Ancient temples, vibrant cities and pristine beaches see tourism emerge as a vital growth pillar for Cambodia – driving almost 20% of GDP and over 15% of jobs pre pandemic while infusing almost $5 billion in 2019 buoyed by 6.6 million international tourists though over 80% concentrated around Siem Reap and Angkor archeological complex warrant further diversification.
Sustaining strategic influence hence warrants balancing conservation priorities and local livelihoods interlinkages through niche products crafting showcasing ecotourism pathways, fostering social enterprises uplifting marginalized artisans equitably and even setting exemplary benchmarks minimizing ecological harm through low carbon buildings codes introduction and waste processing infrastructure development mandating for the sector while proactively skilling youth for tomorrow’s service economies attuned to global trends and technology absorption – a clarion call for action on multiple fronts simultaneously to distribute gains justly!