THE number of tourists to Siem Reap province declined 11.5 percent in January to 216,929 from 241,875 tourists in January 2009, a tourism official at Siem Reap tourism department told the Post Wednesday. Administrative Chief Chheuy Chhorn said 122,163 of the total were foreign tourists, an increase of 15.5 percent on the same month last year, while local visitor numbers were down sharply 30.47 percent. “New direct flights from foreign countries and a decrease on those locally caused many [Cambodians] to travel outside,” he said.