Tourist arrivals in Cambodia surge during Chol Chnam Thmey hinh anh 1Putkiri pagoda in Cambodia (Photo: VNA)
 
Phnom Penh (VNA) – Nearly 5 million visitors at home and abroad flocked to major destinations in Cambodia during the traditional New Year festival Chol Chnam Thmey 2019 from April 14-16, up nearly 70 percent year-on-year.

Statistics from the Cambodian Tourism Ministry showed that the southwestern province of Battambang bordering Thailand hosted the largest source of tourists with nearly 900,000 domestic and foreign arrivals. It was followed by Svay Rieng, which borders Vietnam, with about 500,000 arrivals.

Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap province ranked third in terms of tourist arrivals.

Last year, Cambodia’s economy grew by over 7 percent with a total export of over 11 billion USD. Tourist arrivals in the country topped 6 million, with Chinese visitors accounting for the most, followed by those from Vietnam with nearly 1 million.

The Cambodian tourism sector expects to welcome around 7 million holidaymakers by 2020 and 10 million ones by 2025.

The Cambodian government has embarked on major transportation, airport and seaport projects to propel economic growth.-VNA

VNA