by

History of Siem Reap’s Tourism

From the Very Beginning

In the 13th century, Siem Reap was little more than an expanse of empty countryside but with the first Hindu and then Buddhist mega settlement, it began to boom with the building of hundreds of temples. Many years later, (as shared by Sacchin and Manish in their post of the History of Siem Reap) the École Française d’Extrême Orient (EFEO) began a long association with Angkor as the French became Cambodia’s colonial master in the 19th century. The EFEO funded an expedition into Siam to the Bayon and Siem Reap was still little more than a village when the first French explorers re-discovered Angkor in 1901.

With the acquisition of the Angkor by the French seven years later in 1907, the EFEO cleared and restored the whole site and in the same year, Angkor received its first wave of tourists- an unprecedented 200 people in three months. Siem Reap was the beneficiary of these early waves of tourism as it then began to be developed beyond the huts that previously made up the town. Infrastructure and buildings began to grow with the arrival of tourists, with many French colonial buildings that can still be seen till today. For instance, The Grand Hotel d’Angkor opened its doors in 1929 and with the temples of Angkor, Siem Reap attracted even celebrities like Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Kennedy.

Then, the Kingdom of Cambodia gained independence from its French protectorate and despite the French pulling out of the country in the 1950s, Siem Reap remained one of Asia’s leading tourism draw. In fact, Cambodia used to be one of the most famous tourist destinations with annual tourist arrivals from 50,000 to 70,000.

However in 1975, the communist Khmer Rouge took over the country and literally drove the entire population of Siem Reap (along with the rest of the population in other cities and towns in Cambodia) into the countryside. Meanwhile, Angkor lay dormant and there was not a single visitor that visited the site as Siem Reap remained off-limits to tourists.

Siem Reap was the scene of heavy fighting that remained sporadic for much of the next decade as the Vietnamese army entered Cambodia in 1979. Decades of civil war, insurgencies, isolation and particularly the genocidal regime of the Khmer Rouge, the tourism industry was almost totally destroyed.

Siem Reap and Cambodia Today

After conflict resolution in the early 1990s and with strong support from the international community, Cambodia returned to peace and socio-economic reconstruction. Cambodia began to stabilise and with a rejuvenated tourist industry, Siem Reap emerged from a long slumber became one of the biggest Cambodian beneficiaries, taking small but important steps to an important journey to recovery. Tourist arrivals have increased dramatically from 1993 to today, with an annual average increase of about 30 percent. Since, Siem Reap has emerged as the fastest growing city in Cambodia and remains a gateway to the famous heritage site of the Angkor temples.

With these attractions serving as its main draw, Siem Reap has managed to transform itself into one of Cambodia’s fastest growing city and into a major tourist hub. In fact, tourism has become one of the most important industries contributing to the overall economic recovery and development of Cambodia, with Tourism is one of the largest contributors to the Cambodian economy after the agriculture and textile industry and is the second largest income generator after the garment industry. For example, tourism generated tourism receipts of US$1.56 billion in 2009 with more than 2 million visitors.

Today, Siem Reap has emerged as a vibrant and exciting city with hotels and modern amenities, and it has pretty much continued to conserve much of its distinctive image, culture, traditions and architecture. In fact, besides its economic advantages, the Cambodian government views tourism as an effective tool to promote the cultural values and identity of Cambodia which had been lost given the excessive external interventions. An example of which is the Angkor temples. While the Angkor temples have always existed, the Khmers have always regarded it as a religious site and never thought of it as a symbol of national pride. Today, Angkor has become the symbol of nationalism and Cambodian identity, with a recent UNESCO/Trip Advisor survey declaring the Angkor as the most recommended World Heritage site.

Tourism Statistics For the Geeks!

If you want to find out more about their tourism statistics such as mode of arrivals, visitor arrivals by country of destination, top 10 arrival markets, average length of stay and hotel occupancy, etc, download Cambodia’s tourism statistics (2010)

View This Documentary on Angkor Wat!

Do spare some time to view this BBC documentary. It is an hour long but is such worthwhile investment in return for a solid education of Angkor Wat and its wonders. I didn’t even know that the water tributaries that lead to the Mekong River will actually reverse in direction for certain months of the year and back up into the Tonle Sap Lake. In fact, the video even shared how the ancient Khmers would even carve the images of gods into the river beds, including lingums (symbolic of the male phallus) to bless the waters.  Such a showcase of their mastery over their craft of stone carving as an act of devotion to their gods. Watch this YouTube documentary on Angkor Wat. After all, the Angkor Wat is so integral to Siem Reap’s tourism, so make sure you watch it!

References:

http://www.mot.gov.kh/index.php

http://www.siemreap-town.gov.kh/

http://www.cambodia-tourism.org/statistic/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siem_Reap

Chheang, V (2008). “The Political Economy of Tourism in Cambodia”. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Vol 13 No. 3

Chheang, V (2009). “State and Tourism Planning: A Case Study of Cambodia”. Journal of Tourism, Vol 4 No. 1

Chen, C.Y., Sok, P., Sok, K., (2008). “Evaluating the Competitiveness of the Tourism Industry in Cambodia: Self- assessment from Professionals”. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 13. No. 1

1,015 thoughts on “History of Siem Reap’s Tourism”

  8. Hi, Neat post. There is a problem with your website in internet explorer, would check this… IE still is the market leader and a large portion of people will miss your excellent writing because of this problem. jade roller and gua sha

  13. This web site is really a stroll-by way of for all the information you needed about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and also you’ll undoubtedly discover it. costco stock forecast

  19. Hello, Neat post. There’s a problem together with your site in internet explorer, would check this¡K IE nonetheless is the marketplace leader and a huge component of people will miss your excellent writing because of this problem. Prishtina Travel affordable car rentals

  22. Everyone loves your blog post.. very nice colorings & motif. Have anyone layout this amazing site your self and also would people rely on someone else to get it done for you personally? Plz react since I!|m aiming to style and design by myself blog and also would like to recognize exactly where you obtained the following by. thanks a lot montre connectée vtt

  27. I discovered your site site on google and check a number of your early posts. Preserve on the top notch operate. I just extra increase RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Looking for toward reading more from you later on!… Automatic door openers for home

  28. Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you However I am experiencing issue with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting identical rss problem? Anyone who knows kindly respond. thanks 生日到會

  29. I discovered your site site on google and check a number of your early posts. Preserve on the top notch operate. I just extra increase RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Looking for toward reading more from you later on!… Alarmsystem

  30. Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you really recognise what you’re talking approximately! Bookmarked. Please also seek advice from my website =). We may have a hyperlink exchange contract among us! garage doors mission viejo ca

  31. After study some of the blogs for your site now, we genuinely as if your technique for blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark web site list and you will be checking back soon. Pls consider my internet site likewise and tell me what you consider. betflik24

  32. I really like your website.. pleasant colors & theme. Performed anyone design this website yourself or even did a person hire an attorney to make it work for you personally? Plz act in response since I!|m planning to style and design my personal weblog and also would want to realize wherever you became that from. thanks branding deutsch

  33. Nice post. I found this is an informative and interesting post, so i think it is very useful and knowledgeable. I am glad to read this post hope your next article is are so useful for me so you are meet in next process for more information click this link below: –
    best-denim-jeans-brands-india

    Sweta……..

  34. I discovered your site site on google and check a number of your early posts. Preserve on the top notch operate. I just extra increase RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Looking for toward reading more from you later on!… immatriculation jet ski

  35. I adore your blog site.. great colours & theme. Have anyone style and design this site on your own or do anyone hire someone to make it happen for you? Plz reply because I!|m planning to design and style my own, personal web site and also would want to understand where you bought this specific by. thank you Stofftiere

  36. Oh my goodness! a fantastic write-up dude. Thanks Nonetheless I’m experiencing trouble with ur rss . Don’t know why Struggling to subscribe to it. Could there be any person acquiring identical rss dilemma? Anybody who knows kindly respond. Thnkx apple watch strap

  39. I’ll immediately grasp your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me recognise so that I may just subscribe. Thanks. Online chess coaching

  44. There are a few intriguing points in time in this post but I do not determine if I see these people center to heart. There is some validity but I will take hold opinion until I investigate it further. Excellent article , thanks and we want more! Added onto FeedBurner too laptop v tablet

  46. I’d have to consult you here. Which isn’t some thing It’s my job to do! I quite like reading a post that may make people feel. Also, thank you for permitting me to comment! mercedes c-class

  47. There are a few fascinating points in time on this page but I don’t know if these center to heart. There’s some validity but I am going to take hold opinion until I check into it further. Excellent article , thanks and we want much more! Included with FeedBurner likewise south padre island rentals by owner

  48. There are a few fascinating points in time on this page but I don’t know if these center to heart. There’s some validity but I am going to take hold opinion until I check into it further. Excellent article , thanks and we want much more! Included with FeedBurner likewise hotel digital menu

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *