Phnom Penh (FN), Feb. 27 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet instructed tour guides and social media users to ensure historical accuracy when explaining Cambodia’s history to tourists and the public, in order to prevent misunderstandings about the nation’s true history.

The premier spoke on Thursday (Feb. 27) at the closing of the 2024 annual meeting of the Ministry of Tourism at OCIC, Phnom Penh.

The premier cited an example of a foreign influencer who falsely claimed, based on research documents, that Angkor Wat was not built by Khmer ancestors—an assertion that contradicts Cambodia’s authentic historical records.

Referring to this misleading case, Samdech Thipadei urged tour guides to be precise in their historical explanations to avoid misinforming tourists. Additionally, he called on the Ministry of Tourism to ensure proper training so that accurate historical interpretations are provided.

“We want to attract more foreign tourists, but we must also present our history and culture correctly, so historical accuracy is essential,” the premier underlined.

Samdech Thipadei also highlighted that Cambodia will host the Angkor Sangkran event in Siem Reap this year and encouraged tour operators to enhance their sales of tour packages to visitors.

Furthermore, Samdech Thipadei encouraged young people on social media, as well as the media and the general public, to continue promoting Cambodia’s tourism destinations and enhancing the country’s reputation. He also called on content creators, actors, and social media influencers to actively contribute to this effort by ensuring that videos and performances depicting culture, national identity, and heritage sites are appropriate and respectful.
=FRESH NEWS