PHNOM PENH: Over three days of Khmer New Year celebrations, Wat Phnom hosted about 1 million tourists, including nearly 300 international visitors. EAC News received a report from the Director of the Phnom Penh Department of Tourism, Mam Veasna with details.

The Phnom Penh Department of Tourism confirmed that during the three days of Khmer New Year, Phnom Penh received more than 1.8 million tourists. Among the holiday hot spots in the capital, Wat Phnom attracted the most visitors, tallying nearly one million.

Mam Veasna said that this year, Wat Phnom hosted more tourists coming to play in the water, sprinkle powder, and play popular games than any previous Wat Phnom Sangkanta.

He claimed that the increase in tourists is due to the fact that this year the Phnom Penh Capital Administration has organized and decorated the spot beautifully. "Wat Phnom has a good atmosphere, shady trees, colorful lights, concerts, and folk games, all in the center of the capital, encouraging peace and prosperity to all.”

The director went on to mention other tourists attractions which garnered a lot of attention over the holiday, including: the Victory Monument, the Independence Monument, and Koh Pich (with 65,000 tourists), the Royal Palace (nearly 3,000), national museums (more than 800) Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (over 2,000), Choeung Ek Genocide Center (over 1,000), Phnom Penh Safari (more than 1,600), Garden City Water Park (more than 2,800), Koh Dach (over 4,000) and more than 300 visitors to the Dinosaurs Alive Park.