The massive influx of tourists into the Angkor region of Cambodia is putting the World Heritage Site in jeopardy, reports Routard.
The area welcomed over 1.5 million visitors in 2010, an increase of 25 percent over the previous year. Because tourists are free to wander around the sites, many ignore one-way signs, touch the walls, and clamber over the rocks.
With the reopening of Baphuon, one of the region’s largest temples, the number of tourists is expected to climb – with an expected total of 2.5 million in 2011 and a projected 6 million tourists a year by 2020.
Up to 3,000 people climb the hillside at a time, scaling the soft sandstone to enjoy the sunset views at the top of the beehive-like towers.
"Nobody should be allowed to walk on 1,000-year-old stones," said Jeff Morgan, executive director of the U.S.-based Global Heritage Fund.
More than just tourists threaten the delicate monuments. Invasive tropical vegetation and monsoon rains eat away at the fragile stones; development has spiraled out of control at Angkor Wat and the nearby town of Siam Reap; and corruption and a lack of definitive planning have derailed past attempts to preserve the temples and the surrounding areas.
Starting this year, officials have implemented some restrictions: only 100 people are allowed to access the topmost level of Angkor Wat at any one time, and visits there are limited to 30 minutes.
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