Tourists return to Angkor Wat

Each sunrise over Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex carries renewed hope of a resurgence in tourism for this Southeast Asian country. The pandemic left the nation's tourist trade devastated beyond recognition. When the country welcomed back foreign tourists in the winter months of 2021, annual figures for foreign tourists had plummeted to just 200,000. Pre-pandemic levels stood at around 6.6 million.

Those at the forefront of the return to Cambodia have been able to admire the World Heritage site without its customary hordes of visitors. One such holidaymaker's Marjan Colombie, from Belgium.

Marjan Colombie: "Oh it's, it's a wonderful experience. It's, I know it's not good for Cambodia, I, I really, I wish all the tourists to come back because Cambodia really needs it. That's why as soon as we could, we came back also. But, but for us, it's a really nice experience."

It's the first time Hanna, from Germany, has travelled to Cambodia.

Hanna: "Yeah, it's a much more special moment because it's a very unique experience. So, it's not many people here and it's quite quiet. So, you can really enjoy yourself and take a breath and look at everything, and nobody's stressing out. There are no big groups around."

Despite the massive economic shock to the country, Covid-19 has enabled essential repair work and restoration to be carried out at the UNESCO site. Employees have renovated crumbling towers and also installed a watering system, ensuring the grass is kept green even in the dry season.

Slowly but surely, trade and commerce is reawakening. 20 percent of hotels close to the religious monument have already seen some custom return, although the tourism board predicts a challenging further 12 months before business bounces back completely.

In the meantime, Marjan's thrilled to be able to soak up the magic of Angkor Wat undisturbed.

Marjan Colombie: "I think it's a once in a lifetime experience to, to really see it with such few tourists. So, I am, I'm really, really happy to, to be able to experience it like, like this."

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