Cambodia's famed Angkor reports 7.7 pct drop in number of foreign tourists in first two months

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park attracted 544,309 foreign tourists in the first two months of 2019, down 7.7 percent compared to the same period last year, said a statement on Friday.

 

The ancient park made gross revenue of 25 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales during the January-February period this year, also down 8.7 percent over the same period last year, said the state-owned Angkor Enterprises statement.

 

The entrance fee to the park is 37 dollars for a one-day visit, 62 dollars for a three-day pass, and 72 dollars for a week-long pass.

In the entirety of 2018, the park received a total of 2.59 million international visitors, earning 116 million dollars in revenue from ticket sales.

 

China, South Korea, and the United States were the biggest sources of foreign tourists visiting the park.

Located in northwest Siem Reap province, the Angkor Archeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination.

 

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-03/01/c_137860762.htm

[RotBenz8888]

22 minutes ago, geovalin said:

down 7.7 percent compared to the same period last year,

Don't they have any TAT people to "fix" that?

[BritManToo]

Last year entry was $20, they recently nearly doubled the price, which is why they have less visitors this year.

$37 for entry is just too much, that would have bought me 74 pints of beer.

I was there last month, but didn't go in because it was just too expensive.

 

I would have paid $20, but not $37 ...... what a rip-off.

 

[phycokiller]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Last year entry was $20, they recently nearly doubled the price, which is why they have less visitors this year.

$37 for entry is just too much, that would have bought me 74 pints of beer.

I was there last month, but didn't go in because it was just too expensive.

 

I would have paid $20, but not $37 ...... what a rip-off.

 

is that per day? if so that would certainly limit visits

[BritManToo]

16 minutes ago, phycokiller said:

is that per day? if so that would certainly limit visits

Yes, I was staying at a hotel full of backpackers, most of them were giving it a miss.

They've just priced themselves out of the lower market.

Plenty of rich elderly Americans still prepared to pay.

[phuketrichard]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Last year entry was $20, they recently nearly doubled the price, which is why they have less visitors this year.

$37 for entry is just too much, that would have bought me 74 pints of beer.

I was there last month, but didn't go in because it was just too expensive.

 

I would have paid $20, but not $37 ...... what a rip-off.

 

WRONG
price went up Feb 1st  2017!!
over 2 years ago

 

$37 to visit a worldwide heritage site after you paid $1,000 and more to travel to Cambodia?
hardly say its not worth it

 

[BritManToo]

32 minutes ago, phuketrichard said:

$37 to visit a worldwide heritage site after you paid $1,000 and more to travel to Cambodia?
hardly say its not worth it

I only paid 1,500bht to travel to Cambodia.

I'd rather have 74 pints of Angkor Draught beer than visit Angkor Wat.

I did cycle out and take this photo outside though.

[watcharacters]

Just now, BritManToo said:

I only paid 1,500bht to travel to Cambodia.

 

 

Did you travel by overland bus?

 

No matter what the cost.    Angkor is certainly a site worth visiting.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

Did you travel by overland bus?

No matter what the cost.    Angkor is certainly a site worth visiting.

Yes, I overpaid by about 500bht by booking a through bus to Siam Reap. Sombat Chiang Mai to Morchit was 550bht.

Next trip I'll know to get bus Morchit to Aranyaprathet, 250bht, then bus Poipet to Siam Reap 300bht.

[watcharacters]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Last year entry was $20, they recently nearly doubled the price, which is why they have less visitors this year.

$37 for entry is just too much, that would have bought me 74 pints of beer.

I was there last month, but didn't go in because it was just too expensive.

 

I would have paid $20, but not $37 ...... what a rip-off.

 

 

 

I would have happily loaned you the cash to get in but I'd have first needed to  drink your 74 pints of beer to do so.

 

Maybe on your next trip you'll enjoy a site that you'll only see at Angkor Wat.    

 

You only go around a single time in life.    Forget the dress rehearsal bit.

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Plenty of rich elderly Americans still prepared to pay.

 

 

"elderly Americans"?

 

Brits?     The GBP is uncreasing in value daily..    

[phuketrichard]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I only paid 1,500bht to travel to Cambodia.

I'd rather have 74 pints of Angkor Draught beer than visit Angkor Wat.

I did cycle out and take this photo outside though.

and $30 to enter said country>
Most travelers to Cambodia don't live in Thailand

and i'd have to call u a cheap charlie if you didn't want spend $37 to visit Angkor wat (been a dozen times or more)

and crazy to waste it on drinking piss draft beer instead. LOL

Quote

Next trip I'll know to get bus Morchit to Aranyaprathet, 250bht, then bus Poipet to Siam Reap 300bht.

could even do it cheaper by taking the early morning train out of Bangkok to aran...

[sanemax]

Just now, phuketrichard said:

and $30 to enter said country>
Most travelers to Cambodia don't live in Thailand

and i'd have to call u a cheap charlie if you didn't want spend $37 to visit Angkor wat (been a dozen times or more)

and crazy to waste it on drinking piss draft beer instead. LOL

Yes, staying in the cheapest place in town , not visiting a World famous site and indulging in 1 $ beers . 

[madmen]

6 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Don't they have any TAT people to "fix" that?

economics 101. increase price to $50 make up for shortfall

[BritManToo]

50 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

Brits?     The GBP is uncreasing in value daily..    

Risen 5% in the last week.

[Kerryd]

Prices went up in Feb 2017. Below is the 3 Day Pass I bought in Jan 2017. I was told (at that time) that next month the same pass was going to cost $60 (US) (it might have been higher than that actually).

 

Personally I think it's worth it. There are so many sites to see within the complex, it would be hard to see more than a few each day, especially if you are like me and want to see (and photograph) as much as possible.

I went on 2 consecutive days and it was a scramble. I ended up skipping a couple sites though had I been alone it may have been different (and if our tuk tuk guy had of given us better directions at one spot so we wouldn't have had to walk an extra 2 kms to get to where he decided to wait for us).
 

Hordes of tourists - almost everywhere - except the sites that required you to walk more than 100 meters (like Preah Khan and Neak Pean). We went past a couple parking lots on the way to Angkor Wat - there must have been 200+ tour buses in total in just 3 of the lots we passed. 

Even when we went for the "sunrise at Angkor Wat", there were hundreds of people already there at first light (about half an hour before sunrise). The other site where they take you for a "sunset" view was so packed that we stood in line for nearly 2 hours and were still 100+ people away from getting into the temple when the sun went down.

I'm actually thinking about going back again (on my own), maybe taking the bike and doing my own thing next time. There are a number of other sites around the area, outside of the main Angkor Site.

Maybe if they raise the prices (again) there'll be even fewer people to contend with the next time !

[IAMHERE]

Double the price you can get by on a 50% drop in attendance. They are doing pretty good to lose less than 8%

[jobsworth]

not a nice place to visit any more.

Khmers can enter for free and they do in vast numbers to sell to the tourists.

i have been there twice.

the first time i was almost the only visitor and had the whole place almost to myself. it was an amazing experience.

entry was $20 and the taxi $6. bul that has sure changed.

not any more.

 

[myshem]

On 3/2/2019 at 1:19 PM, phuketrichard said:

WRONG
price went up Feb 1st  2017!!
over 2 years ago

 

$37 to visit a worldwide heritage site after you paid $1,000 and more to travel to Cambodia?
hardly say its not worth it

 

worldwide heritage site ?

no, a piece of $$hit of old useless stones that should be demolished to make a casino !

 

 

[bkk6060]

On 3/2/2019 at 2:58 PM, sanemax said:

Yes, staying in the cheapest place in town , not visiting a World famous site and indulging in 1 $ beers . 

Overpaid.

The beers are well advertised most everywhere for 0.50 cents.

[Burma Bill]

The Angkor ticket concessions are run by SOKIMEX, Cambodia's largest company (hotels, resorts, construction, petroleum, investment etc.) with Vietnamese connections.

Quote from today's Phnom Penh Post:-

 

"Sokimex was set up with the support of the Vietnamese invading army. At

the time, the economy was centrally planned. It was a socialist, communist country.

Sokimex was the commercial, trading, and financial arm of the Vietnamese-backed and

imposed regime."

Today it is a financial backer of the ruling CPP.

The Angkor Paranoma Museum in Siem Reap was built by, and is currently owned and managed by, North Korea.

 

There are several restaurants also owned by North Korea in the city.

[thaiguzzi]

On 3/2/2019 at 9:20 AM, BritManToo said:

$37 for entry is just too much, that would have bought me 74 pints of beer.

I was there last month, but didn't go in because it was just too expensive.

 

I would have paid $20, but not $37 ...... what a rip-off.

Jeez.

Get your priorities right i suppose.

You do realize that Angkor WAt is a complex of over a dozen different temples spread over several miles.

Inc the fabulous "Angelina Jolie" one...

Not just the famous one you took a pic of from a distance.

On 3/2/2019 at 1:49 PM, BritManToo said:

I'd rather have 74 pints of Angkor Draught beer than visit Angkor Wat.

Double Jeez.

I can guarantee that 37$ is money well spent spending a day at the temple complex.

Stunning. Just stunning.

Beer i can drink anywhere anytime.

[thaiguzzi]

37 minutes ago, myshem said:

worldwide heritage site ?

no, a piece of $$hit of old useless stones that should be demolished to make a casino !

 

 

Troll.

And not a very clever one at that.

[freebyrd]

On 3/2/2019 at 1:08 PM, BritManToo said:

Yes, I was staying at a hotel full of backpackers, most of them were giving it a miss.

They've just priced themselves out of the lower market.

Plenty of rich elderly Americans still prepared to pay.

I've lived in Cambodia 13 years and have been to Angkor Wat twice, once was enough. Far too many people scrambling over it like ants. I'm sure they've increased the price to reduce numbers. We're going to Siem Reap in a couple of weeks. My wife is taking an old mate of mine who's visiting from Bulgaria to Angkor as it's a must see when you visit Cambodia. I've booked a 4 hour trip for them which is ample. I'll be chilling out at our hotel.

[freebyrd]

2 hours ago, jobsworth said:

not a nice place to visit any more.

Khmers can enter for free and they do in vast numbers to sell to the tourists.

i have been there twice.

the first time i was almost the only visitor and had the whole place almost to myself. it was an amazing experience.

entry was $20 and the taxi $6. bul that has sure changed.

not any more.

 

I've lived in Cambodia 13 years and have been to Angkor Wat twice, once was enough. Far too many people scrambling over it like ants. I'm sure they've increased the price to reduce numbers. We're going to Siem Reap in a couple of weeks. My wife is taking an old mate of mine who's visiting from Bulgaria to Angkor as it's a must see when you visit Cambodia. I've booked a 4 hour trip for them which is ample. I'll be chilling out at our hotel.

[freebyrd]

2 hours ago, myshem said:

worldwide heritage site ?

no, a piece of $$hit of old useless stones that should be demolished to make a casino !

 

 

You obviously understand nothing of cultural heritage.

[connda]

Maybe they can increase the price of tickets and implement further restrictions on tourists visiting the temple.  That should raise the numbers again, 'eh?

[Benmart]

On 3/2/2019 at 1:08 PM, BritManToo said:

Yes, I was staying at a hotel full of backpackers, most of them were giving it a miss.

They've just priced themselves out of the lower market.

Plenty of rich elderly Americans still prepared to pay.

I'm 68, American, and may qualify as elderly in your book, even thought I can outrun a lot of people half my age, based on their waist size and lung damage. LOL. I am financially comfortable, and haven't clue what you consider rich. 

 

Can't figure out why Americans are been given special attention by you. I would imagine there are many affluent nationalities that would pay the current fees to visit the wonderous site(s).

 

Aside from that, it is a shame that some may not be able to visit based on their budgets.

[Ulic]

Those are the reported numbers, I wonder what the actual numbers are? IE. how much is the skim?