PHNOM PENH, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia registered a total of 62,559 Chinese tourists to its famous Angkor Archaeological Park in the first nine months of 2025, up 12.8 percent from 55,440 over the same period last year, said a report released on Wednesday.

During the January-September period this year, China was the fourth largest source of international tourist arrivals to the UNESCO-listed Angkor after the United States, Britain, and France, said the state-owned Angkor Enterprise's report.

However, in September this year, China was the number one source of foreign visitors to the Angkor, with 4,813 Chinese holidaymakers sightseeing the ancient site, the report showed.

Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025 has been a catalyst for the growth of Chinese tourists to Cambodia, including to the park.

"I believe the number of Chinese tourists to Cambodia will continue to rise throughout this year and beyond, driven by enhanced bilateral cooperation, promotional campaigns, and greater accessibility through direct flights and group tour packages," he told Xinhua.

Located in northwest Siem Reap province, the 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park, the kingdom's most popular tourist destination, is home to 91 ancient temples, built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.

The park attracted a total of 705,269 foreigners from 171 countries and regions during the first nine months of this year, making a gross revenue of 32.7 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales, according to the report. ■