Coronavirus contributes to 17.9 percent drop in Cambodia’s foreign tourist arrivals in January

PHNOM PENH, Feb 2, 2020, The Khmer Times. Cambodia’s famed Angkor Archeological Park attracted a mere 222,561 foreign tourists in January this year, down 17.9 percent compared to the same month last year, The Khmer Times reported.

The ancient park registered a gross revenue of $10.5 million from ticket sales in January this year, also down 14.8 percent when compared with the same period last year, the state-owned Angkor Enterprise’s statement read.

The entrance fee to the park is $37 for a one-day visit, $62 for a three-day pass and $72 for a week-long pass.

In the entirety of 2019, the park received a total of 2.2 million international tourists, generating $99 million in revenue from ticket sales.

China, the United States and South Korea were the biggest sources of foreign tourists to the park.

Located in northwest Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, the Angkor Archeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the kingdom’s most popular tourist destination.

However, with the rise of Sihannoukville, the number of Chinese tourists to Siem Reap has been gradually declining. This was further compounded by the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus which was officially declared in January this year.