Older Tourists, Bars, and Instant Conviviality in Pub Street, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Abstract

This an investigation of older tourists and street life. The purpose is to include this group in accounts of tourist practices, and to invite recognition of the value of such places to this demographic. Distinct tourist zones in popular tourist cities attract patrons of all ages and nationalities. Streets of cafés, bars, and restaurants provide a warm welcome, "local color," sustenance, relaxation, and companionship. Pub Street, Siem Reap, Cambodia is one such street. The region is home of the famous Angkor Watt temple complex. After sightseeing, here people relax, eager for conversation with anyone happy to sit and chat. Many are retirees or elderly visitors, welcome as consumers in this entertainment precinct. This article extends my exploration of Western retirees in Southeast Asia. A key aim is to note the significance to older tourists of a particular visitor space. In a street they perceived as safe and welcoming they happily defy the stereotypical expectations of their behavior as "old people" back home. But what was the practicable and ethical way to collect material from the visitors as they socialized? It was quickly found that participants were readily accessed. Mobile subjects need mobile methods; immersion in the activities of the subjects under study dissolved the barriers between researcher and participant. An approach for a formal interview later would not work, as many departed from Seim Reap early the next day. Ephemeral events and behaviors could only be captured in this way, even though it challenged institutionalized protocols about what appropriately constitutes research. This article contributes a new strand to spatial studies, locating older tourist as enthusiastic patrons of entertainment precincts. The scope of this project has been limited to just the small precinct of Seim Reap.