Cambodia raked in 2.5 billion USD from tourism last year, Sok An, head of the Office of the Council of Ministers said at the celebration of the Cambodian New Year on April 14.

He further said the number of foreign tourists to the country sharply climbed to more than 4.2 million in 2013 from only around 120,000 in 1993, most of whom preferred Cambodian cultural heritage sites such as the Angkor Wat temples.

Last year, Cambodia’s revenue from tourism made up around 16 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The sector also provided jobs to some 400,000 people.

The Cambodian Government expects to attract 6.5 million foreign tourists by 2018 and earn 4 billion USD from the sector, providing jobs to around 650,000 people.-VNA