PHNOM PENH, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia attracted a total of 5.37 million international visitors in the first 10 months of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent, said a Ministry of Tourism's report released on Tuesday.
The number surpassed the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level during the January-October period of 2019, in which the Southeast Asian country received 5.29 million foreign tourists, the report showed.
Thailand still topped the chart among international tourist arrivals to the kingdom in the first 10 months of this year, followed by Vietnam, China, Laos and the United States.
Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State and spokesperson Top Sopheak said Cambodia is a cultural and ecological tourism destination.
"The country is famous for the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO-listed world heritage site, in northwestern Siem Reap province, and a beautiful bay in southwestern Sihanoukville," he told Xinhua.
Besides, the country has three other world heritage sites, namely the Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk in central Kampong Thom province, and the Temple of Preah Vihear and the Koh Ker archaeological site in northwestern Preah Vihear province.
Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting Cambodia's economy in addition to garment, footwear and travel goods export, agriculture, and construction and real estate.
The kingdom received 5.45 million international tourists in 2023, generating a gross revenue of 3.08 billion U.S. dollars, according to the tourism ministry. ■
