Cambodia’s famed Angkor Archaeological Park received 699,850 international visitors in the first nine months of this year, up 29.7% from 539,561 over the same period last year, said a news release on Tuesday.
The ancient park made $32.5 million in revenue from ticket sales during the January-September period, up 30% from about $25 million over the same period last year, according to a statement from state-owned Angkor Enterprise.
The top five source markets were the United States, Britain, France, South Korea, and China, according to the report.
In September this year alone, Angkor recorded 47,993 foreign visitors, earning $2.18 million in revenue, up 16.9% and 17.4% respectively, compared to the same month last year, the statement said.
Situated in northwest Siem Reap province, the 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park is home to 91 ancient temples built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.
The site, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the country.
Secretary of State and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Tourism Top Sopheak said the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which was put into commercial operations in November last year, has helped to attract more international tourists to Angkor.
“This year the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange has also helped encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Cambodia, including Angkor,” he told Xinhua.
(Source Khmertimeskh)