Cambodia's Angkor attracts almost 700,000 foreign tourists in 9 months

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

The ancient park made 32.5 million U.S. dollars in revenue from ticket sales during the January-September period this year, up 30 percent from about 25 million dollars over the same period last year, according to a statement from state-owned Angkor Enterprise.

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

In September this year alone, the Angkor recorded 47,993 foreign holidaymakers, earning 2.18 million dollars in revenue, up 16.9 percent and 17.4 percent, 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.

The site, 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.

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 2023, has helped attract more international tourists to the Angkor.

"The Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year 2024 has also helped encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Cambodia, including the Angkor," he told Xinhua.■