Fourth International Conference on Tourism and Leisure Studies

Abstract

In 1992 the temples of Angkor, the largest archeological site (400 sq km) in the world, received UNESCO World Heritage designation. Subsequently, there has been growth in the numbers of tourists. The Angkor temples are expected to receive 2 million visitors in 2020. With the growth in international and domestic visitors, the governing body APSARA, is faced with the challenge of maintaining the cultural integrity of the area and meeting the expectations of the visitors. Overtourism is a threat to the physical, social and cultural integrity of the area. In 2018 the Tourism Authority of the Kingdom of Cambodia invited the Pace University Research Team to collaborate on a project to assess the nature of the increasing numbers of international and domestic visitors (overtourism) to temples of Angkor. Working with the Cambodian tourism officials in cross cultural teams, we developed a two page survey, piloted tested it and administered it to 750 visitors in the temples, city and the airport. The results of the survey provide recommendations on survey develop, language, multicultural research team development as well as strategies for addressing the diverse needs and expectations of multicultural and multigenerational visitors to cultural heritage sites and visitor interpretation centers.