Tourists flock to Angkor Wat

Approximately 1.3 million tourists travelled to the World Heritage Site through the first eight months of the year, a 31 percent rise compared with 1.04 million during the same period in 2011.

The majority of visitors are from neighbouring Asian countries, with South Korea, Vietnam, China, Japan and Thailand constituting the top five source markets.

According to a report by the Siem Reap provincial tourism department, Angkor Wat received 238,400 South Koreans, up 41 percent compared with the same period last year; 163,055 Vietnamese, down 13 percent; 110,500 Chinese, up 47 percent; 86,850 Japanese, up 16 percent; and 79,035 Thais, up 184 percent.

The rise in Korean and Chinese tourists is attributed to improved air connectivity, while the quelling of last year’s Cambodian-Thai border dispute has prompted resurgence in travel from Thailand.

Sourced: traveldailymedia