Visitors flock to Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap province in January 2021. Post Staff
The tourism sector in Siem Reap province showed a remarkable upswing in November, with over 120,000 foreigners visiting various temples within Angkor Archaeological Park. This represents a nearly 30% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
In November, the number of foreigners purchasing tickets to the park reached 124,136, generating revenue of $5.92 million. This marks a 27.42% increase in visitors and a 26.94% increase in revenue compared to November 2023, according to an official statement.
In the first 11 months of 2024, nearly 900,000 international tourists visited the Angkor site, marking a 28.33% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Revenue collected amounted to $41.91 million, reflecting a 28.76% year-on-year increase.
Angkor Enterprise (AE) also earned $278,715 from 18,581 foreigners purchasing tickets to Koh Ker Temple and $600,004 from boat rides at Chong Kneas floating village in Siem Reap province.
AE, a public administrative body established in 2016, operates under the technical supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and the financial supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Its revenue comes from ticket sales for Angkor Archaeological Park, the Koh Ker temple complex and boat trips at Chong Kneas.
Ticket prices for the park are $37 per person for one day, $62 for three days and $72 for seven days.
Khiev Thy, president of the Angkor Tourist Guides Association, told The Post on December 2 that the number of foreign tourists visiting Siem Reap in November was the highest in nearly five years, with many professionals and businesses in the sector seeing increased activity, from guides and transport operators to hotel and restaurant staff. The travellers were mainly from Europe, the US and China.
He confirmed, “In November, the number of tourists visiting Siem Reap was exceptionally high, with Angkor tour guides almost fully booked for the month. The tourism sector has contributed significantly to economic growth for local families and the country.”
However, he pointed out that in December, the numbers started to decline, with bookings and inquiries from both tourists and tour guides falling noticeably.
He said, “I expect the number of foreign tourists in December to drop by more than 30% compared to November, and this decline may continue in the following months. The number of tourists in 2024 was exceptionally high only in November. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign tourists visiting the temples in Siem Reap typically peaked from October to March each year.”
Hong Mak, a guide at Angkor Wat, expressed his satisfaction with the growth in both domestic and international tourism, and he hoped the trend would continue next year. He noted that in November, the number of visitors to Angkor Wat exceeded previous figures.
He added, “A higher number of tourists will benefit those involved in the industry, providing better opportunities to improve livelihoods.”
In 2023, 798,069 foreign tourists purchased tickets to Angkor Archaeological Park, marking a 177.63% increase compared to 2022 and generating $37.2 million in revenue, a rise of 222.68%. Additionally, AE reported 14,806 visitors to Koh Ker Temple, earning $222,090 in revenue, and collected $564,671 from ticket sales at Chong Kneas.
