Tourists enjoy the Preah Vihear Temple recently. Tourism Ministry
The National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV) reported that in the first two months of 2024, over 30,000 tourists visited the Preah Vihear and Koh Ker temples.
According to NAPV director-general Kong Puthika, from January to February, 33,964 tourists visited the temples. Of these, Preah Vihear temple welcomed 14,576 visitors, comprising 11,367 Cambodian and 3,209 foreign tourists.
He noted that during the same period last year, the temple had a total of 13,344 visitors, including 11,443 Cambodians and 1,901 foreigners, marking a 0.7% decrease in Cambodian visitors but a 68.8% increase in foreign tourists this year.
“Even though national tourist numbers dropped slightly, the considerable increase in foreign visitors earlier this year led to a 9.2% overall rise in tourism numbers for these two months compared to last year,” he continued.
Puthika noted that during the period, the Koh Ker archaeological site attracted 19,388 tourists, including 13,592 Cambodians and 5,796 foreigners, a substantial increase from the same period last year, which saw 9,376 visitors, comprising 6,330 Cambodians and 3,046 foreigners.
He highlighted that there had been a 114.7% increase in Cambodian visitors and a 90.3% rise in foreign tourists visiting the temple compared to the same period last year.
“The total visitor count to the Koh Ker temple complex during these two months rose by 106.8% overall compared to last year,” he added.
Mam Rithy, president of the Cambodian Tourism and Services Workers Federation (CTSWF), commented that despite the rise in international tourists, he urges the government and relevant institutions to develop new strategies promoting tourism.
He suggested the new government mandate showcase the country’s peace and political unity, which could help attract more tourists.
“Therefore, the government, the Ministry of Tourism and tourism departments should revise their strategies and not just rely on the same approaches for tourism services and promotion. We need to enhance our capabilities, techniques and services in the sector,” he added.
