Angkor Wat ticket sales surge 68% YoY in 1H17

Ticket sales for Angkor Wat Archaeological Park came to $52.2mn in 1H17, up 68% from $31mn in 1H16, on the back of a sharp increase in tourist entry fees and a rise in number of visitors, according to data release by Angkor Enterprise, the agency that manages ticketing for the historic temple complex near Siem Reap. The data showed a total of 1.2 million foreign tourists visited the site between January and June, about 13% more than during the same period last year. Chao Sun Kerya, a spokesperson for the Apsara Authority, said the increases in both revenue and admissions during the first half of the year were proof that the revised ticket prices that came into effect on February 1 did not discourage tourists from visiting the temple complex. On February 1, the government raised the price of one-day “foreign visitor” admission to Angkor Wat to $37, from $20. Meanwhile, it increased the price of a three-day pass to $62, from $40, and a weeklong pass to $72, from $60. (Source: Phnom Penh Post)