(Phnom Penh): Cambodia welcomed more than 5.5 million international tourists in 2025, a 16.9 percent drop from 6.7 million visitors in 2024, according to a report from the Ministry of Tourism seen by Fresh News on Wednesday (Jan. 28).

The report stated that Viet Nam ranked first, with 1.22 million tourists, marking a decline of 8.8 per cent. China ranked second with 1.20 million tourists, posting a strong 41.4 per cent increase. Thailand placed third with just over 1 million visitors, but recorded a steep 52 per cent decline.

The United States followed with 200,000 tourists, a 3.6 percent a decrease, while South Korea sent more than 150,000 visitors, a 20.6 percent decrease. Additional arrivals included over 140,000 Indonesians and more than 130,000 French tourists.

The report further noted that of the more than 5.5 million international tourists in 2025, air arrivals accounted for 2.8 million visitors, an increase of 19.2 per cent, while land arrivals totalled 2.6 million, a decrease of 37.8 per cent. Waterway arrivals exceeded 980,000, rising 6.3 per cent.

Despite the fall in visitor numbers, tourism revenue reached an estimated USD 3.7 billion in 2025, a 3 percent increase from 2024, according to the National Bank of Cambodia’s 2025 report.

The National Bank noted that tourism continued its recovery in the first half of 2025, driven by destination diversification and expanded direct flight connections. However, growth slowed in the second half of the year following two rounds of armed clashes along the Cambodia–Thailand border and rising concerns over technology-related fraud crimes in the region.
=FRESH NEWS