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• Cambodia’s tourism sector expanding with globalization & liberalization

  ⇒ many effects on Cambodia’s social environment

• In this respect, The globalized tourism affects how the way people lived pre and post-globalized era

  • improved quality of life in local communities outside capital, city centers, general population
  • by improving on more niche locations & spreading new markets

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• According to Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia: social media has huge impacts on Cambodian tourism now.
  • The increasing accessibility and usage of technology and the internet has changed the way tourism functions
    • Social medias make reviews important such as in blogging sites, sensational posts are seen by both foreign and domestic travelers who wants to plan their trip successfully
    • Change how tourists search and pick their destination
      • Comparing strangers’ experiences instead of the traditional tourism booklets or on a whimsical adventures.

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• Expanding tourism may positively impact Cambodia’s population centers more than rural areas (economic boost, employment)
  • Problem of inequality of gain due to globalization
  • Remote and rural areas are less attractive destinations ⇒ not nearly as benefited by growth of tourism
  • But there’s an upcoming concept called “Community based tourism”
    • It is a style of tourism where rather than visiting tourist hotspot, travelers plan to visit the lesser noticed parts of the country, but nevertheless still beautiful and rich in culture
    • These can be visiting small villages, interacting with the people, giving them opportunities for extra income and activity
• Increased tourism would remove prejudices of nationalism, pride, and promote mutual understanding of hosts and guests in the tourism sector.
  • Tourist hotspots like Siam Reap and its many temples along with the general culture, food, and people gives Cambodian pride in their ancestral heritage and how the world is more aware of it.

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• However, the tourism sector uses excessive amounts of water in comparison to the locals. It’s use to care for golf courses, swimming pools, hotels, and even tourists’ personal use
• Indigenous people and their culture can also be negatively impacted.
  • Evictions
  • economic dislocations
  • breakdown of traditional values
  • commodification/commercialization of culture
  • degradation of historical sites
  • old buildings and natural environment destroyed to build tourist facilities