When ancient glory meets modern tragedy : Angkor and the Khmer Rouge in contemporary tourism

Cambodia's turbulent transition towards political stability and a free-market economy after a history of genocide, civil war, and foreign occupation has been significantly influenced by an extraordinary growth in international tourism. Reconciliation along with cultural and economic rehabilitation have been urgent and simultaneous demands. The challenges facing Cambodia have been especially severe because of its need to restore a national identity shattered by prolonged conflict, the immense scale of the past to which that identity adheres and the dependence of the state on the tourist revenue from Angkor. In this context, tourism has not only played a pivotal role in molding the country's heritage industry, but has also been instrumental in defining and valuing what is Cambodian in a post-conflict era.