Climate change adaptation in Cambodia's coastal hotel sector: An analysis of adaptation measures and hotel characteristics

After decades of profound challenges Cambodia has seen twenty years of stability and a flourishing tourism industry, however, it has also been identified as highly vulnerable to climate change thus putting the country's long-desired economic development at risk. Sustainable Development Goal 13 ‘Climate Action’ is critical for the continued economic success of Cambodia's vulnerable coastal tourism sector, but little is known about the hotel sector's adaptation responses and the differences between key hotel characteristics such as star rating, size, ownership and length of operation. This article examines the adaptation actions by 50 Cambodian coastal hotels by distinguishing between five adaptation categories. Subsequently, the analysis is deepened through a comparative analysis of key hotel characteristics. Although adaptation measures varied considerably between hotels they were more comprehensive and numerous than expected. Furthermore, patterns emerged that saw large hotels apply high levels of adaptation while budget and Khmer-owned hotels reported limited adaptation measures.