles of the
Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Sambo Prei Kuk Temple

The archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, “the temple in the richness of the forest” in the
Khmer language, has been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the Chenla Empire that flourished in the
late 6th and early 7th centuries AD. The property comprises more than a hundred temples, ten of which
are octagonal, unique specimens of their genre in South-East Asia. Decorated sandstone elements in the
site are characteristic of the pre-Angkor decorative idiom, known as the Sambor Prei Kuk Style. Some of
these elements, including lintels, pediments and colonnades, are true masterpieces. The art and
architecture developed here became models for other parts of the region and lay the ground for the unique
Khmer style of the Angkor period. The temple appointed in 2017 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The three criteria that UNESCO considers necessary for inscribing Sambo Prei Kuk as a world tangible
cultural heritage are as follows:

Criterion (i): The Sambor Prei Kuk architectural and artistic style of the Temple Zone of
Ishanapura, as exemplified in the layout, architectural forms and sculptured reflects on 186 fired bricks
temples with sandstone detailing, presents a vivid convergence of spiritual and technical influences
between Hindu cults predominantly from India and Persia and elements of animism and Buddhism, which
became a model that spread to other parts of the region and eventually led to the crystallization of the
unique Khmer style of the Angkorian period.

Criterion (ii): The Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk of Ancient Ishanapura, in terms of the scale
and scope of its surviving buildings and watercourses, is an outstanding testimony to the cultural
traditions of the Chenla Kingdom, which flourished over much of Southeast Asia in the late 6th and early
7th centuries AD, and whose architectural achievements laid the foundations for those of the later Khmer
civilization in the Angkorian period.

Criterion (iii): The temple inscriptions in the Khmer language of the Temple Zone of Sambor
Prei Kuk reflect the concept of the God-King, which according to legends originated in Vat Phou, was
further developed during the Angkor period, and then much later influenced Thailand’s four pillared
administrative system in Ayutthaya. It remained a concept that was fundamental to the political and
governance systems of Cambodia and Thailand until the beginning of the 20th century.

4. Intangible Heritage in Cambodia (Royal Ballet, Shadow Puppet Theatre, Tug of

War, Long Neck Lute (Chapei), Khmer Male Mask Dance Drama and Kun Lbokator)

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia is a dance company of Cambodia, famous for its luxury of
costumes, accessories, gold and silver, accompanied by a beautiful soft dance. It is a dance that the
Cambodian royal family created as a special treasure to show the high dignity of Cambodian dancers, the
work of Queen Sisowath Kosamak, created from Khmer traditional dance. During the reign of King
Norodom Sihanouk, this dance was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 7 November 2003
(Wikipedia-Royal Ballet of Cambodia).

Khmer shadow theatre are forms of shadow play in which leather shadow puppets are used. The
two main genres are Sbek Thom, which features the Reamker, and Sbek Toch, which uses smaller
puppets and a wide range of stories. Another genre called Sbek Por uses colored leather puppets. It is
performed during sacred temple ceremonies, at private functions, and for the public in Cambodia's
villages. The popular plays include the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics, as well as other Hindu myth
and legends. The performance is accompanied by a pinpeat orchestra. This intangible heritage were
inscribed as a world intangible heritage on 25 November 2005 (Wikipedia-Khmer shadow theatre)

Tug of war is a sport that pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. Teams need to
pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certain distance in one direction
against the force of the opposing team's pull. The tug of war was placed on the UNESCO's List of
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 2, 2015 in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, at
the request of four countries which share the tradition: Cambodia, South Korea, Vietnam and the
Philippines (Wikipedia- Tug of War).

The Chapei Dang Veng is a Cambodian two-stringed, long-necked guitar that is usually plucked.
It has two double courses of nylon strings. Chapei Dang Veng is a Cambodian musical tradition closely
associated with the life, customs and beliefs of the Cambodian people. It features the chapei (a type of
lute often played at cultural festivals) accompanied by singing. Chapei Dang Veng was inscribed in 2016
(11.COM) on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding (Wikipedia-
Chapei Dang Veng).

Lakhon Khol or Khmer Masked Theatre is a dance drama genre that is performed in Cambodia.
Lakhon Khol is a traditional theatre performance of Cambodia. Mask theatre of Cambodia having its
origins during the Angkor period. Lakhon Khol Wat Svay Andet Inscribed in 2018 (13.COM) on the List
of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding (Wikipedia- Lakhon Khol).

Bokator or Kun Lbokator is an ancient battlefield martial art used by ancient Khmer military
groups. It is one of the oldest existing fighting systems originating from Cambodia. The oral tradition
indicates that bokator was the close quarter combat system used by the ancient Cambodian armies before
the founding of Angkor. A common misconception is that bokator refers to all Khmer martial arts, while
in reality it only represents one particular style. Kun Lbokator are the last one that Inscribed in 2022
(17.COM) on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
 III. The Problem of Heritage Tourism Developments in Cambodia
Tourism is a priority sector in Cambodia's rectangular strategy, and it is recognized for its
contribution to socioeconomic development, livelihood improvement, and poverty reduction. Before the
COVID-19 pandemic, domestic tourism was growing rapidly and reached 11.32 million visitors in 2019,
with international visitors increasing 6.6% from 6.2 million in 2018 to 6.61 million in 2019. In 2019, 2.2
million tourists traveled to the Angkor region in Siem Reap Province, a decrease from the 2.4 million who
visited in 2018. This decrease can be attributed to Siem Reap's infrastructure improvements, which are
inconvenient for visitors to travelling in that year. Both tangible heritage and intangible heritage asset
contributes significantly to the growth of tourism in these day. However, it is clear that, there are also
many facing problem on the development for all the heritage site in Cambodia. All of these problems
contribute to Cambodia's tourism lagging behind that of other nations in the region. I've chosen a few
significant issues that Cambodia's heritage culture is dealing with in this study that are preventing the
country from developing its tourism industry.

1. Damage by Local People (Heritage Watch)

Because Cambodia only recently gained more peace and stability in 1990, there are many poor
people in Cambodia. The villagers around Cambodia began to illegally excavate archaeological sites and
sell the artifacts that they found at local markets or to middlemen. Since 2003, Heritage Watch, a non-
profit organization, has worked to protect the heritage. Heritage Watch had implemented a number of
projects, including researching the trade of illicit Cambodian antiquities and documenting at-risk sites
across the country, increasing the likelihood that looted objects will be recovered. Since the antiquities
trade survives largely on the ignorance of both those who loot and those who buy antiquities, education is
a vital effort. With generous funding from the US Department of State, Heritage Watch launched a
national public awareness campaign in 2004 using informative radio and television commercials,
educational comics and storybooks, and community workshops for villagers in heavily looted
areas (Heritage Watch, 2014a). Tourists were also informed about the negative consequences of buying
looted antiquities through public exhibits, a tourism magazine, and a business certification campaign
called "Heritage Friendly Tourism" (Heritage Watch, 2014b). Another long-term goal of Heritage Watch
is to address the main cause of looting, which is primarily poverty. Cambodia’s temples are one of the
country’s most important economic resources, as they are the impetus behind the country’s growing
tourism industry. If properly developed, this industry will be a sustainable means of improving the lives
of Cambodians and protecting their heritage. Heritage Watch is therefore interested in informing local
people about the heritage resources they live with and encouraging the development of a tourist industry
that is sound yet profitable.

2. The Late Technology Development in Cambodia’s Tourism Industry

Southest Asia's Cambodia is a developing nation. Technology is still developing slowly compared
to the country on the other side of the border. The new era of tourism development also greatly benefits
from technological advancement. A country's tourism industry will grow significantly if it has a strong
technological base that includes digitalization, the internet, and electric commerce. People prefer to
conduct business using technology in the modern world rather than by physically meeting. The traveler
benefits from greater convenience as well as time and cost savings.

Cambodia is not the only country affected by the Corvid 19 outbreak, which has been spreading
since the fourth quarter of 2019.Cambodia's tourism industry appears to be unexpectedly declining.The
tourism industry has been devastated by the pandemic.The number of tourists traveling to Cambodia fell
from 6.6 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in the following year, according to the World Bank. However,
Cambodia is trying to enhance the digital capabilities of its tourism industry in order to recover from the
pandemic and better compete with its Southeast Asian neighbors. The country has taken steps on the
workforce and technology sides, but it still needs to do more on the destination promotion side. Cambodia
can digitally up-skill its workforce and adopt technologies all it wants, but it won’t ever reach its potential
as a top tourist destination if it doesn't invest in creative digital marketing campaigns to match (Dawit
Habtemariam).

If we are discussing a heritage site or intangible heritage, the state of technology is still lagging
behind. While developed nations with advanced technology already use online get in the heritage, the
tickets for visiting Angkor are still printed on paper and collected at the entrance gate. Due to its fame,
Angkor can be said to be the heritage site that receives the most online promotion. The other heritage sites
and intangible cultural heritage, on the other hand, receive less global online or technological promotion.
One could argue that this represents a late stage in the development of technology in Cambodia.

3. Utilizing Human Resources to Develop Cultural Heritage

After two decades of conflict beginning in the 1970s, including the war between Lon Nol and the
communist insurgence and then the arduous period of Khmer Rouge rule and the later invasion of
Cambodia by Vietnam, Cambodia’s infrastructure was in poor condition. Cambodia’s fortunes began to
change with the signing of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. Only between 1975 and 1979, during the
Khmer Rouge regime, between 1.7 million and 3 million people were killed. Furthermore, during this
regime, they are primarily killing intellectuals, professors, students, masters, and others with advanced
knowledge. Another thing is that many successors who could have passed on their inheritance to future
generations were also killed during that time period. Many people moved to be immigrants in other
countries during that regime, including France, the United States, and Australia. This represents a
significant loss of human resources in Cambodia.

Cambodia has lost a lot of human resources since that regime, leaving only people with average
or low knowledge. That makes Cambodia's development still slow if compared to another country with
which they are sharing a similar story. In the last 30 years, the education system has gradually begun to
improve, and human resources in the tourism industry have expanded.

Cambodia still lacks human resources in heritage sites, especially those who can carry on from
one generation to the next. Additionally, there aren't enough experts in heritage protection or a
sophisticated system. This is the driving force behind the growth of heritage tourism in Cambodia.

4. Strategy for the Development of Tourism Remain Inadequate

The Angkor Tourism Management Plan aligns with the Cambodia Tourism Development
Strategies Plan from 2012 until 2020, which mentioned the vision for future tourism development in
Cambodia, including tourism product development, tourism marketing and promotion, travel and
transport facilities, tourism impact management, tourism safety, tourism policy, and the development of
human resources in the tourism industry. The plan project expects to receive 7 million international
tourists in 2002 and between 8 and 10 million domestic tourists. However, the plan appears to be failing
due to the following obstacles:

- The Corvid 19 outbreak in the fourth quarter of 2019 has caused problems for those who
directly and indirectly support the tourism sector, including heritage site tourism in Cambodia.
 - Some historical sites are still receiving little promotion, which causes them to become quiet and
stop developing.

- Intangible cultural heritage is still not given enough attention or value in Cambodia because the
majority of the population doesn't recognize its worth.

- Due to strategies and policies, the human resource development in the tourism industry still
attracts fewer people.

- The heritage site's heritage site safety is still limited

- Innovation and promotion of tourism products are still required.

Nevertheless, only a few plans were released during this pandemic, among them the Roadmap for
Cambodian Tourism Recovery During and After COVID-19, which was divided into three phases as
follows:

- Phase 1 Resilience & Restart (2021) - Crisis management in the New Normal phase and
planning for recovery

- Phase 2 Recovery 2022-2023 - Recovery of tourism sector

- Phase 3 Relaunch (2024-2025) - Preparation for the new future of tourism sector in Cambodia

The Roadmap's main goal is to turn the COVID-19 crisis from a threat into an opportunity to
reform Cambodia's tourism industry and make the country a high-quality, safe, and sustainable travel
destination that will attract 7 million foreign visitors by 2025 and 11 million domestic visitors by 2023.
The U-shaped recovery for international travel and the V-shaped recovery for domestic travel are possible
scenarios for Cambodia's tourism industry's future growth.

5. Cambodia are a small country with few heritage site

Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometres, or 69,898 square miles, and the current
population of Cambodia is 17,293,409 in 2022, based on the Worldometer's elaboration of the latest
United Nations data. Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the
Mekong Delta, mountains, and the Gulf of Thailand coastline. Phnom Penh, the capital of the kingdom, is
home to the art deco Central Market, the glittering Royal Palace, and the National Museum's historical
and archaeological exhibits. In the country's northwest are the ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive stone
temple complex built during the Khmer Empire.Cambodia is the smallest country if compared to the
country that shares the border with the Kingdom but has a larger population than the Lao People's
Democratic Republic. However, Vietnam received the most heritage sites among these four countries,
with eight world heritage sites listed on the list, followed by Thailand with six heritage sites listed on the
list, Laos, and Cambodia with the same number of heritage sites listed on the list, but Cambodia has the
most intangible heritage sites when compared to Laos.

Being a small nation, it can be difficult to promote the growth of tourism. Travelers frequently
choose to visit large nations with lots of tourist attractions and resources. Most visitors to Angkor are
doing so as part of trips to larger nations like Vietnam or Thailand. Each tourist only stays in Cambodia
for a maximum of 5-7 days, which is a very short period of time. This is a problem that Cambodian
heritage sites are also facing.

6. 5A’s (Accommodation,Amenity, Activity, Accessibility, Attractions)

A destination can only be successful in attracting visitors to stay, visit, return, and do things if it
meets five essential criteria. The destinations that do not meet the essential requirements must develop.
The development often with financial help from the local government or private companies. A destination
that attracts visitors generates revenue, sales, and job opportunities for the local community. There must
be a good mix and balance between those basic 5As that are essential to a successful destination. There
are accommodations, amenities, activities, accessibility, and attractions. Cambodia, heritage site also
still lacking of this 5A’s essential.

1. Case Study (Sombo prei Kuk, Tangible Heritage Site in Cambodia)

The heritage site seemed to be lacking in many of the 5As when I visited it personally in 2017.
The accommodations at this heritage site still don't seem to be enough for visitors, and the service could
be better.

Local cuisine is often one of the top attractions the heritage site, restaurant, design bars and
shopping plazas always attract the tourist to visit the heritage site. However, the above heritage still being
lacking of these amenity.

No any destination can function well unless there is a means of getting there, travel by flight, by
bus or railway. Lacking of adequate accessibility is frequently cited as one of the major obstacle to the
development of each destination. However to reaching this heritage site, we could only access by car or
bus that make the accessibility still being limit if comparing to other heritage site.

The most crucial factor in the development of each place is activity there. However, aside from
visiting the temple, there seemed to be less activity during my visit to this heritage site.

Attraction is special because it is a location outside of your hometown where you can be thrilled
and amazed by what is typical to the locals. There are many interesting temples in this heritage site that
might draw tourists, but if this heritage gets more well-developed, there are also many more points of
interest.

With the above case study, we could find out that the problem of heritage development in
Cambodia also involves 5A’s essential development. If these 5As get much development, the heritage site
will get much better and could welcome more travelers.

IV- Conclusions
Cambodia has only recently emerged from its internal conflict. In these three decades, they are
going step by step to get improvements for every function. The tourism industry is also recovering after
three decades. The historical site is being added to the list of world heritage sites every day. The
development of the heritage site is also getting better every day, but it still has a lot of issues, including
damage caused by locals in each heritage site area, a lack of human resources, the internet's tardy arrival,
a lack of a plan and strategies,Cambodia's small size and 5A’s also being lacking in some heritage site
such Sombo Prei Kuk Temple, all of which slow down the development of the heritage site.
V. Reference
- Wikipedia - Ministry of Tourism (Cambodia)

- UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh

- Wikipedia - Cambodia

- Wikipedia - Republic of Lao

- Wikipedia - Lists of World Heritage Sites

- World Heritage Convention - Preah Vihea Temple

- World Heritage Convention - Sombo Prei kuk

- World Heritage Convention - Angkor

- Wikipedia - Bokatao

- Wikipedia - Khmer Mask Dance (Lakhon Khol)

- Wikipedia - Royal Ballet

- Wikipedia - Shadow Puppet Theatre

- Wikipedia - Tug of War, Long Neck Lute (Chapei)

- Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data

- Heritage & Development: Lesson in Cambodia

- Roadmap for Cambodian Tourism Recovery During and After COVID-19 Plan

- Heritage Watch