PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Cambodia's famed Angkor Archaeological Park attracted 235,850 foreign visitors in the first two months of 2024, up 50 per cent from 156,951 in the same period last year, said a news release on Saturday.
The ancient site made US$11.2 million in revenue from ticket sales during the January-February period this year, also up 52 per cent from US$7.38 million in the same period last year, said the news release from the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.
Located in northwest Siem Reap province, the 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park is home to 91 ancient temples, which had been built from the 9th to the 13th centuries.
The 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.
Officials believe that the 2024 Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year, which was launched in January, would be a magnet for Chinese tourists to Cambodia, especially to the Angkor park.
"I'm strongly confident that the 2024 Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year will become a new driving force to attract more Chinese tourists and investors to Cambodia," Cambodian Tourism Minister Sok Soken said at the launching event held at the Terrace of the Elephants in the Angkor park.
Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State and Spokesperson Top Sopheak hopes that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which was put into commercial operations last November, would also help attract more international travelers to the Angkor park.
"This international airport is playing a crucial role in helping boost the country's tourism, economy, trade, investment," he told Xinhua.
With a 3,600-meter-long runway, the 4E-level international airport is currently the kingdom's largest airport and is the main international gateway to the Angkor park. - Xinhua
