During the last three months to the end of September, the number of visitors who have visited at Preah Vihear temple declined by a quarter in comparison with the same period of the last year. The drop in the tourism arrival is because of fears of influenza A(H1N1) and a reaction to Cambodia to be ownership of the temple listed as World Heritage site last year.

The global economic recession hit Cambodia’s sectors such as garment industries, real estate and construction and tourism sector. Recently, the out-break of Swine flu is fearing foreign tourists to travel to Cambodia.

More than one year-long border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand is also affecting trade and tourism as well. Tourists cannot enter within Cambodia to visit the temple from Thailand after armed row between the both nations.

The Phnom Penh Post quoted Kong Vibol, director of Preah Vihear province’s Tourism Department as saying that only 12,214 tourists travel to the temple complex over the last quarter, down 33.93 percent from 18,487 visitors over the same period a year earlier.

Foreign visitors were down 44.6 percent to 426, and domestic tourists dropped 34.04 percent to 11,788, Tourism Department figures showed, said he.

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