From a new(ish) report on how Cambodia can develop its tourist appeal.

What else is there to see and explore besides the Angkor temples? What other motives can be used to market Cambodia as a unique tourism destination? These are the questions Nikolas Hatz, Senior Lead Consultant and Tourism Development Expert for the GIZ ICONE program finds most pressing.

Hatz’s study, Cambodia’s Tourism Insights Study 2023 released recently by GIZ, the German Agency for International Cooperation. The study is a careful assessment and analysis of visitor perceptions before, as well as after arrival in Cambodia.

“The comparison in visitor perception reveals a significant change: before travelling, visitors tend to associate Cambodia with the Angkor temples, which is evidently the main travel motivation for almost all leisure visitors,” said Hatz.

That apart, visitors have the perception of Cambodia as a developing country handicapped by typical factors like poverty, inequality and low development.

Visitors tended to have an impression of “temples in a lush jungle with wild animals”, in addition to nature, landscape, wildlife and the countryside prior to their travel. A general lack of awareness about Cambodia prompted visitors to neighbouring countries like Thailand and Vietnam or other Southeast Asian countries.

Once they land here, however, “visitors develop a particular image of the Cambodian people and their lifestyle, no longer mentioning the Angkor temples as the number one image of Cambodia,” said Hatz. The people and their lifestyle which visitors are totally unaware of before they actually arrive here, become their number one image, especially for those who are travelling to Cambodia for the first time and have no idea of what to expect. “This manifests as a kind of ‘surprise effect’ after arrival,” added Hatz.

Following arrival in the Kingdom, the overall image of the country has been reported to be positive, apart from a stark difference in perception of safety before and after arrival.

Full article - https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501427842/ ... -to-offer/

i think if you asked many people what they think of when someone mentions Cambodia
if they have any idea at all;

Khmer rouge and the murder of cambodians by cambodians
Massive bombing by the US
Angkor wat
poverty
land mines

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:03 am i think if you asked many people what they think of when someone mentions Cambodia
if they have any idea at all;

Khmer rouge and the murder of cambodians by cambodians
Massive bombing by the US
Angkor wat
poverty
land mines

I think that would depend on the age of the person.

I imagine that most persons under the age of 30 wouldn't think of any of the above. In fact, the majority of those under 30 wouldn't be able to find Cambodia on a world map.

Username Taken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:15 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:03 am i think if you asked many people what they think of when someone mentions Cambodia
if they have any idea at all;

Khmer rouge and the murder of cambodians by cambodians
Massive bombing by the US
Angkor wat
poverty
land mines

I think that would depend on the age of the person.

I imagine that most persons under the age of 30 wouldn't think of any of the above. In fact, the majority of those under 30 wouldn't be able to find Cambodia on a world map.

Right, but they are FB, Tic-Toc experts, a sad generation of ignorant.

Cambdodia feels like a trip to the past and an adventure. It also shows me how lucky I was to be born in Italy and not here.

My first trip to Cambodia was to see Sihanoukville, it was recommended to me by a couple I meet in Goa.
I'm lucky to have experienced it before it started to change.
That calling card is gawn

cabron wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:04 am

Username Taken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:15 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:03 am i think if you asked many people what they think of when someone mentions Cambodia
if they have any idea at all;

Khmer rouge and the murder of cambodians by cambodians
Massive bombing by the US
Angkor wat
poverty
land mines

I think that would depend on the age of the person.

I imagine that most persons under the age of 30 wouldn't think of any of the above. In fact, the majority of those under 30 wouldn't be able to find Cambodia on a world map.

Right, but they are FB, Tic-Toc experts, a sad generation of ignorant.

I'm in my 30s, and I'm a pretty well-educated person. I'll admit that a year ago, I would not have been able to find Cambodia on a map. I would have thought of Cambodia as a place in Asia with a lot of poverty, and that's about all I would have been able to tell you. I should mention that from America, so we're known for not knowing what's going on anywhere else in the world. Anyway, visiting Cambodia for the first time recently was an eye-opener, and I can't wait to return.

InkkieTime wrote: ↑Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:51 pm

cabron wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:04 am

Username Taken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:15 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:03 am i think if you asked many people what they think of when someone mentions Cambodia
if they have any idea at all;

Khmer rouge and the murder of cambodians by cambodians
Massive bombing by the US
Angkor wat
poverty
land mines

I think that would depend on the age of the person.

I imagine that most persons under the age of 30 wouldn't think of any of the above. In fact, the majority of those under 30 wouldn't be able to find Cambodia on a world map.

Right, but they are FB, Tic-Toc experts, a sad generation of ignorant.

I'm in my 30s, and I'm a pretty well-educated person. I'll admit that a year ago, I would not have been able to find Cambodia on a map. I would have thought of Cambodia as a place in Asia with a lot of poverty, and that's about all I would have been able to tell you. I should mention that from America, so we're known for not knowing what's going on anywhere else in the world. Anyway, visiting Cambodia for the first time recently was an eye-opener, and I can't wait to return.

I also first arrived to Cambodia in my 30s. American schools didn't really teach us much about Cambodia, did they?
Glad you had a positive experience, and here's to many more.