PHNOM PENH: Cambodia, the Kingdom of Wonder, has won two awards at the World Travel Awards 2023 – “Asia's Leading Cultural Destination” and “Asia's Leading Youth Travel Destination”, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

“In a dazzling display of its growing appeal as a top travel destination, Cambodia secured two prestigious awards at the World Travel Awards 2023. The country, with its rich cultural heritage and youthful vibrancy, emerged as the winner in two significant categories: ‘Asia's Leading Cultural Destination' and ‘Asia's Leading Youth Travel Destination',” the ministry quoted the World Travel Awards website as saying.

The Kingdom has grabbed the two important awards for two years consecutively.

Cambodia received some 3.5 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 250.8 percent, pointed out a report of the Ministry of Tourism, adding that the country is expected to welcome about 5 million international tourists by the end of this year, up from 2.27 million in 2022.

Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting Cambodia's economy, in addition to garment export, agriculture, and construction and real estate.

Cambodia is well known for its world cultural heritage sites, namely the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province, the Preah Vihear Temple and Koh Ker Temple in Preah Vihear province, and the Sambor Prei Kuk Archaeological Site in Kampong Thom province.

Besides, the Kingdom has a 450-kilometer-long pristine coastline stretching across four southwestern provinces of Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kep, and Koh Kong.