Spokesperson Kerya Chau Sun says Apsara has already submitted a proposal to Siem Reap’s tourism bureau and even chosen a site. The site is just outside town and beside Highway 67, the route north to Anlong Veng.
Apsara says the opportunity of touring a farming and heritage plantation should broaden Siem Reap’s appeal. Spokesperson Sun noted that with more reasons to visit tourists would probably stay longer in town too.
Figures show that 1.5 million foreign tourists have passed through the entry gates of Angkor Wat this year. A common complaint is that despite earning US$20 a head off each foreign visitor, Apsara does not share the revenue with the local community.
Angkor Wat became a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site in 1992. Siem Reap is 150kms from the Thai border post of Aranyaprathet and double that from Phnom Penh. 12GO ASIA sells tickets for premium class buses on the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route.
Siem Reap to add to the attractions of Angkor Wat
News in Asia
The authority responsible for Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple complex has confirmed it has formulated a plan to inaugurate a new plantation. Apsara Authority says the natural environment of a plantation will contrast nicely for visitors after they have spent time sightseeing at 800-year-old ruins.