Cambodia expects to receive half million Chinese tourists this year: PM

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday that his country is expected to greet about 500,000 Chinese tourists this year, an estimated increase of 8 percent year-on-year.

"Some 407,000 Chinese visitors had come to Cambodia in the first nine months of this year," he said during a graduation ceremony of students at the Institute of Technology, adding that the country is projected to draw about 1.3 million Chinese tourists by 2020.

"Now, Chinese people are rich and keen to travel abroad," Hun Sen said. "Moreover, there are many direct flight connections between Cambodia and Chinese cities."

China is the second largest source of tourists to Cambodia after Vietnam.

Kong Sopheareak, director of the Tourism Ministry's Statistics and Planning Department, said Sino-Cambodian excellent ties and Cambodia's attractive tourism sites are also key factors to attract more Chinese tourists.

The Southeast Asian nation is famous for two cultural sites in the UNESCO's World Heritage List. One is the 12th century Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap province and the other is the 11th century Preah Vihear Temple in Preah Vihear province.

Tourism is one of Cambodia's four economic pillars. Last year, Cambodia received 4.2 million foreign tourists, earning 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, which accounted for 16 percent of its gross domestic product.