Angkor attracts more visitors

SIEM REAP Cambodia’s Angkor Wat Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, welcomed 1,092,055 international tourists, January to June, this year,  improving 0.7% over the same period, last year.

Local media quoted state-owned, Angkor Institution, which handles all ticket sales at the World Heritage site.

The report claimed the country earned USD31.27 million from ticket sales for the first six months of this year, up 1.7% compared to the same period, last year.

The largest sources of foreign tourists to the site are from China, South Korea, and Japan.

The entrance fee to the Angkor Historical Park costs USD20 a day (foreigners only), USD40 for a three-day visit and USD60 for a week-long visit.

In April, the Aspara Authority, the public organisation that manages the temples at Angkor historical park, announced it may increase the price of the day ticket. The price increase will be discussed by the Ministry of Finance, however, and has not been finalised, according to a Khmer Times report.

National Tourism Federation of Cambodia general secretary, Ho Vandy, was quoted saying although ticket prices remain unchanged, the government does plan to make adjustments.

He added that before an increase in ticket price was approved the private sector would be given ample notice.

The park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 and is now the country’s largest cultural tourist destination. It is located in Siem Reap province, some 315 km northwest of capital Phnom Penh.