The Apsara Authority, the government entity that manages the ancient temple complex at Angkor, is studying the possibility of increasing ticket prices, stating that current prices are “low” when compared with similar destinations in other countries.

Long Kosal, deputy director of the Apsara Authority’s Communications Department, said yesterday that internal discussions among government officials and relevant stakeholders are under way to raise ticket prices, keeping in mind its impact on tourist traffic.

“Current prices are low compared to what the complex provides to tourists. At the complex, tourists can see more than just the Angkor Wat temple, but also Bayon Temple, Banteay Srey Temple. Compared to destinations in other countries, our price is relatively low,” Kosal said.

Apsara is considering conducting a study as well to determine an “affordable” price that will lessen the impact on tourism, with Kosal saying that it was too early to quote a specific price.

Currently, foreign visitors pay $20 for a one-day entrance pass to the complex, $40 for three days and $60 for a weeklong pass.

Ho Vandy, co-chair of the Public and Private Sector Tourism Working Group, said if prices were to rise steeply, it would increase the base cost of tour packages, with tourists possibly visiting other destinations with cheaper tour packages.

“If the new price is too high, it will affect current tour packages that are arranged by tour operators. It will add up the cost burden to visitors, and if the tour package is expensive, visitors will likely switch to other destinations,” he said.

Vandy said the private sector should be included in the discussions before a new price is announced.

Luu Meng, president of the Cambodia Hotel Association, said that current ticket prices are low when compared with other countries, and that increasing ticket prices will have less of an impact on the number of tourists coming to Cambodia if businesses ensure the quality of services they are providing.

“No one likes higher prices, [but] tourists will not decide to visit a place based on price alone. If Cambodia has the best hotels, best food and hospitality, they will come despite the price,” he said.

According to Apsara Authority, over 2 million tickets were sold last year, bringing in almost $60 million in revenues, an increase from the $57.6 million reported in 2013. However, Son Chhay, senior lawmaker with the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, contests these figures.

“To increase revenues, there is no need to raise current prices, as it is already an acceptable one. What matters is that Apsara Authority has been hiding the number of [foreign] visitors entering Angkor Wat complex,” Chhay said.

He added that a mechanism needs to be put in place to guarantee the transparency of visitor figures entering the temple complex, which would show an increase in revenues without having to raise prices.

“They report that 90 per cent of the total Angkor Wat temple visitors only buy one-day tickets, which, I think is not possible because the temple complex is so big that you need at least three days to complete the visit,” Chhay said.

The Apsara Authority, the government entity that manages the ancient temple complex at Angkor, is studying the possibility of increasing ticket prices, stating that current prices are “low” when compared with similar destinations in other countries.

This is stupid. i guess no more visitors will come to visit this poor and full of corruption country. I think $20 per day is way to expensive. I have never been to any similar destinations in other countries such as Thailand, Bali or wherever famous for tourism, however i think it is more than enough to pay $20 to see or walk around the complex full of rubbishes. This entity has never bothered to maintain and make it clean and beautiful, they also charge money from visitors.

You can't compare the price in one country with another. First of all the obvious logical pitfall is that Angkor Wat doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. But more importantly, the economies are not the same in the countries. $1 in Cambodia is not the same as $1 in America.

And why would the government care about the ticket price anyway? That money goes to Sokha Hotel, and the government is donated restoration by other countries (India, Japan) that come in to repair Angkor Wat - for free!

BOFH wrote:You can't compare the price in one country with another. First of all the obvious logical pitfall is that Angkor Wat doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. But more importantly, the economies are not the same in the countries. $1 in Cambodia is not the same as $1 in America.

And why would the government care about the ticket price anyway? That money goes to Sokha Hotel, and the government is donated restoration by other countries (India, Japan) that come in to repair Angkor Wat - for free!

That's the thing. i feel so bad about this. Every year we earned so much money from Angkor Wat, but we didn't use that money to maintain and restore them and not to mention a big portion of Angkor Wat revenue went into one individual's pocket while we are claiming that Angkor Wat belongs to everyone. Many khmers are not being benefited from Angkor Wat.
This is really embarrassing.

i guess you must have travelled to many countries in SE Asia, so have much did you pay for visiting any temples in Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia?

phuketrichard wrote:visit all the sites in Bagan is $20 for a week

$20 is cheap but would hate to see it go up.

But than look at one day in Disneyland and what you get for it,

1-Day 1-Park USA

Children $93.00, Adults $99.00

One Day Ticket Prices HK Disneyland

Adult: HK$450 ($58 US)
Child: (3-11) HK$320 ($41)

what is worse is there is NO EXPAT/NON CAMBODIAN year pass, unlike many places in the world

Every year we earned so much money from Angkor Wat,

who earns this money ??
surely u do know who owns the rights to collect $$ for tickets for Angkor Wat

less than 10% goes into Maintenance and most of the restoration is done for free by foreign countries.

Wow Disneyland is way too expensive.

Right i do know. It is really sad for this tiny country. You own Angkor and someone else is taking advantages from it.

I was thinking the same thing, Richard. They should raise prices, but then offer a discounted monthly or yearly pass for expats. Tourists aren't going to change their plans over an extra $20, but if you live in Cambodia, visiting often gets really expensive.

Could they just triple the price for Chinese tourists? (What now, that's racist? Naw man, try going to Angkor Wat, you'll see what I mean...)

Increase the admission price during the high tourist season and lower admission prices during the low season.

Christ Redeemer Statue: Free if you walk up, £13.50 if you take the return tram ride to/from the base of the statue.

Great Wall of China (Badaling): £4.30

Chitchen Itza: £8.70

Taj Mahal: £10.50

Colosseum: £11.90

Machu Picchu: £28

Petra: £44 (£79 if visiting on a day trip to Jordan); a three day pass is £53

Chichen Itza, MexicoAs a further comparison, admission fees to other very popular sites of note include:

Angkor Wat: £12.50

Alhambra: £10.50

Stonehenge: £6.90

Neuschwanstein Castle: £10.50

http://www.501places.com/2011/03/entran ... -too-much/