Cambodia's famed Angkor welcomes 873,297 Chinese tourists last year

About 873,297 Chinese tourists visited Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park in 2019, accounting for 39.6 percent of the international arrivals to the park last year, according to an official report on Sunday.

China remained the biggest source of foreign tourists to the ancient site, followed by the United States and South Korea, said the state-run Angkor Enterprise's report, adding that some 164,448 Americans and 134,886 South Koreans visited the site last year.

According to the report, the Angkor attracted a total of 2.2 million foreign tourists last year, earning gross revenue of 99 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales.

Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said good ties between Cambodia and China in combination with Cambodia's peace, political stability, and attractive tourist destinations have encouraged Chinese holidaymakers to come to Cambodia.

"Chinese tourists have importantly contributed to boosting Cambodia's economy and to reducing poverty via job creations," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The Angkor Archeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination.

An entrance fee to the park is 37 U.S. dollars for a one-day visit, 62 dollars for a three-day pass, and 72 dollars for a week-long pass.

Editor: John Li