Cambodia’s PM backs cultural tourism

PHNOM PENH Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen says cultural tourism plays a key role to build national cultural assets that in turn help to boost the economy.
Agence Kampuchea Presse quoted PM Hun Sen saying cultural tourism currently constitutes around 80% of Cambodia’s tourism revenue. The PM said it was essential to ensure culture and art had enough funding to support their conservation and tourism played a vital role.
“Cultural tourism development is the government’s top priority…this sector does not only contribute to economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction, but also plays an important role in supporting national integration.”

Angkor Wat bird's eye view (due to the haze, the image is slightly grainy).Angkor Wat is the country’s most outstanding attraction on the cultural tourism front, he said. But there are moves to open other heritage sites to tourism.
In February this year, Cambodia hosted the first Global Conference on Tourism and Culture, in cooperation with two UN institutions, namely the UNWTO and UNESCO with participants from 99 countries attended, the report said.
Last year, Cambodia attracted 4.5 million international tourist arrivals increasing 7.0% from 4.2 million in 2013.

sourced:ttrweekly.com