CAMBODIA'S ANGKOR ATTRACTS NEARLY 700,000 FOREIGN TOURISTS IN 9 MONTHS

PHNOM PENH, Oct 2 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Cambodia's famed Angkor Archaeological Park received 699,850 international visitors in the first nine months of 2024, a 29.7 per cent increase from 539,561 during the same period last year, said a news release on Tuesday.

According to Xinhua, the ancient park generated US$32.5 million in revenue from ticket sales between January and September this year, a 30 per cent rise from approximately US$25 million over the same period last year, according to a statement from state-owned Angkor Enterprise.

The top five source markets for the site were the United States, Britain, France, South Korea, and China, according to the report.

In September this year alone, Angkor recorded 47,993 foreign holidaymakers, earning US$2.18 million in revenue, an increase of 16.9 per cent and 17.4 per cent, 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, which had been built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.

Inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, the site is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country.

Secretary of State and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Tourism Top Sopheak said that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which began commercial operations in November 2023, has helped attract more international tourists to Angkor.

"The Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year 2024 has also encouraged more Chinese tourists to visit Cambodia, including Angkor," he told Xinhua.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA