Angkor Archaeological Park saw a rise in visitor numbers and a 72 percent jump in ticket sales revenue to over $100 million last year, allaying fears that increased prices would discourage tourists from visiting the site.

According to an Angkor Enterprise statement released yesterday, the number of visitors to Angkor Wat reached nearly 2.5 million over the course of 2017, exceeding those figures from 2016 by 12 percent.

Total revenue from Angkor Wat ticket sales increased to $108 million over the course of 2017 as well, thanks to the increase in ticket prices, which went into effect on the second month of the year.

Prices of admission for foreign visitors to Angkor Wat are now set at $37 for a single day pass, $62 for a three-day pass and $72 for a weeklong pass. They used to be $20, $40 and $60, respectively.

Ho Vandy, secretary-general of Cambodia National Tourism Alliance, said he had initially been fearful that the increase in ticket prices would result in fewer tourist visits to Cambodia, which would have negatively impacted the tourism sector as a whole.

He attributed the fact that tourist visits to the site had continued to increase despite higher prices to an overall strengthening of the tourism industry, and said he was optimistic that ticket sales would continue to increase this year.

“The government has been working hard with the private sector to pursue PPPs [private public partnerships] and opening a dialogue that has helped to strengthen the whole sector,” he said.

Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said such partnerships included the promotion of Cambodia at travel fairs around the world.

“Also, there has been major steps taken in ensuring the quality of our country’s hospitality system in terms of cleanliness, friendliness, and security,” she said.

Sivlin added that even with the increased prices, tickets to Angkor Wat were not expensive compared to similar sites around the world.

“With that said, it seems that foreign tourists deem the newly increased price acceptable, hence the steady increase in tourists to Angkor Wat,” she said.