Angkor attracts more tourists

SIEM REAP, 11 October 2012: Visitors to Siem Reap’s historical Angkor Wat increased by a substantial 31% during January to August, the provincial tourism department reported last week. The department said in the first eight months of 2012, 1.36 million international tourists visited the temple compared to 1.04 million during the same period last year. The top five countries supplying visitors to Cambodia’s largest cultural site were South Korea, Vietnam, China, Japan and Thailand. South Korea led the field with 238,400 visits increasing 41% followed by Vietnam with 163,055 (-13%); China with 110,500 (+47%); Japan with 86,850 (+16%); and Thailand with 79,035 (+184%). Siem Reap’s provincial tourism department administration chief, Chhoeuy Chhorn, said the sharp growth in Thai tourists was attributed to the quiet border situation. “There was also a remarkable rise in South Korean and Chinese visitors due to more direct flights and better promotions.” The daily entrance fees to Angkor Wat starts at US$20 for international visitors, US$40 for a three-day visit, and US$60 for the entire week. In 2011, the temples attracted 1.6 million foreign visitors, an increase of 23%. All of them had to pay a minimum of US$20 to tour the complex providing a rough estimate of the gate value for the company that handles the business. The Angkor archaeological park is Cambodia’s largest cultural tourism destination located 315 km from the capital Phnom Penh. Sourced: ttrweekly