Inbound arrivals to Cambodia rise by 15%

Inbound tourism arrivals to Cambodia increased by 15.4% year-on-year during the first 10 months in 2011, according to the country's tourism ministry.

A total of 2.31 million foreign tourists entered the country between January and October - up from two million in the same period in 2010.

Asian visitors make up a large majority of arrivals with arrivals from Vietnam and South Korea growing to nearly 800,000

The tourism industry is the country's second largest industry. In 2010, the sector received a total of 2.5 million foreign tourists, generating a total revenue of US$1.75 billion.

Yet, as visitor numbers grown so do pressures on Cambodia's biggest tourism drawcard, the World Heritage-listed temples of Angkor Wat and the region surrounding the city of Siem Reap.

Growing from a trickle of visitors just 15 years ago, the temples now attract thousands of visitors each day.

While archaeological organisation call for restrictions on numbers visiting the temples, or reduced visitor access to sensitive areas, the Cambodian Government is pushing for even greater numbers.

In 2003, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared that tourism to Angkor Wat would be the locomotive to pull Cambodia into the future.

Image: Koh Rong Island, Cambodia.

25th June 2010 - ECO RESORT PLANNED FOR CAMBODIAN ISLAND