SIEM REAP: The centuries-old temples of Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat played host to a parade of Rolls-Royces, Ferraris and Lamborghinis on Tuesday (Sept 17), although drivers were banned from revving their supercharged engines.
The event was intended to promote the environmentally sensitive Unesco-listed World Heritage site, where the ruins of the Khmer empire's greatest monuments are surrounded by lush forests and giant trees.
Tourism is vital to the South-East Asian country and received around 6.6 million visitors a year before the Covid-19 pandemic, when numbers nosedived to below 200,000 in 2021.
Visitors rebounded to nearly 5.5 million last year, netting more than US$3 billion in revenue, but remained below pre-pandemic levels.
Asked about the apparently incongruous nature of the occasion, Cambodia's tourism minister Sok Soken told AFP that strict guidelines had been imposed, with engine-revving banned "in terms of disrespect to our heritage here".
He spoke a few metres away from a Bugatti Chiron, some models of which reportedly have list prices of more than $3 million.
"The display of cars is an art of technology, an inclusion of technology and a modern way of travelling," he said, adding Cambodia "will be ready to provide hospitality to all forms of travellers".
An attempt by organisers Gumball 3000, a British lifestyle brand, to set a record for the number of supercars and hypercars at a World Heritage site fell short.
However, the vehicles saw high traffic from locals and tourists taking pictures and selfies.
"This is the first time I have seen such modern cars at Angkor Wat," said university student Kuy Tola, 19. "It is amazing." - AFP