Cambodia Sees Drop In International Tourist Arrivals Amid Regional Tensions With Thailand And Vietnam

Published on October 7, 2025

The Ministry of Tourism’s (MoT) astir caller tourism statistic study shows that overseas visitant arrivals successful Cambodia fell by 38.4% successful August 2025. There were 338,351 overseas visitors to nan Kingdom overall, which is simply a important alteration from nan aforesaid period nan twelvemonth before. This steep driblet portends a difficult clip for nan nation’s tourism sector, which has agelong been a captious portion of its economy.

According to nan MoT’s data, nan diminution was mostly brought connected by disruptions brought connected by geopolitical concerns that person an effect connected cross-border travel. There were immoderate encouraging developments contempt nan crisp diminution successful overseas arrivals, particularly pinch respect to Chinese tourists.

Key Contributor: Chinese Tourists Lead nan Decline successful August

Among nan overseas visitors arriving successful Cambodia during August, China contributed nan largest share, pinch 97,456 visitors, marking a 30.2% increase compared to nan aforesaid play past year. This summation underscores nan increasing value of Chinese visitors to Cambodia’s tourism sector. Efforts made by nan Cambodian Ministry of Tourism to fortify tourism ties pinch Chinese provinces are base fruit, contempt challenges elsewhere.

On nan different hand, Vietnam followed arsenic nan second-largest root market, pinch 93,857 arrivals. However, nan number represented a 15.5% decrease from past year’s figures. This diminution is believed to beryllium influenced by weaker spending patterns and immoderate uncertainty regarding nan connectivity betwixt Cambodia and Vietnam owed to nan ongoing separator conflicts successful nan region. These conflicts person not only disrupted tourism but besides affected nan unit and hospitality sectors that dangle heavy connected cross-border travel.

Thailand’s Sharp Decline Affects Cambodia’s Tourism Economy

The astir important contributor to Cambodia’s tourism diminution successful August was Thailand, which recorded conscionable 16,137 visitors to Cambodia. This represents an alarming 91.6% decrease from nan 193,216 arrivals registered successful August 2024. The superior logic for this melodramatic autumn is ongoing separator conflicts betwixt Cambodia and Thailand, which person led to cancellations of flights, edifice reservations, and recreation bookings.

Businesses adjacent nan separator areas, which trust heavy connected Thai tourists, person been severely impacted. This business has placed important strain connected Cambodia’s tourism-dependent services, peculiarly successful nan regions closest to nan conflict zones. The disruption is further exacerbated by a cautious attack adopted by travelers, particularly those crossing by land, fearing instability contempt nan conflict being localized.

Total Tourism Overview: A Downturn successful nan First Eight Months of 2025

Over nan first 8 months of nan year, Cambodia welcomed 4.05 million world tourists, marking a 5.6% decline compared to nan aforesaid play successful 2024. While nan wide driblet successful world arrivals is concerning, it is worthy noting that nan decline successful visitant numbers from Thailand had nan astir profound effect connected nan nationalist tourism sector.

In nan first 8 months of 2025, Thailand remained nan starring root marketplace for visitors to Cambodia, accounting for 962,462 visitors. However, this fig reflects a 28% decrease compared to nan 1,340,750 arrivals recorded successful 2024. This decline, mostly attributed to nan geopolitical instability, has been 1 of nan astir important challenges for Cambodia’s tourism economy.

Meanwhile, Vietnam classed 2nd pinch 808,471 arrivals, representing a 6.9% decrease from nan erstwhile year. This diminution is besides linked to nan strained separator conditions, which person had a ripple effect connected tourism movements. The disruptions to cross-border recreation person led to a simplification successful land-based visitors who typically sojourn Cambodia for short stays.

Chinese Arrivals Surge Amid Regional Tensions

On a much affirmative note, China showed a notable 45.7% increase, pinch 784,965 visitors recorded during nan first 8 months of 2025. This surge highlights China’s increasing value arsenic a cardinal driver for Cambodia’s tourism. The continued spot of nan Chinese outbound tourism market, alongside concerted efforts by Cambodia’s tourism assemblage to forge stronger links pinch Chinese provinces, has contributed to nan country’s rebound successful world arrivals from this market.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism, nether nan activity of Minister Huot Hak, has worked intimately pinch nan backstage assemblage to fortify tourism relationships pinch China. This collaboration has not only helped retrieve immoderate of nan losses caused by location tensions but has besides created a much diversified tourism guidelines for nan country. The accent connected attracting much visitors from China has been particularly important fixed nan challenging location dynamics.

Industry Leaders’ Perspectives connected Cambodia’s Tourism Outlook

Despite nan challenges faced successful 2025, nan activity successful Cambodia’s tourism assemblage remains optimistic astir nan future. Chhay Sivlin, nan President of nan Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA), noted that nan crisp diminution successful tourism from Thailand was nan main contributor to nan downturn. She emphasized that nan geopolitical tensions betwixt nan neighboring Kingdoms had led to aggregate cancellations, severely impacting businesses adjacent nan border. However, she reassured stakeholders successful nan tourism manufacture that nan business was not wholly bleak.

Sivlin besides highlighted nan value of diversifying Cambodia’s tourism base, pointing to nan dependable maturation successful Chinese arrivals arsenic grounds of nan country’s expertise to retrieve from location disruptions. Moreover, she encouraged manufacture operators to stay positive, asserting that nan sector’s reliance connected world tourism would thief substance early maturation arsenic nan geopolitical business stabilizes.

Cambodia’s Tourism Faces Uncertainty but Shows Signs of Resilience

The important effect that location geopolitical tensions person connected Cambodia’s tourism manufacture is evident from nan Ministry of Tourism’s August 2025 report. Even though nan 38.4% diminution successful overseas arrivals is alarming, location is still dream for a recovery, particularly pinch person ties to China. The business is still precarious, though, and Cambodia’s tourism-related industries will person to support adjusting to nan difficulties brought connected by nan continuous separator disputes pinch Thailand and nan shifting economical circumstances successful adjacent nations.

Although location has been immoderate betterment successful nan number of Chinese visitors to Cambodia, nan business is still unclear. Nonetheless, nan government’s and nan backstage sector’s attempts to interact pinch various markets mightiness lessen nan effect of location instability. Despite nan continuous difficulties, manufacture participants successful Cambodia must proceed to beryllium elastic and committed to expanding nan nation’s allure for overseas visitors arsenic it looks to nan future.