Cambodia's Angkor attracts half million foreign tourists in 1st 2 months

Cambodia's famed Angkor archaeological park welcomed 493,854 foreign visitors in the first two months of 2016, up 7.6 percent compared to the same period of last year, according to an official statement on Friday.

During the January-February period this year, the country earned a gross revenue of about 14.3 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales to foreign tourists visiting the world heritage site, up 2.2 percent compared to the same period in the year before, said the statement released by the state-owned Angkor Enterprise, which is in charge of ticket sales at the ancient site.

The largest sources of foreign tourists to the Angkor are from China, South Korea and Japan.

Currently, an entrance fee to the site is 20 U.S. dollars per day for a foreigner, 40 dollars for a three-day visit and 60 dollars for a week-long visit.

Finance Minister Aun Porn Moniroth said Tuesday that the government is considering to increase ticket prices for foreign tourists to the site in the near future.

"In Cambodia, tourists spend only 20 dollars for a full-day visit to the Angkor archaeological park," he said, noting that the price was far lower than those charged to enter tourism resorts such as Sentosa island in Singapore, Disneyland in China's Hong Kong or Disneyland in France.

Located in northwestern Cambodia's Siem Reap province, Angkor archaeological park, inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1992, is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination. Enditem