Heritage Friendly Tourism

Nobody who has worked on an archaeological site which is at the same time a popular tourist destination can avoid reflecting on the relationship between the idea that archaeology is somehow contributing to society by providing what these people are coming to see. Though this is one of our professional mantras (yes, archaeology has them too), the truth is that probably we are not.

Tourism is itself erosive and damaging. Take the case of Angkor Wat in in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Tourism in Cambodia, one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries, continues to grow to an average of 30 percent a year with 3 million tourists predicted for 2010, and the country's ancient monuments are a prime tourist destination. The Angkor Wat temple was built between the ninth and fifteenth centuries AD, and was officially "rediscovered" in 1860 by French naturalist Henri Mouhot, and was later restored with the help of both UNESCO and archaeologists from France and Japan. It is a fast growing tourist destination with more than 2 million visiting last year. This has led to the need for a rapid development of the infrastructure, for example new shopping centers and hotels lining the streets of Siem Reap. This has led to concerns about damage created by constant overcrowding in touring the temple with numbers exceeding the capacity the site can manage.

Sarah Dowdey has written a piece on this ("Angkor: How can a UNESCO site keep tourist temple raiders in check?") which despite the cutesy title addresses a real problem:

"It only takes a quick Google image search to understand why Angkor, the Khmer empire's ancient seat, makes plenty of "must-see" travel lists. Its ruined temple complexes pop out through the forests, and its sprawling reservoirs offer a testament to the city's impressive engineering. [...] The ruined complex, situated near Siem Reap, has been one of Cambodia's tourist cornerstones since the country opened as a safe destination after years of war and internal strife. And while Angkor has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, and spent 12 years on the group's "threatened" list, such a designation requires some trade-offs. With international protection comes international exposure and a flood of new visitors. According to the non-governmental organization Heritage Watch, Angkor saw 7600 visitors in 1993; by 2006, the number was 1.6 million; by the time 2010 is up, the complex will likely draw 3 million. Tourists of course bring in money for the developing country, as well as help assure a certain degree of protection for cultural sites. But they also walk everywhere. They touch things. They require hotels, resorts and transportation. The development of Siem Reap may even be sucking Angkor dry, drawing out its groundwater and weakening the temples' foundations. Fortunately, groups like Heritage Watch are advocating for a more sustainable type of tourism. Working with the Cambodian government, they've started a "heritage friendly tourism campaign" to save antiquities, discourage looters and encourage visitors to fan out, spread their wealth and take a little heat off of Angkor".

The Heritage Watch website gives some details of this campaign which has seven key aims:
Promote Responsible Tourism
Promote the arts, culture, heritage and development projects in Cambodia.
Discourage Heritage Destruction
Encourage Private Sector Philanthropy
Inspire Visitors to Discover more of Cambodia's Fascinating Heritage
Encourage Longer Stays in Cambodia
Alleviate Stresses on Heritage Sites by Suggesting Alternative Routes/Destinations
Travel agencies and hotels will promote and disseminate heritage friendly guidelines to visitors, who receive the added value of a newsletter and calendar. The guidelines promote heritage awareness and include suggested behaviours such as refraining from touching the bas reliefs, being respectful of these sacred spaces, conservation of water, etc. Participating businesses receive a "Heritage Friendly Operator" designation.

See also Neil Wilford's post "The importance of preserving Cambodia's cultural Heritage" on the Changemakers website.

Tom Fawthrop: Will Angkor Wat survive the invasion of mass tourism?

Sun-Herald: Invasion of Angkor Wat, November 13, 2008

Ron Gluckman Angkor: Over!Ron Gluckman's roving reporter pages

Photo: Hundreds of tourists walk on the grounds of the Angkor Wat temple November 20, 2007 (Photo Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)