Tourists have sparked debate after filming themselves sprinting around a Unesco World Heritage site in Cambodia as part of the ‘ Temple Run in real life’ trend. Videos are gaining millions of views on social media of people running and jumping around the symbolic archaeological site of Angkor in Cambodia. Angkor contains the remains of different capitals of the Khmer Empire spanning over hundreds of years and includes the famous temple complex of Angkor Wat , where tourists are visiting and filming videos recreating a popular mobile game.
The videos are an ode to Temple Run , a video game by Imangi Studios that has been a popular download since it was released in 2011, prompting many spin-offs. The main premise of the game is to guide an explorer around a temple while animals chase them as they run, duck, and jump through an obstacle course of ruins and ancient trees. A series of TikTok videos have been created throughout this year, following tourists pretending to be in the game and running around the archaeological site, jumping off and sprinting up various parts of the remains.
While many people in the comments of these viral videos are praising the TikTokers for visiting Cambodia and sharing it on their platform, some conservationists and organisations have spoken out about the trend’s disruptive nature. A Unesco spokesperson told The Independent that while social media trends can help out a destination’s tourism industry, it can also exacerbate issues of overtour.
