SIEM Reap is poised to receive a record number of visitors heading for the Angkor Sangkran celebrations over the Khmer New Year.
Pak Sokhom, secretary of state for the Ministry of Tourism, said: “This is the second year we see Sangkran celebrations at Angkor Wat and we expect in excess of 200,000 visitors over the three days.
“Many hotels will be operating close to full capacity as we are seeing an increase in tourists not only from the Western markets, but also from China and Japan.”
The Angkor Sangkran festival will be held from April 13 to 16 within the Angkor temple complex.
Christian De Boer, general manager of Shinta Mani, said: “Shinta Mani is virtually fully booked over the New Year festivities. We haven’t increased our rates for over this period. I believe there are sufficient facilities in Siem Reap to deal with the expected increased in tourism numbers that are mainly regional.”
Steve Lidgey, general manager of A Touch of Asia, added: “Over the Khmer New Year period, Western tourists are low in numbers while domestic traveller numbers surge.
Thai tourist numbers will be greater this year as the Thai-Khmer relationship has improved and more flights now operate from Bangkok to Siem Reap.”
