Cambodia welcomes 4.3 million international tourist arrivals amid regional tensions

By Leng Deth

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Nov.10, 2025) — Cambodia welcomed approximately 4.3 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2025, marking an 8.8% decline compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Thai nationals topped the list with over 970,000 arrivals, though their numbers fell by 35.9%. Vietnamese tourists followed with more than 900,000, down nearly 7%, while Chinese visitors surged 46.3% to 880,000. Arrivals from the United States and South Korea also declined, by 1.6% and nearly 10.8%, respectively.

Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) of Cambodia chapter, attributed the downturn to geopolitical tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, which led to border closures and disrupted travel. He also cited global economic pressures and reduced outbound travel from China and Europe due to financial constraints, lingering pandemic effects, and natural disasters.

“An 8% drop is not alarming for Cambodia,” Sinan said. “But it’s a wake-up call for both government and private sector to collaborate on promotion and shift from relying on others to self-driven tourism development.”

The Asian Development Bank noted a rebound in Cambodia’s tourism sector during the first half of 2025, driven by rising Chinese arrivals. However, ongoing border tensions with Thailand are expected to hamper tourism and broader service sector activities in the second half of the year.