Cambodia attracts 1.27 mln foreign visitors in first 4 months

PHNOM PENH, May 30, 2012 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has received 1.27 million international tourists in the first four months of this year, a 27 percent increase from the same period last year, statistics of the Tourism Ministry showed Wednesday.
Some 50 percent of the visitors arrived in the country by air, 46 percent by land and the rest by water ways.
From January to April this year, Vietnam topped the chart among the top 10 arrivals with 246,600 tourists, up 35 percent, followed by South Korea with 181,000, up 39 percent, and Chinese tourists with 112,600, up 32 percent.
During the period, Thai tourists to Cambodia has also seen a sharp rise of 87 percent to 65,200, [Does this number includes the 50,000 Thais who came to join Thaksin's rally in Siem Reap during the Khmer-Thai New Year in April?] thanks to the improving relations between the two countries after military tension over disputed border areas has eased since last July.
Siem Reap's Angkor archeological park, the country's largest cultural destination, received 810,000 foreign tourists during the period, up 64 percent.
Tourism industry is one of the major four pillars supporting Cambodian economy. In 2011, the sector received 2.88 million foreign tourists, generating a total revenue of 1.91 billion U.S. dollars.

Editor: Mo Hong'e