ONE MILLION TOURISTS WILL BE COMING TO SEE IT

Cambodia; with its capital in Phnom Penh, is a country of some 11,500,000 inhabitants and covers an area of 181,035sq km. After long years of debilitating war, the country has at last found peace and security, and is now entering a period of economic development.
Cambodia, a member of ASEAN, is that the geographic centre of the countries making up the Mekong Region, home to some 225 million people, offering an exciting potential for economic expansion.
A recent conferment of international donor and countries that are providing financial assistance for the restoration of Cambodia confirmed that this country enjoys the confidence of the international community.
The Cambodian government has been successful in creating the conditions needed to draw both investors and tourists back to Cambodia.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION

The Angkor plain is found in the northwest of Cambodia, in the province of Siem Reap. It is dominated to the north by the Kulen Plateau and bordered to the south by the Great Lake (Tonle Sap).

The town of Siem Reap, with its 50,000 inhabitants, six Kilo-metres away from Angkor Wat, is the economic hub of the region.
It has an international airport that provides easy access by air from the capital, Phnom Penh, as well as from Bangkok, Phukhet and Sukothai in Thailand, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Singapore. Flights from Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur are planned for the near future.
In addition, Siem Reap may be reached by river from the capital, and the upgrading of the road network currently being carried out will shortly enable visitors to travel by car or bus from either Phnom Penh or Thailand.

While awaiting completion of a new airport, the existing runway is being enlarged in order to accommodate high capacity aircraft.

The site is experiencing a significant increase in the flow of tourists, the number of which is expected to reach 200,000 in 2000 and gradually grow to 1 million in the next few years.
DESIGN

Angkor Tourists City will be developed in Compliance with current planning regulations, but in keeping with Khmer architectural traditions. Green areas and buildings will be blended together.

The area will contain tourists and leisure facilities only. It is reserved exclusively for luxury and first- class hotels with a capacity of over 60 rooms, in accordance with urban development regulations.

Essential utilities (electricity, water supply, etc.) are slated to be operational by 2002.
The development of the 60-hectare initial phase in two stages will make available up to 1,200 rooms, together with ancillary services and leisure facilities.
THE APSARA AUTHORITY

The APSARA Authority is a national, public administrative body whose terms of reference are to "design and manage the planning and development of tourism in the region of Angkor". It thus has the triple role of tourism management, urban planning and safeguarding the cultural heritage of the Angkor / Siem Reap region.
INVESTMENT CONDITIONS

The 1994 Law on investment in the kingdom of Cambodia and its 1997 implementation decree offer considerable incentive to investors. The APSARA Authority is also empowered to negotiate long-term lease (70 years in length). For hotels, the leasing fee is set pro rata the number of rooms planned.

The APSARA Authority provides advice and guidance for investors and finalises investment contracts. Construction projects are subject to standard specifications detailing the legal, technical, aesthetic and financial conditions for the implementation and operation of the venture.

In this way, investors are able to negotiate with the Cambodian authorities and operate in a climate of total co-operation and transparency; with the added assurance that the outstanding world heritage represented by the Angkor temples will be preserved.
Infrastructures of Angkor Park

Apsara Authority in cooperation with the Siem Reap provincial office has installed electric lights along:
1.The road running from the Royal Residence to the Siem Reap International Airport
2.The road running from the Royal Residence to Angkor Wat, Apsara Authority covered all expenses incurred through the installation of the lighting system.


The road to Siem Reap International Airport
The road to Angkor Wat
To help facilitate traffic around the provincial stadium, Apsara Authority decided to repair a road to the south of the stadium. This road was opened for use at the beginning of 2003.
Under repair
After repair
Restoration Worksites
Banteay Srei Temple

The project to restore Banteay Srei temple is a joint project between Apsara Authority and the government of Switzerland (see Yadshodhara 6). Work completed during the initial six month period ending in December 2002 included: archaeological research; drawing of a plan of the temple as a whole; preparation of a system of organising loose stones in order to make them easy to examine; cleaning of the temple surroundings; and a study of the effect on the temple of the trees which surround it.
Repairing the ancient drainage system
Examining the soil sample from drilling
Chau Say Tevoda Temple

By the end of 2002, ongoing restoration work at Chau Say Tevoda Temple directed by technical experts from the People's Republic of China had:
- Completed restoration of the causeway
- Almost completed restoration of the southern library and southern gate tower Work scheduled for the coming years include:
- Repair of the eastern gate tower
- Repair of the porch of the central sanctuary
- Reconstruction of the northern gate tower from which many stones have fallen
Southern library before restoration.

Workshop on Inscription

In addition; the in cooperation with the ministry of Culture and find Arts, Apsara Authority organised several workshop on cataloguing of Ancient Khmer Inscription. The workshop considered:
- Re-cataloguing of inscriptions according to their proper date
- Photographing rubbings of inscriptions and entering such documentation into a computerised data base which would then be made widely available through the Internet
- Formalisation of the methods and tools used to make rubbings of inscriptions
- Organisation of a plan to make rubbings of newly discovered inscription as well as to give them inventory numbers.

Workshop

The participants of this workshop included: researcher from the EFEO; representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Find Arts; participants from the department of Archaeology (Royal University of find Arts, Phnom Penh); as well as researchers from the department of culture of Apsara Authority. The Workshop was held over a three day period in Siem Reap / Angkor.
Professors from Silpakorn University (Thailand)
Researchers from the Department of Archaeology
Researchers from Apsara Authority
Researchers from the department of Archaeology
Making rubbings of inscriptions at the Bayon
Presenting the results of making rubbings and assigning inventory numbers to newly found inscriptions

THE ICC meeting in Siem Reap/ Angkor

The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and development of the Historic Site of Angkor (Known as ICC) meets in June and December of each year to consider ongoing restoration, and development projects in the Siem Reap / Angkor Region
The Meeting
ICC members visiting the Banteay Srei worksite

An International Meeting on the Conservation of the Bayon

The Japanese Team for the Safeguarding of Angkor (JSA) also organises many international meeting, which have become annual events in Siem Reap / Angkor, brings together many international and national experts to discuss ongoing plans to conserve the Bayon.
Meeting
Restoration Worksite at Northern library, Angkor Wat
Visit to the research worksite at the Western Prasat Top, Angkor Thom
Angkor International Documentation Centre

The Angkor International Documentation Centre has expanded to a new

The Angkor International Documentation Centre has expanded to a new building marked on the map below. The Centre opened its doors at its new Location on the 1st of January, 2003.

Many more activities are organised, indeed in full respect of the integrity of the monuments such as;
Performances Arts at Angkor Wat
Night Performances at Angkor
Dancers from the Ballet Troup of Lorraine, France
Churning of the Sea of Milk interpreted by The Royal Ballet
Performances during Asian Cultural week at Angkor Wat
Traditions

On the occasion of the Water Festival, The Siem Reap Provincial office organised boat races on the Siem Reap River.
Thirty nine boats having an average of 20 oarsmen. The boats represented various districts and offices of Siem Reap Province as well as the FAO organisation. The race course began at the "Spean Thma" bridge next to the Royal Residency and ended at the Vat Bo
The boat races on Siem Reap River.