Cambodia - Tourism, travel, and recreation

Until the encroachments of war in the late 1960s, Angkor Wat and other remains of the ancient Khmer Empire were the major attractions for visitors to Cambodia. Under the Pol Pot regime, tourism was nonexistent, and it was not substantially revived under the PRK. However, since the 1992 UN peace plan, tourism has rebounded, spurred by the opening of hundreds of new facilities and scores of new diplomatic missions. In 2000, 351,661 tourists visited Cambodia and tourist receipts totaled $228 million. There are two government-run tourist agencies and a number of new private tour groups. Dozens of hotels have opened in the capital. As of 1999 the country had 9,105 hotel rooms with 14,805 beds and an occupancy rate of 44%.

In 1999, the UN estimated the cost of staying in Phnom-Penh at $87 to $156, depending upon the choice of hotel. Travel outside the capital is significantly less expensive, with estimates as low as $37 per day.