Angkor revenues questioned

I suspect this story is more about local politics than archaeology: the Angkor Archaeological park generates millions of dollars in ticket sales revenue for Cambodia, but local lawmakers are disputing the figures.

CNRP Lawmaker Says Angkor Wat Sales Figures Being Fudged
Cambodia Daily, 23 December 2014

Angkor revenue short: Chhay
Phnom Penh Post, 23 December 2014

Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said Monday that he believes the Apsara Authority is embezzling millions of dollars from ticket sales for the Angkor Wat temple complex by underreporting and misrepresenting gate takings.

Mr. Chhay, deputy chairman of the National Assembly’s Banking and Finance Committee, and CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap, the committee’s chairman, visited the Apsara Authority’s offices in Siem Reap City in the morning to discuss ticket revenues.

The opposition lawmaker said that Apsara Authority general director Bun Narith had shared with them revenue figures going back five years, but he said the figures do not make sense given the number of tourists visiting the country.

“For 2013, 2 million people visited Angkor Wat and $55 million was collected, and for this year, up until November, only 1.8 million bought tickets for about $52 million,” Mr. Chhay said.

Full story here and here.