Angkor Ticket Sales Generate Over $20 Million in Seven Months, Down 29%

PHNOM PENH, Aug 3, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia earned $20.33 million from ticket sales to the Angkor Archaeological Park in the first seven months of 2026, down 29 percent from the same period last year, official data showed Saturday, underscoring the challenges facing the country’s tourism recovery. Angkor Enterprise said international visitors purchasing passes fell 30 percent year‑on‑year to 428,223 between January and July. Khiev Thy, president of the Khmer Angkor Tour Guide Association, attributed the decline to the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict, concerns over online scams and broader geopolitical tensions that have discouraged international travel to Siem Reap. Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia Chapter, said the slowdown reflected both domestic and external pressures, including global economic instability. “The global economy remains unstable, prompting many travelers to cut spending on leisure trips and choose destinations offering better value for money,” he said. Despite the downturn, Sinan urged stakeholders to treat the decline as an opportunity to strengthen competitiveness. “This should be regarded as a chance to review our strategy, improve service quality, develop new products, expand into new markets and strengthen cooperation between government and the private sector,” he said. “If we can do this systematically with the participation of all stakeholders, Cambodia’s tourism industry will be able to recover strongly and sustainably.” The latest figures follow a difficult 2025, when Cambodia earned nearly $45 million from Angkor ticket sales, down 6.5 percent from the previous year, highlighting continued pressure on one of the country’s most important tourism indicators.