Ask most people about Cambodia and their replies will almost always be the same. Many know of Pol Pot, the former tyrant leader, and of the fact that Cambodia is one of the world’s poorest states. Indeed, one third of Cambodia’s 14 million people earn less than 56 US cents per day. However, thanks to the tourist industry, there have so far been 1.4 million foreign arrivals this year into Cambodia mostly from Japan, South Korea and the USA.
Tourists are mainly attracted by Cambodia’s exotic culture, jungles of the northeast and sandy beaches of the southwest. Cambodia also boasts the 9th century Angkor Wat monuments, built at the height of the Khmer empire. These temples are recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Visiting of Cambodian historic sites is facilitated by the introduction of the e-visa. This new system means that travelers can apply for a visa via Internet and do not need to visit Embassies.
There are some side effects of rapid tourism development. New landscape of multi-storey hotels and luxurious restaurants in way destroys the country’s identity. Increasing numbers of tourists stretch environmental ability to cope with week infrastructure.
