Places Rated: Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Coastline

The November/December issue of Traveler features our annual “Places Rated” survey of destination stewardship, and this year 340 expert panelists rated 99 coastal destinations around the world. Here on the blog, we’re going to highlight some of these coastal destinations and are interested in adding your feedback to the mix. What do you think?

Cambodia: Sihanoukville
Rating: 38 — “In Trouble” category

Cambodia’s premier coastal resort “has some serious issues to address in terms of sustainability,” including corruption involved in development decisions, poor waste management, and “a low aesthetic of the built environment.”

Why did the place earn this score? Read representative panelist comments after the jump.

“Sewage treatment is nonexistent, and the building code lacks sustainability standards. While a draft-zoning plan designed to protect marine biodiversity and encourage appropriate forms of tourism development was prepared three years ago, it has not been implemented. Short-term profit dominates virtually all activity.”

“The coastal region is largely undeveloped due to 40 years of economic and social instability and devastating conflict. This is set to change rapidly. Land speculators have bought up or expropriated large tracts of the coastline, displacing the local population and small-scale tourism development.”

“Tourism has given many local people jobs, but there appears to have been little local community engagement in sustainable tourism planning. Political and military elites have secured most prime beachfront land. Tourism development has not incorporated traditional Cambodian architectural styles.”

Survey scoring system:
   74-84 Top Rated
   65-73 Doing Well
   55-64 In the Balance
   48-54 Facing Trouble
   34-47 In Trouble
   22-34 Near Catastrophic

See all 99 ratings and representative panelist comments online and share your thoughts below.

Photo: Kris LeBoutillier