At Preah Vihear, tourists undeterred
Not even the imminent threat of war could quell tourists’ appetite for historical sites – at least at Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple, which was the subject of a highly contentious ruling at the International Court of Justice yesterday. While government figures show that local tourism to the 11th-century ruin has declined some 36 per cent in the first nine months of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012, foreign visits were up more than 50 per cent in the same time frame. And despite the fact that analysts had predicted a fiery Thai reaction to a ruling on the land surrounding the site, local and out-of-town sightseers over the past two days remained undeterred. … Jean Philippe Lepage, who manages the Preah Vihear Boutique Hotel, said yesterday that his establishment hadn’t seen any change in bookings in the lead-up to the ruling. “Actually, it’s been OK. Today we had two rooms only, but yesterday [Sunday] we had a lot,” he said. “But we did not have anyone delay their booking or cancel their reservation.” …
Stuart White and May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/preah-vihear-tourists-undeterred
