Nearly 6.4 Million Tourists Join Water Festival
National and international tourists visited Phnom Penh during the Water Festival on Nov. 28. Photo: Soy Rathanakvisal.jpg
- By Meng Seavmey
- November 30, 2023 4:05 PM
PHNOM PENH – The Water Festival attracted more than 6.39 million tourists across the country over three days of celebrations. Of these, around 73,000 were foreign.
The total jumped from 5.8 million visitors in 2019 before COVID-19 hit, Ministry of Tourism spokesman Top Sopheak said.
The Water Festival was celebrated from Nov. 26 to Nov. 28 for the first time in three years after cancellations due to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and 2021 and Cambodia hosting the ASEAN Summit in 2022.
The most-visited festival destinations included Phnom Penh and the provinces of Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk, Battambang and Kep, Sopheak said.
Phnom Penh attracted nearly five million tourists — more than 40,000 were foreigners — with the biggest celebration, presided by King Norodom Sihamoni, in front of the Royal Palace and along the Chaktomuk River.
Siem Reap province also held a boat race, traditional games and the Kun Khmer World Championship for three days. The province welcomed more than 304,000 tourists, of whom 14,261 were foreigners.
Angkor Archaeological Park welcomed 147,000 visitors, Phnom Kulen 8,000 visitors, Siem Reap river 110,000 visitors, and other tourism communities around 25,000 visitors, according to the Siem Reap Provincial Administration.
Meanwhile, Preah Sihanouk province received over 262,000 tourists. Battambang province was visited by more than 100,000 tourists and Kep province welcomed over 92,000 tourists.
From January to October, Cambodia welcomed more than four million tourists, up by 179 percent on the same period last year.
