Vietnamese lead foreign arrivals in Cambodia
Vietnam has confirmed its position as the largest source of tourists to visit Cambodia in the first nine months this year, with over 580,000, up 25 percent year on year, reports Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism.
The Republic of Korea ranked second with 306,000 and third place went to China, followed by Laos, Thailand, Japan, the US and France.
With tourism being one of the country’s key sectors, its famous temples add to its efforts to increase its non-industrial based economy, which has grown steadily in recent years.
Cambodia will step up tourist promotions abroad, especially in ASEAN countries, said Tith Chantha, Director of the Tourism Department under the ministry.
In the first three quarters of this year, Cambodia attracted almost 2.57 million international visitors, up nearly 24 percent year on year.
In 2011, Cambodia earned US$2.5 billion from tourism, making up the lion share of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).