Cambodia’s famed Angkor records 47% rise in int’l tourists in Q1

Angkor Archaeological Park

Cambodia’s famed Angkor Archaeological Park received 347,534 foreign visitors in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, up 47 per cent from 236,341 over the same period last year, said a news release on Monday.

The ancient park earned US$16.5 million in revenue from ticket sales during the January-March period this year, also up 48 per cent from US$11.1 million over the same period last year, said the news release from the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.

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 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.

The Ministry of Tourism’s Secretary of State and Spokesperson Top Sopheak is confident that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which officially began commercial operations last November, would 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-metre-long runway, the 4E-level international airport is currently the kingdom’s largest airport and also the main international gateway to the Angkor park. -Bernama