Phnom Penh, Nov 1 (IANS): Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park received 602,570 foreign visitors during the first 10 months of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 256 per cent, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The ancient site made $27.88 million in revenue from ticket sales during the January-October period this year, a year-on-year rise of 312 per cent, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement issued by the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.

In October alone, the park welcomed 63,009 foreigners, earning $2.92 million in revenue from ticket sales, the statement added.

The Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State and Spokesperson Top Sopheak expressed confidence that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which started its commercial operations on October 16, would attract more international tourists to the Angkor park.

"This 4E-level international airport is crucial to helping boost the country's tourism, economy, trade, investment," he told Xinhua.

"We hope it will attract new international airlines, so they will bring more tourists and investors to Siem Reap province, the home of the Angkor."

Located in northwest Cambodia, the 401-square-km Angkor Archeological Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO in 1992, and it is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian nation.