The three-day Water Festival holiday saw about 309,500 national and international tourists visiting Siem Reap province – more than double the number of visitors last year, according to Siem Reap provincial Department of Tourism director Ngov Sengkak.
He added that of them, about 300,000 were domestic tourists and residents of the province. Last year, 140,000 were recorded. They visited the Angkor Archaeological Park, the Phnom Kulen National Park, the Tonle Sap, ecotourism communities and other tourist destinations. In total, 9,503 foreign tourists were recorded – nearly seven times the 2021 figures.
In a November 10 social media post, the provincial administration said that the number of tourists had increased largely due to the success of the government’s efforts to control the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s successful roll out of the nationwide vaccination campaign, the people of the Kingdom now enjoyed the freedom to travel.
The post announced that during their visits to Siem Reap, many members of the public had expressed their admiration for the development of the province, especially its infrastructure. It noted that the excellent environment along the historic river and in the Angkor resort area had attracted many of the visitors.
This year's water festival provided a much-needed boost to the province’s economy, through accommodation, food, travel, souvenirs, guides and other services.
