Number of Chinese Tourists Visiting Cambodia Soars 12% in 5 months

PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) — Some 325,200 Chinese holidaymakers visited Cambodia in the first five months of 2016, up 12 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures of Tourism Ministry on Monday.

The number of Chinese visitors to Cambodia accounted for 16 percent of total foreigners to the kingdom during the January-May period this year, the report said.

China ranked the second largest source of tourists to Cambodia after Vietnam, whose 382,600 people traveled to Cambodia during the period, down 3.6 percent year-on-year.

Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said last month that the country is expected to draw around 900,000 Chinese tourists this year and up to 2 million in 2020.

Kong Sopheareak, chief of the Tourism Ministry's statistics and planning department, told Xinhua that Cambodia-China excellent relations and Cambodia's attractive tourism sites are key factors to attract more Chinese tourists.

"In my view, China will overtake Vietnam in one or two years to become the first largest source of tourists to Cambodia," he said.

The Southeast Asian country is famous for two cultural sites in the UNESCO's World Heritage List. One is the 12th century Angkor archeological park and the other is the 11th century Preah Vihear Temple.