Cambodia receives over 1.57mn foreign tourists in 10 months

Phnom Penh, Nov 30 (IANS) Cambodia has received more than 1.57 million foreign tourists in the 10 months of 2022, according to a Tourism Ministry report on Wednesday.

During the January-October period, Thailand topped the chart of the international tourist arrivals to Cambodia, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

It added that 35.5 per cent of the visitors entered the Southeast Asian kingdom by air, 63.8 per cent by land and 0.7 per cent by waterways.

"Based on this figure, Cambodia is projected to receive up to 2 million international tourists in the entirety of 2022," Tourism Minister Thong Khon told Xinhua.

Tourism is one of the four major pillars supporting Cambodia's economy.

In the pre-pandemic era, the kingdom received 6.6 million international tourists in 2019, generating $4.92 billion in revenue.

Cambodia is well known for its three world heritage sites, namely the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province, the Preah Vihear Temple in Preah Vihear province, and the Sambor Prei Kuk Archaeological Site in Kampong Thom province.

In addition, it has a 450-km pristine coastline stretching across four southwestern provinces