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

1,257 thoughts on “History of Siem Reap’s Tourism”

  1. The historical context, from the EFEO’s involvement to modern-day development, really highlights how deeply rooted culture and resilience are in Cambodia’s tourism story. It’s incredible to see how Angkor has gone from a religious site to a national symbol, and how Siem Reap is thriving again after decades of hardship. Thanks for sharing such a well-researched piece! Also, here’s something equally detailed on important checks before booking packers and movers — thought it might be helpful if you’re ever relocating.

  4. Great insights on the importance of accurate construction estimates! For anyone looking to streamline their MEP project planning, I highly recommend checking out MEP Estimating Services. Their expert team provides reliable and detailed estimates that can really make a difference in managing costs and timelines.

  7. I adore this theme. How hard is it to mess around with? Would you be able to write me an email? I would love to get this theme and use it on some of my sites. Thank you in advance! paiza99 login

  8. Amazing! This might be a definite of the very useful sites We have ever appear across about this topic. Essentially Fantastic. I am also a specialist in this matter therefore I can easily comprehend your own hard work. unovegas daftar

  9. This is furthermore a fantastic write-up my partner and i really enjoyed considering. It really is generally not very each day my partner and i support the possibility to look at something. watch free movies online

  10. I had been honored to get a call from a friend immediately he identified the important recommendations shared in your site. Going through your blog posting is a real amazing experience. Thanks again for considering readers just like me, and I wish you the best of success being a professional topic. ilucky88 asia

  11. very informative for tuoursin thanks and Masoomeen Quran Center is an International Quran Academy for Shia Muslims We provide Shia Online Quran Classes Our aim is to educate the youth of the Shia Muslims for making their better future. We work to spread the Quran education across the globe.

  13. Hi! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to take a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and fantastic style and design. Visit Us Today

  14. Hi! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to take a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and fantastic style and design. Dewatogel88

  17. I had been honored to get a call from a friend immediately he identified the important recommendations shared in your site. Going through your blog posting is a real amazing experience. Thanks again for considering readers just like me, and I wish you the best of success being a professional topic. Dewa Togel

  19. Sindoor Packers and Movers offers the best Parcel Delivery Service in Rohini Sector 12 Delhi. We ensure quick, safe, and reliable delivery of your parcels within Rohini and across Delhi. Our professional team handles your packages with care and delivers them on time, making us the preferred choice for all your parcel delivery needs in Sector 12, Rohini. Trust Sindoor Packers and Movers for affordable and efficient parcel services that keep you connected.

  21. I would like most of the accounts, Favor actually enjoyed, We wish addiitional details regarding it, because it will be comparatively outstanding., Respect only for proclaiming. Okeslot

  24. For this reason it is advisable that you need to related study just before creating. You’ll be able to publish far better submit in this way. this page

  25. Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say superb blog! nabung77

  26. If you’re tired of laggy slot sites, check out jayaspin slot. I’ve been playing there for the past few weeks and it’s been consistently stable and rewarding.

  27. Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say superb blog! bethoki77 live chat

  28. This is exactly each an awesome content and articles document really quite quite beloved reading. This isn’t on daily basis i feature capability to work out a huge concern. https://ww88com.cx/

  31. nice post , Expert Web Designing is a trusted Web Design Company in Ahmedabad, offering tailored IT solutions for over 15 years. We specialize in a wide range of services, including WordPress Development Services, Website Development Services, Website Designing Service, Website Redesigning, E-commerce Website Development, and Graphic Designing. Our expert team also provides effective Digital Marketing Services like SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Local SEO, International SEO, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Management, and Google Ads Management. We build SEO-optimised, mobile-friendly, and conversion-focused websites that help businesses grow their digital presence and generate more leads.

  33. I prefer the complete pair of things, Seriously considered actually appreciated, I would like more details. with this, contemplating it is relatively respectable., Thank you a whole lot when it comes to exhibiting. kartupoker

  35. کلاس شطرنج مشهد فرصتی عالی برای علاقه‌مندان به این ورزش فکری است تا مهارت‌های خود را در محیطی حرفه‌ای و آموزشی تقویت کنند.

  37. چیدمان شطرنج در آغاز بازی، پایه و اساس هر مسابقه موفق است. بنابراین چیدمان شطرنج را به صورت اصولی در باشگاه شطرنج ایران یاد بگیر.

  39. It’s another day when I want to find a good article to read. enhance my knowledge And I found your article, it’s really great. and i like the most Asia Gaming

  40. Such a appears to be fully very best. Each one of these very little facts usually are constructed combined with many qualifications facts. I prefer of which a whole bunch. king88

  42. The subsequent seems including it goes without saying excellent. Almost all these trivial details are meant by employing volume of footing understanding. I love to these individuals drastically. https://bet88vn.locker/

  43. Rapidly this kind of fantastic web site will surely irrefutably often be well-known amongst many creating any website people, due to the fact thorough articles along with testimonies. 79kingg.uk.com

  44. I like all the content articles, I really cherished, I would like more information concerning this, due to the fact it is extremely great., Thank you regarding talking about. Nhà cái WW88

  45. I favor an entire couple of merchandise, Dreamed about seriously experienced, I require specifics. during this, taking into account that must be to some extent really good., With thanks considerably with regards to expressing. https://79kingg.uk.com/

  46. Whenever i became on your site while having particular attention easily a bit of tiny bit submits. Pleasing technique for long run, I’ll be book-marking at the moment have models accomplish springs right up. Link vào WW88

  49. Right away this website will probably unquestionably usually become well known with regards to most of website customers, as a result of meticulous accounts and in addition tests. https://sroka.uk.com/

  50. This process is definitely confidently seriously the best choice. Every one with incredibly small streaks will be expected via a variety of tradition capabilities. I like to recommend software program such a large amount. Link vào KUBET

Leave a Reply

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