生まれ変わったアンコールワット、観光業復活の担い手に

【シエムレアプＡＦＰ＝時事】夜明けを迎えるカンボジアのアンコールワット遺跡に集まってきた外国人観光客。新型コロナウイルス禍からの回復途上で訪問者の数は少なく、国連教育科学文化機関（ＵＮＥＳＣＯ、ユネスコ）の世界遺産をゆっくりと堪能できる幸運の持ち主たちだ。（写真はアンコールワットで観光客に写真を撮ってあげている観光ガイド）
　カンボジアは、昨年１１月に観光客の受け入れを再開した。修復を終えて生まれ変わったばかりのアンコールワット遺跡には、観光業復活の推進役として大きな期待がかけられている。
　ベルギーから来た旅行者は「こんなに人が少ない中でじっくり見物できるのは、一生に一度の経験だと思います」とし、「特別です」とコメントした。
　新型コロナの流行はカンボジアにとって大きな経済的損失をもたらした。その一方で、遺跡の修復と保存活動を進める絶好の機会にもなった。
　老朽化した尖塔（せんとう）の修復作業が行われ、乾期に芝生を枯らさないための給水システムが設置された。
　国境閉鎖と渡航制限により、カンボジアの観光収入は大きく落ち込んだ。２０１９年は５０億ドル（約６４００億円）だったが、昨年は１億８４００万ドル（約２３０億円）だった。
　外国人観光客もコロナ禍以前の年間約６６０万人から２０２１年には２０万人以下に激減。徐々に回復してはいるが、コロナ前の数字には程遠い。
　それでも、シンガポールからアンコールワットのあるシエムレアプまで毎日運航する新規就航便への期待から、当局は今年、７０万人の外国人観光客を見込んでいる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/04/28-10:59）

As dawn breaks, foreign tourists gather by the ancient towers of Cambodia's Angkor Wat, some of the lucky few to see the World Heritage Site with the crowds thin as the country recovers from the coronavirus.
Hopes are high that the temple complex, recently revitalised from repair work, will spearhead a recovery in tourism after the Southeast Asian nation began re-opening to travellers last November.
A handful of overseas visitors are once again roaming the sacred site, with many calling it a unique opportunity.
I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to really see it with such few tourists, Belgian holidaymaker Marjan Colombie told AFP. It's so different.
On previous visits to the 12th-century ruins she had been forced to jostle with others and endure long queues, she said.
Despite the huge economic cost for Cambodia, the pandemic has been a boon for renovations and conservation work at Angkor Wat.
The government agency that manages the UNESCO site says the shutdown allowed extra time and space for repair work, maintenance and gardening.
Our temples could rest too, APSARA Authority spokesman Long Kosal said.
Workers fixed crumbling towers and installed a water system to keep the grass green during the dry season.
Local businesses in Siem Reap are now seeing an uptick in bookings after Covid-19 decimated tourism.
Chea Sokhon, general manager of Sarai Resort and Spa -- which closed in April 2020 and laid off its 100 employees -- is rehiring as foreign tourists return.
It's like we are starting from zero, he said, laying out the challenges he faces.
The businessman, who also sits on the tourism board for Siem Reap, said about 20 percent of hotels in the city have re-opened this year and about 30 percent are preparing.
But he cautioned it would take at least another year for a full recovery.
- 'Overwhelming' -
Our tour guides have hope again, said local guide Meth Savutha, back on the job after spending the past two years teaching English online to support his family.
Border closures and travel restrictions knocked Cambodia's income from tourism down to just $184 million last year, a far cry from the nearly $5 billion in 2019.
Foreign tourists nosedived to below 200,000 in 2021 from roughly 6.6 million pre-pandemic.
But a comprehensive vaccine rollout and a retreat of the virus have enabled Phnom Penh to resume issuing visas on arrival.
Numbers are now slowly climbing again but remain a long way from pre-Covid figures.
Officials expect 700,000 international visitors this year, fuelled by new daily flights to Siem Reap from Singapore.
For German tourist Hanna, visiting Cambodia for the first time this month, the renovations to Angkor Wat and lack of crowds made it an overwhelming experience.
It's absolutely beautiful and stunning, she told AFP as the sun rose over the historic complex.
It's just a very unique experience.