Cambodia’s tourism slump leaves Angkor Wat eerily quiet

Tourist arrivals have collapsed by nearly 50 per cent this year, forcing local operators to rethink Cambodia’s entire pitch

Watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat once meant fighting for elbow room, a hundred phone screens glowing in the dark as tour buses disgorged crowds chasing the same postcard-perfect shot

“Angkor is as quiet as I have seen it in years,” said Akim Ly, founder of the Siem Reap-based tour company Adventures Cambodia and a member of the Cambodia Tourism Association.

“The travellers who do come are standing at sunrise with space around them – and that is worth saying out loud.”