Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – According to the latest statistics from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, from January to October 2025, Cambodia received over 4.75 million international tourists. While this represents a slight decrease of 11.6% compared to the same period last year, the country exhibits a vibrant and promising new trend in terms of tourist source structure, entry methods, and destination distribution.
The reshaping of the tourist source market is particularly significant. Vietnam remained the largest source country with 1.01 million visitors, a decrease of 6.8% year-on-year. The Chinese tourist market performed strongly, jumping to second place with 1 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 46.3%, becoming a key engine for the recovery of Cambodia's tourism industry. Thailand, however, slipped from first place last year to third, with approximately 996,000 visitors, a significant decrease of 42.3% year-on-year. In addition, the number of tourists from the United States and South Korea exceeded 160,000 and nearly 140,000 respectively, both experiencing varying degrees of decline.
“The global tourism industry remains affected by geopolitical, economic fluctuations, and public health factors, but the slight decline in the total number of tourists to Cambodia is mainly related to the closure of the Cambodia-Thailand border,” analyzed Tun Sin Nam, President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) of Cambodia. He added that the majority of the lost tourists were those heading to border casinos, whose actual impact on Cambodia's local socio-economic development was relatively limited, resulting in a healthier tourist demographic.
Regarding entry methods, air travel became a significant growth driver. During the same period, 2.3241 million tourists entered Cambodia by air, a year-on-year increase of 21.7%. The three major international airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville all saw steady increases in passenger numbers, reflecting the recovery vitality of the long-haul tourism market.
The divergence among tourist destinations is also noteworthy. Phnom Penh remains the most popular destination, receiving 1.5648 million foreign tourists, a slight year-on-year decrease of 14%; Siem Reap province received 765,500 tourists, a slight year-on-year decrease of 1.1%, maintaining stable core tourism appeal; Sihanoukville province, however, emerged as a rising star, achieving a 26.6% year-on-year increase with 327,900 tourists, becoming a new tourism hotspot. In 2024, Cambodia received 6.7 million international tourists, a 22.9% year-on-year increase, with tourism revenue accounting for 9.4% of its GDP. The Asian Development Bank predicts that with the continued recovery of the Chinese tourist market, Cambodia's tourism industry is expected to gradually return to a growth trajectory.
To further boost tourism development, the Cambodian government has introduced a series of practical measures: reducing e-visa fees starting in 2025, optimizing Angkor Wat ticket policies and introducing an automated ticketing system; and announcing a phased visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens from June 15 to October 15, 2026.
The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism anticipates that, with the continued release of policy benefits, the number of international tourists in 2025 is expected to reach 7.2 million to 7.5 million. Currently, Cambodia is actively adapting to new market changes, optimizing service experiences, simplifying entry procedures, and other measures to fully welcome global tourists and promote higher-quality development of the tourism economy.
