Kampot’s seahorse statue becomes a major tourist draw

The Seahorse Statue in Kampot has rapidly become a favoured destination for visitors, despite not yet being officially inaugurated. Over the traditional New Year, the Seahorse, Fish, and Springs Water Park ranked as the most popular site, closely followed by the Durian Roundabout.

Kim Bunthorn, Deputy Director of the Kampot Provincial Department of Tourism, reported that out of nearly 1.4 million tourists who visited Kampot during the Khmer New Year, over 1.2 million chose the city of Kampot as their primary destination. “The statue of the fish and seahorse with its water spray was the preferred spot, drawing crowds throughout the day and into the night, just before New Year’s Day,” he explained.

The deputy director noted that while the Durian Roundabout saw an influx of visitors mainly in the afternoons, the area around the seahorse statue remained bustling from morning till night. Despite a general downturn in tourists at other resorts, Kampot experienced an increase in visitor numbers.

According to a report from the Department of Tourism, during the four days of the traditional New Year, Kampot province welcomed 1,399,897 tourists. Of these, 1,245,422 visited and took photos at the seahorse statue, demonstrating its significant pull as a new attraction.