Siem reap: Cambodia has seen a rise in the number of Chinese tourists visiting its renowned Angkor Archaeological Park during the first half of 2025, according to an official report released on Thursday. A total of 47,571 Chinese tourists visited the UNESCO-listed world heritage site during the January-June period, marking a 25 percent increase compared to the same timeframe last year, the state-owned Angkor Enterprise’s report detailed.
According to Lao News Agency, China ranked as the fourth largest source of international tourists to Angkor, following the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The report further revealed that the ancient park attracted 567,673 foreigners from 171 countries and regions in the first half of the year, generating $26.3 million in revenue from ticket sales.
Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, highlighted that the year 2025 has been designated as the Cambodia-China Tourism Year. This is expected to lead to a significant increase in Chinese tourist arrivals to the Angkor Archaeological Park. “This increase will likely be driven by enhanced bilateral cooperation, promotional campaigns, and greater accessibility through direct flights and group tour packages,” he told Xinhua.
Situated in the northwest Siem Reap province, the 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park is Cambodia’s most popular tourist destination. It is home to 91 ancient temples, constructed between the ninth and 13th centuries.