Cambodia Has Elephants And Temples, Tourism On Steady Rise This Year

Cambodia’s agricultural sector is suffering due to another year of monstrous flooding, but another sector in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation has picked up the slack: Tourism has been on a steady upswing this year as Cambodia learns to cater to international travelers and offer unique attractions based on its cultural heritage, such as temples and elephants.

The nation attracted more than 3 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of the year, a 19 percent year-on-year increase, despite disputes between the ruling and opposition parties following the July 28 national election, according to Tith Chantha, the Cambodian Secretary of State at the Ministry of Tourism, as cited by Bernama, a Malaysian news agency.

Elephants offer a unique experience for foreign visitors, and they are also an important part of the locals’ livelihood. Often rescued from poachers in the surrounding jungles, elephants are brought into Cambodian tourism to give rides, performs circus tricks, and paint with their trunks.

“My elephants work four hours a day, and we treat them like family,” said 32-year-old Mnacn Hong, who has been an elephant trainer in Poutang village in the Mondulkiri province, according to the Phnom Penh Post, a Cambodian news outlet. “When I get tours, the money is spread around the community.”

Sourced: Cambodia Tourism News