Thailand and Vietnam remain the top sources of international tourists to Cambodia, contributing over three million visitors, or more than 50% of the total international arrivals during the first 11 months of 2024.
Data from the Ministry of Tourism shows that the country welcomed six million foreign visitors from January to November, a 22% increase from the 4.92 million recorded during the same period in 2023. Of these, Thai nationals accounted for 1.91 million, a 15.4% increase, representing a 31.9% market share. Vietnamese nationals totalled 1.2 million visitors, marking a 30.8% increase and a 20.1% market share.
Chinese tourists ranked third, with 769,775 arrivals (12.8%), followed by visitors from Laos at 306,948 (5.1%) and the US at 190,856 (3.3%). Other notable source markets included South Korea, Indonesia, France, the UK and Japan.
Khiev Thy, president of the Khmer Angkor Tour Guide Association (KATGA), told The Post earlier this week that the high numbers of Thai and Vietnamese tourists are largely due to the country’s shared land and water borders with these countries.
However, he observed that most Thai and Vietnamese visitors travel for business activities, particularly in border provinces, rather than leisure visits to cultural or historical sites like the Angkor temples.
“International tourists who visit cultural and historical sites, especially the Angkor temples in Siem Reap, are mostly from Europe, the US, China and Japan. Vietnamese and Thai tourists are relatively few,” he said.
Thy also noted a noticeable increase in Chinese tourists visiting Siem Reap but emphasised that their numbers remain below pre-2020 levels.
As a tour guide, he added, “We want to see more international tourists visiting historical sites. The tourism sector is a crucial source of income for Siem Reap province.”
Thourn Sinan, president of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Cambodia chapter, previously explained that changes in data collection methods have significantly boosted the recorded number of visitors from Thailand and Vietnam.
He said that unlike in the past, when only leisure travellers were counted, current statistics include all international entries, including those crossing for gambling or other activities in border areas.
Sinan welcomed the rise in international tourist numbers, despite the shift in recording methodology.
According to Angkor Enterprise, 898,339 international tourists purchased tickets to visit Angkor Archaeological Park between January and November 2024, generating $41.91 million in revenue. This marked a 28.33% increase in ticket sales and a 28.76% rise in revenue compared to the same period in 2023, when 699,996 foreign tourists purchased tickets, generating $32.45 million.
