PHNOM PENH, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is expected to attract 10 million international tourists in 2025 and up to 15 million in 2030, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said on Thursday.
Speaking at a tourism exhibition, the minister said Cambodia received 5.6 million international tourists last year, earning gross revenue of 3.6 billion U.S. dollars, which accounted for 12 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
For the first eight months of 2018, the kingdom welcomed more than 3.9 million foreign tourists, up 11.7 percent over the same period last year, he added.
China, Vietnam, Laos, South Korea, and Thailand are the largest sources of tourists to the Southeast Asian nation, according to a tourism data.
"Cambodia hopes to receive 6.2 million international tourists in 2018, over 7 million in 2020, 10 million in 2025 and 15 million in 2030," Thong Khon said.
The minister added that the tourism industry currently creates approximately 620,000 direct jobs and tens of thousands of indirect jobs.
Cambodia has three world heritage sites, namely Angkor Archeological park in northwestern Siem Reap province, Preah Vihear Temple in northwestern Preah Vihear province, and Sambor Prei Kuk archeological site in central Kampong Thom province.
Besides, it has a pristine coastline stretching 450 km in four southwestern provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot and Kep.
