PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park had welcomed nearly half a million foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2023, the state-owned Angkor Enterprise said in a statement on Monday.
The statement said 498,513 international visitors had traveled to Angkor during the Jan.-Aug. period of this year, representing a significant rise of 350.8 percent from 110,570 in the same period last year.
The ancient site made 23.09 million U.S. dollars in revenue from ticket sales during the eight-month period, up 420 percent from 4.44 million dollars, it added.
In August, the site welcomed 59,148 foreigners, earning 2.77 million dollars from ticket sales, according to the statement.
Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State Top Sopheak attributed the sharp growth to no travel restrictions in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
"We hope that more foreign tourists will come to Cambodia, especially to Angkor, in coming years as many airlines have resumed their flights to the kingdom," he told Xinhua.
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 in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian nation. ■
