Siem Reap was named the top tourist destination in Southeast Asia by Germany-based online travel platform YouDiscover.
The place is very popular because this is where Angkor Wat, a complex temple in Cambodia and one of the largest religious monuments in the world (162.6 hectares), is located.
The temple first gained global attention after a Hollywood film “Tomb Raider,” was shot in the place in 2001.
The Cambodian city was followed by Bangkok and Singapore, which came in second and third respectively.
Published earlier this month, the list includes 15 destinations in 11 countries and ranks them based on three criteria — accommodation options, trips and “experiences.”
Siem Reap came on top owing to the presence of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization-listed Angkor Archaeological Complex. Phnom Penh came in at number fourth while Battambang took the 13th spot in the list.
Last year, Cambodia received 6.2 million international tourists, an increase of 5.4 percent year-on-year. The sector represented 12.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product that year.
Siem Reap alone welcomed 2.6 million foreign visitors, an increase of 5.4 percent compared to 2017.
In January, the United Kingdom’s edition of National Geographic Traveller, the world’s leading travel magazine, included Cambodia in its “Cool List” of places to visit in 2019.
Read the full article at The Manila Times: https://www.manilatimes.net/cambodias-siem-reap-top-tourist-destination/548344/