Cambodia recorded 4.37 million international tourists during the first nine months of 2025, representing an 8.8% year-on-year decline according to a Ministry of Tourism report released in November, with the downturn attributed to geopolitical tensions with Thailand that led to border closures, regional economic slowdowns, and intensified competition from neighboring destinations.
Thailand remained the top source market with 978,826 arrivals but experienced a sharp 35.9% decline, followed by Vietnam with 906,398 visitors down 6.9%, while Chinese tourist arrivals bucked the trend with a remarkable 46.3% surge to 889,089 visitors, driven partly by the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025 initiative and strengthened bilateral relations.
Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia chapter, described the 8% drop as a wake-up call for both government and private sectors to collaborate on promotion and shift from relying on external factors to self-driven tourism development, noting that while the decline is not alarming, it highlights Cambodia's vulnerability to regional geopolitical tensions and global economic pressures.
Thong Mengdavid from the Royal University of Phnom Penh's Institute for International Studies and Public Policy emphasized that the decline also reflects lingering challenges in air connectivity and destination diversification, though the newly opened Techo International Airport and stronger inflows from China and ASEAN countries could help stabilize tourist growth through the remainder of 2025.
Despite the international tourism challenges, Cambodia's domestic tourism sector demonstrated resilience with an estimated six million trips and four million overnight stays recorded in October 2025, playing a crucial role in sustaining the industry during off-peak seasons as tourism remains one of four key economic pillars alongside garment exports, agriculture, and construction.
