International tourist arrivals to Cambodia declined by 43.7% year-on-year from 4.37 million in January to September 2025 to 2.46 million in the same period of 2026, according to data released by the Cambodia Ministry of Tourism. Visitors from Vietnam dropped by 28% to 651,486, while arrivals from China fell 27.6% to 643,314. The United States saw a smaller decline of 5.6%, with 140,276 travelers visiting Cambodia during this period.
Factors Behind Tourism Decline
Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak attributed the sharp decrease to significant regional and global disruptions. These include negative publicity linked to online scam networks associated with Cambodia, tensions along the
Cambodia-Thailand border, and geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East that contributed to rising fuel prices and dampened global travel enthusiasm, adversely affecting Cambodia’s inbound tourism.
Economic Role of Tourism
Tourism remains a foundational pillar of Cambodia’s economy alongside agriculture, construction, real estate, and manufacturing exports such as garments, footwear, and travel goods. In 2025, the country welcomed 5.57 million international tourists and generated an estimated 3.87 billion USD in gross revenue. The steep decline in arrivals during the first nine months of 2026 contrasts sharply with this prior performance, underscoring the sector’s vulnerability to global headwinds.
Recovery Outlook
Thong Mengdavid, deputy director of the China-ASEAN Studies
Center at Cambodia University of Technology and Science, expressed confidence that tourism will rebound. He said, “Cambodia’s firm commitment to tackling online scams will restore its international reputation and rebuild trust among global travelers. By lowering travel barriers and actively addressing safety concerns, Cambodia will certainly win back both first-time and returning global travelers.”
Publication Details
The Cambodia Ministry of Tourism’s report highlighting these challenges was published on October 27, 2026, and sourced by Khaosod English.
