Phnom Penh, Nov 20 (IANS): A total of 602,570 foreigners from 193 countries and regions visited Cambodia's famed Angkor Archeological Park in the first 10 months of this year, up 256 per cent from 169,257 recorded over the same period last year.

During the January-October period this year, the top four largest sources of international visitors to the park were the US, Britain, France, and China, said the Xinhua news agency quoted the state-owned Angkor Enterprise's report as saying on Monday.

Cambodian Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State and Spokesperson Top Sopheak said that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), which officially launched its commercial operations on November 16, would attract more international tourists.

"This new international airport is crucial to helping boost the country's tourism, economy, trade, and investment," he said.

"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, inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country.