China 2nd-largest source of foreign tourists to Cambodia's famed Angkor in Q2

PHNOM PENH, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Some 15,810 Chinese tourists visited Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park in the second quarter of 2023, an increase of 206.5 percent from 5,158 over the same period last year, a report said on Friday.

During the April-June period this year, China was the second-biggest source of international tourists to the ancient park after the United States, said the state-owned Angkor Enterprise's report.

Britain, France and Australia were the third, fourth and fifth-biggest sources of foreigners to the park, the report added.

Cambodian Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State and Spokesman Top Sopheak attributed the rise in Chinese tourists to China's reopening earlier this year.

"We hope more international tourists will come to Cambodia, especially to the Angkor park, in coming years as many airlines have resumed their flights to the kingdom," he told Xinhua.

According to the report, a total of 149,428 international tourists from 164 countries and regions visited Angkor Park in the second quarter this year, up 272 percent from 40,143 in the same period last year.

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 (UNESCO) in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian nation.