Angkor: Culture & Tourism Destination UNWTO International Conference on Heritage Tourism: How Do We Foster, Present and Preserve World Treasures? SOK Sangvar, Deputy Director General, APSARA February 24-26 th 2016, Nara, Japan
Tourism in Cambodia Diverse tourism products Ecotourism Seaside tourism Urban tourism Cultural tourism PP ecotourism
Tourism in Cambodia: Ecotourism River dolphin Trekking Minorities Waterfall
Tourism in Cambodia: Seaside tourism Beautiful beaches White sand Virgin islands Colorful underwater Fresh seafood
Tourism in Cambodia: Urban tourism Royal palace Historical buildings Museums Traditional markets Dynamic capital
Tourism in Cambodia: Cultural tourism World heritage: Angkor Preah Vihear Royal Ballet Shadow puppet Traditions Khmer lifestyle Khmer cuisine Cultural Events
Tourism for Cambodia An important pillar for Cambodia s economy ( more than 10 % of GPD, 2014) Important source of employment ( aprox.500,000 jobs, 2014) A solution to the poverty alleviation
Tourism for Cambodia Tourism is not a luxury for Cambodia Tourism is a real need for the country
Angkor: Strong Values Angkor Temple Environment People
Angkor: Strong values Economic value Cultural value: Soul of Cambodia
Increasing number of national and international tourists Nature of Tourism: Benefits and Impacts
Too many visitors?? => ATM, it is NOT about number but Management. More benefits and less impact
Core philosophy for Angkor Conservation for Development and Development for Conservation
Methodology
Values National Heritage Values Outstanding Universal Values by ICOMOS and UNESCO (i,ii,iii,iv criteria) UNESCO World Heritage Listing in 1992
Issues
Issues Managing Visitors at Angkor as Visitor Numbers Increase : Around 10,000 visitors per day in Angkor Understanding and Communicating Heritage Values: Some visitors do not fully understand that Angkor is a Sacred site. Values of Angkor are sometime not well communicated.
Issues Site Impacts: Touching carvings, graffiti, littering, breaking temple structure Visitor Experience, Behavior and Safety Noise, large crowd sometime impact on visitors experience Inappropriate behaviors or lack of infrastructure can put visitors at danger
Issues Infrastructure and Transport Traffic jam and Air pollution Local People Cultural and Social impact from tourism Stakeholder Engagement Lack of relationship with private sector Governance
Policies
Policies Positive Visitor Experiences Reduce Site Impacts Partnership with Industry Benefits for Local People Governance Stakeholder Engagement
Initiatives & Priority actions
Initiatives & Priority actions Visitor Flow Management Carrying capacity Industry Relationship and Communication Visitor Orientation
Initiatives & Priority actions Develop codes of conduct Support authentic craft certification and sales Tourism Industry Liaison HOTLINE Transport System
Construction of new roads to avoid circulation in the heritage site. Less vibrations Weigh control
Restriction on large buses Less vibrations and congestion
Repairing old roads [not enlarging] Adding bicycle lanes 2015 2016
Revising vehicles flow Safety for visitors and drivers Enhance the value and cultural landscape of the temple.
Revising vehicles flow Less congestion One Way [7 30am 11 30am]
Implementation of the visiting flow in Ta Prohm Temple Sustainability for Temple Safety for visitors Less congestion
Development and implementation of carrying capacity in temple Sustainability for Temple Safety for visitors Visitor experience (noise, crowd)
Establishment of APSARA Private Sector Consultative Group on Tourism Development APSARA became an Affiliate Member of UNWTO & MOU Collaboration with Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia and local community
Implementation of the Angkor Visitor Code of Conduct Education tool for visitors Less impact on Angkor Enhance the values of Angkor DECEMBER 4 th 2015
Thank you for your attention tmpangkor@gmail.com