Cambodia Welcomes 5.1 Million Tourists in First 11 Months of 2025 Despite Border Tensions

By Leng Deth

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 26, 2025) — Cambodia welcomed more than 5.1 million international visitors in the first 11 months of 2025, a 13.8% drop compared with the same period last year, as geopolitical challenges and border tensions with Thailand weighed on arrivals, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Vietnamese tourists topped the list with more than 1.1 million visitors, down 7.3%. Chinese arrivals also reached 1.1 million, marking a sharp 43.5% increase. Thai visitors fell nearly 47% to 1 million, while arrivals from the United States dropped 2.7% to about 180,000. South Korean tourists totaled more than 140,000, down 16%.

Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Cambodia chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, said global geopolitical uncertainty, economic pressures, and health concerns continue to affect travel. He noted that the sharp decline in Thai visitors was largely tied to the closure of border crossings, which disrupted casino tourism.

“Those visitors mainly benefited casino operators, not the wider Cambodian economy,” Sinan said. “The more meaningful gains come from tourists who explore our country.”

Cambodia received 6.7 million international visitors in 2024, up 22.9% from 2023, ministry figures show.