Joining a growing number of airlines connecting to Angkor Wat’s gateway, Dragonair will fly between Hong Kong and Siem Reap in October.

The Hong Kong-based subsidiary of Cathay Pacific said in a statement last week that it will start the seasonal service on October 29 and fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Almost 3.6 million tourists visited Cambodia last year, a 24.4 per cent hike from 2011. Of the total arrivals, 28.1 per cent touched down first in Siem Reap International Airport.

Some 8,200 Hong Kong tourists visited last year, a 57.3 per cent increase when compared with 2011.

Ho Vandy, co-chair of the government-private sector working group on tourism, said the route means tourists from Mainland China can use Hong Kong as a hub.

Thai AirAsia is poised to offer daily Siem Reap-Bangkok flights in October. The following month, Air China is expected to launch the first nonstop flights from Beijing to Siem Reap.