Cambodia’s historic Angkor Archaeological Park is to receive a new $10 million tourism facility, featuring restaurants and souvenir shops, a spokesperson from Apsara Authority said yesterday.

“It will be built on two hectares land in front of Angkor Wat temple with facilities including a parking place, tourism information office, restaurants, food and drink area and souvenir shops,” said Long Kosal, spokesperson of Apsara Authority

The centre is designed to make the tourism experience at the historic Angkor Wat temple complex more enjoyable and will be completed within two years, he added.

Kosal said small vendors selling souvenirs and food around the Angkor Wat area will be asked to move into the facilities once it is completed.

“The aim is to tidy up business around Angkor area, so to bring a better image for our tourism sector,” he said.

“The centre will be designed with Khmer style. We want the construction to be complete soon, but it requires a lot of studies to make sure the building will not have an affect on existing heritage site.”

Kosal declined to reveal the name of project’s investor.

Ho Vandy, co-chair of the government-private sector working group, said he hoped the new centre would lift the standards of services at the historic site.

“Having a centre to welcome tourists like this is a good thing. It will help push for better service standard and food hygiene,” Vandy said.

”It also brings better management and order around the area. As long as it is not compulsory for tourists to visit there, then it will not have any bad affect on existing tour package.”

Sok Sangvar, son of deputy Prime Minister Sok An, and the newly appointed deputy director of Apsara Authority, declined to comment further on the project.

From January to April, the Archaeological Park area attracted close to 842,720 foreign tourists generating around $24.1 million revenue.