STORY: Number of int'l tourists to Cambodia's Angkor rises 543 pct in H1
DATELINE: July 6, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:32
LOCATION: Phnom Penh
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Angkor Archeological Park (file)
2. various of tourists visiting the Angkor Archeological Park (file)
3. aerial view of the Angkor Archeological Park (file)

STORYLINE:

Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park received 385,769 foreign visitors in the first half of this year, up 543 percent from only 59,983 in the same period last year, said a press statement on Wednesday.

The ancient park earned 17.87 million U.S. dollars in revenue from ticket sales during the January-June period this year, up 638 percent from 2.42 million dollars in the same period last year, said the state-owned Angkor Enterprise's statement.

In June alone, the park greeted 41,012 foreigners, making 1.8 million dollars in revenue from ticket sales, the statement added.

Located in northwest Siem Reap province, the 401-square-km Angkor Archeological 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 nation.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said on Monday that Cambodia attracted 2.57 million international visitors in the first half of this year, a significant rise of 409 percent from 506,762 over the same period last year.

"Based on our latest forecast, Cambodia will be able to receive up to 5 million foreign tourists in 2023, an expected increase of 120 percent from 2.27 million in 2022," he said.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Phnom Penh.
(XHTV)