Cambodian officials are outraged at the news of plans for Angkor Wat replica in India. They say that this type of cultural insensitivity is "shameful". This is especially because Angkor Wat is the most visited landmark in Cambodia for traveling tourists. Not only would this be a replica of a national symbol of Cambodia, but it might also threaten future relations between the two countries. Officials compared the act to a hypothetical act of building a replica of the "Taj Mahal" in Cambodia.
I found this interesting because we have the opportunity to visit this famous landmark. I wonder if India's plans will eventually be approved by the government and whether or not it would have a major affect on the tourism business in Cambodia.
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/cambodia-outraged-at-plans-for-angkor-wat-replica-in-india-20120319-1vfv2.html
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ReplyDeleteI think that Cambodia is getting all upset over nothing. Dozens of "statue of liberty" "sphinx" and "eiffel tower" replicas appear all over (mostly in Las Vegas, lol) , but the Original is still the original! I think that tourists will still continue to go to Cambodia, because Angkor Wat, the original, just can't be replicated. Those who go to the replica in India, if its built, would probably not be able to afford to travel to Cambodia anyway.
ReplyDeleteBen Rindlisbacher
I agree with Ben. The Eiffel Tower in Vegas is just something else to see when you're on the Vegas Strip, not something that you go to Vegas for. Having been to the real Eiffel Tower I can tell you that the replica can't compare in the least. However, for a country as poor and as reliant on tourism as Cambodia, I can understand a little bit why they would be so upset. It makes me wonder as well if India couldn't come up with something better in order to enhance it's tourism industry. Rather than build new things, they should probably invest in making what they have better for those visiting the country.
ReplyDeleteI think this may be an opportunity for Cambodia to advertise Angkor Wat to the world even more.
ReplyDelete