Cambodia to Ban Elephant Rides at Angkor by 2020

Cambodia will ban elephant rides at the Angkor Wat Historical Park in Siem Reap as of 2020.

The Angkor Elephant Group Committee has confirmed that the group of 14 elephants employed to offer rides to tourists visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site will be retired and transferred to a conservation and breeding centre by early 2020. 

According to the Committee director: “[Tourists] can still watch the elephants and take photos of them in our conservation and breeding centre. We want the elephants to live in as natural a manner as possible.”

This is a positive move from the government towards sustainable development in the travel and tourism industry that is welcomed by travellers from all over the world.

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