Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park received 398,485 international visitors during the first 10 months of this year, down 78 percent year-on-year, said a press statement released to media on November 2. (Photo: The Star) Hanoi (VNA) - Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park received 398,485 international visitors during the first 10 months of this year, down 78 percent year-on-year, said a press statement released to media on November 2.
The ancient park earned 18.55 million USD in revenue from ticket sales during the January-October period this year, also down 77 percent from the same period last year, said the state-owned Angkor Enterprise's statement.
In October alone, the site welcomed 2,244 foreigners, earning 93,598 USD, down 98.4 percent and 98.5 percent, respectively compared to the same month last year, it said.
The sharp decline was due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic that has forced the Southeast Asian nation to impose entry restrictions for all foreign travelers since March.
The Ministry of Tourism's secretary of state and spokesman Top Sopheak said prior to the COVID-19, the site attracted around 9,000 foreign tourists a day, but currently, it averagely serves only 70 a day and those are foreigners living and working in Cambodia.
Cambodia expects that the number of international visitors to the Angkor Archeological Park will start to rebound gradually in the first quarter of 2021 if COVID-19 vaccines are available, he said.
Top Sopheak said China will undoubtedly remain the largest source of tourists to Cambodia during the post-COVID-19 era.
Situated in northwest Siem Reap province, the Angkor Archeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is Cambodia’s most popular tourist destination./.
VNA
