Cambodia has won the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association's (PATWA) International Travel Award for Best Destination, local media reported on March 13.

Tourists at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia (Photo: www.khmertimeskh.com)

Chairman of PATWA's Cambodia chapter Thourn Sinan said Cambodia was honoured thanks to its rich heritage, public safety and local people’s friendliness, adding that the award will help boost the country's global popularity.

Spokesman for Cambodia's Tourism Ministry Chuk Chumno said the award was set to be presented in Berlin but the award ceremony was postponed following the global COVID-19 outbreak.

This award will help promote Cambodia to the rest of the world, he said, calling on people to maintain the country’s heritage so it can win again in the coming years.

Cambodia is well-known for its Angkor Archaeological Park, a world heritage site, situated in northwest Siem Reap province.

In 2019, Cambodia earned approximately 4.91 billion USD in revenue from 6.61 million foreign visitors, up by 12.4 percent from the previous year, revealed a Tourism Ministry report.

The tourism sector contributed 12.1 percent to the Southeast Asian nation's gross domestic product (GDP) growth and employed up to 630,000 people.

However, according to government figures, foreign tourist arrivals in Cambodia dropped about 60 percent in February due to impact of the COVID-19.

Source: VNA