Cambodia's Angkor Sees Nearly 700,000 int'l Tourists in 11 Months
Tourists visit the Angkor Wat in the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, Dec. 17, 2022. Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua
- By Xinhua News Agency
- December 1, 2023 6:10 PM
PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia's famed Angkor Archaeological Park registered 699,996 foreign visitors during the first 11 months of 2023, up 211 percent from 225,191 over the same period last year, said a news release on Friday.
The ancient park earned 32.54 million U.S. dollars in revenue from ticket sales during the January-November period, up 261 percent from 9 million dollars year on year, according to the news release from the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.
In November alone, the Angkor welcomed 97,426 foreigners, making 4.66 million U.S. dollars in revenue, the statement added.
Located in northwest Cambodia, the 401-square-km Angkor Archeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country.
Cambodian Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State and Spokesperson Top Sopheak said he is confident that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), which launched its commercial operation on Nov. 16, would attract more international travelers to the Angkor.
With a 3,600-meter-long runway, the SAI is currently the biggest airport in the Southeast Asian country and is the main gateway to the Angkor.
"This international airport is playing a crucial role in helping boost the country's tourism, economy, trade and investment," he told Xinhua. "We hope it will attract new international airlines, so they will bring more tourists and investors to Siem Reap province, the home of the Angkor."
