Cambodia Tourist Arrivals Plummet Amid Economic Uncertainty and Regional Tensions

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 3, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia welcomed almost 2 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2026, official data showed Wednesday, though arrivals dropped more than 46% from a year earlier as global economic uncertainty and regional tensions weighed on travel. The Ministry of Tourism reported 1,997,821 international arrivals between January and July. Chinese visitors totaled about 520,000, down 24.4%, while arrivals from Vietnam exceeded 510,000, falling more than 28%. Cambodia also received nearly 120,000 US visitors, down more than 9%, while arrivals from the UK topped 70,000, declining nearly 15%. French visitors numbered more than 70,000, down over 16%. Thourn Sinan, President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Cambodia Chapter, said global economic instability and geopolitical tensions had contributed to the downturn. He noted that many travelers were cutting leisure spending and opting for destinations with more competitive prices. Sinan urged Cambodia to treat the decline as an opportunity to reassess its tourism strategy, improve service quality, develop new products, expand into fresh markets and strengthen public‑private cooperation. Neang Mao, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Tourism, attributed the fall to regional conflicts, Thai military aggression, Thailand’s unilateral border closure and rising fuel costs. Cambodia received 5.57 million international tourists in 2025, down 16.7% from 2024, while tourism revenue rose 6.6% to $3.878 billion.