Chheuy Chhorn says the figures for Angkor Sangkran show foreign tourists typically make up about seven per cent of the total. A series of commercials recently broadcast on CNN was aimed at international audiences and the publicity generated may up this percentage.
Angkor Sangkran marks the traditional passing of the Khmer New Year and is celebrated between 14 and 16 April. The Angkor Sangkran events programme is eclectic and includes traditional dance performances at the Angkor Wat temple complex, ox-cart races and cooking the world’s biggest glutinous-rice cake.
The Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia plays a large part in organising the annual cultural extravaganza. Federation spokesperson Som Rattana said the team responsible for the rice cake planned to concoct a 3.2-ton monstrosity this year and, by doing so, hoped to bag an entry into the Guinness World Records book.
Siem Reap anticipating record visitors for Sangkran Festival
News in Asia
The tourist bureau in the Cambodian town of Siem Reap says up to 500,000 visitors are expected to attend New Year festival celebrations next week. Chheuy Chhorn is the office’s deputy-director and he says judging by statistics from previous years the number of visitors is set to increase from the 400,000 who joined in last year’s festivities.