The Angkor Archaeological Park welcomed nearly 2.6 million international visitors last year, generating more than $100 million in revenue, a statement from the state-run Angkor Enterprise released on Tuesday said.

The park saw a 5.45 per cent rise in visitors to 2.59 million from last year, while revenue from ticket sales jumped eight per cent, generating $116.64 million.

However, revenue declined 1.59 per cent to around $12.11 million in December even though the number of visitors to the Kingdom’s iconic tourist site increased 0.16 per cent to 267,647.

The temple site is the key player to attract tourists and is a source of millions of dollars in income for the country, said Siem Reap provincial Department of Tourism director Ngov Seng Kak.

Though the Kingdom’s tourism industry is attractive due to the temples in its hands, tourism operators have to pay more attention to jointly promote the sector to attract more tourists to the country, said Ngov, adding that the quality of hospitality services is also a critical part of the sector.

“Our temples have immeasurable value – merely the reputation of our temples already helps to bring a lot of international tourists to the country. With quality service and good hospitality, tourists will be attracted to stay longer and plan to come back for a next trip,” he said.

Ngov said the natural and eco-community tourist sites are also good attractions for international tourists after they visit the Angkor area.

Cambodia’s tourism sector is experiencing remarkable growth, as international visitors flock to see the country’s natural beauty and cultural attractions.

During the first 10 months of last year, Cambodia welcomed more than 4.82 million international tourists, while 5.6 million came to visit the Kingdom in 2017.

Chinese tourists top the list, followed by tourists from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and South Korea, according to Ministry of Tourism data.

The government projects that seven million visitors will visit the Kingdom next year.