Angkor Ticket Revenue Slides 30% Amid Geopolitical and Regional Pressures

PHNOM PENH, March 2, 2026 (KPT) — Revenue from ticket sales to Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park plunged more than 30 percent in the first two months of 2026, highlighting mounting pressures on the country’s flagship tourism destination amid geopolitical uncertainty and regional tensions, official data showed Sunday.

Angkor Enterprise reported that 188,885 international visitors purchased entrance tickets in January and February, generating about $9.17 million in revenue — a 30.32 percent drop compared with the same period last year.

Tourism insiders attributed the slowdown partly to border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, which have dented travel confidence in Siem Reap, the gateway to the Angkor temples. Broader global instability has also weighed on international travel decisions.

Khiev Thy, president of the Angkor Tourist Guide Association, said the border situation had visibly affected visitor flows. Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Cambodia Chapter, added that the sector continues to grapple with post-pandemic challenges, compounded by reputational issues and global uncertainty.

“Geopolitics is unfolding in unpredictable ways. We do not know what tomorrow may bring,” Sinan said.

Despite the decline at Angkor, the Ministry of Tourism reported that Cambodia welcomed 5.57 million international visitors in 2025, down 16.9 percent year-on-year. Domestic tourism remained resilient at around 25 million trips, while overall tourism revenue rose 3 percent to approximately $3.7 billion.