Conclusion – in (the) place of modernity appears the illusion of history

This book has considered one of the most crucial, turbulent periods in Angkor’s 1200-year history. While the region might not have been sacked or abandoned, the twin invasions of a global heritage industry and millions of tourists, both domestic and international, have in themselves had a profound and unprecedented impact on the region. In this respect, Angkor presents us with an extreme example of the challenges facing countless heritage tourism landscapes around the world today. Studying this moment of rapid change therefore offers important insights into ‘the social, cultural and political contexts that influence the use and interpretation of material culture’, an area which, as Smith (2004: 51) argues, remains an underresearched field of enquiry. The context of Cambodia also provides us with a valuable analytical lens for understanding the opportunities andpitfalls tourismand heritage pose for the developing world and the complex role they play within the national and socio-cultural reconstruction of post-conflict, postcolonial societies. To illustrate this further this concluding chapter brings together, and reflects upon, the analytical threads of the book.