Cambodia is a LDC, which has focused on tourism to stimulate development since 2001.
There is little research conducted in Cambodia, with even less relevant to sustainable
tourism development. Much more research is available in the African and east Asian
contexts, where there is a higher concentration of LDCs. This research seeks to partly
address this deficit and to explore the extent of the role of sustainable tourism development
in Cambodia.
Firstly, this chapter will outline the physical and political characteristics of Cambodia to
provide a basis for understanding the context of this research. Secondly, the preliminary
study explores the notion of community, and the role of perception in understanding
tourism in the cultural context of Cambodia. The preliminary study also identifies key factors
important to the conduct of research in Cambodia which has been used to inform the
methodological approach and research design for this project.