The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism recorded 988,574 international tourists in the first two months (January and February) of 2024, marking an increase of 18 per cent from the same period in 2023.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Tourism on March 21, 2024, travellers from Thailand topped the number of international arrivals to the Kingdom, followed by those from Vietnam and China.
More specific breakdown of the number of travellers from the top three visiting countries:
- 247,530 Thai visitors (down 10 percent from 2023)
- 185,385 Vietnamese visitors (up 41 percent from 2023)
- 109,990 Chinese visitors (up 38.5 percent from 2023)
The latest report from Angkor Enterprise, covering the period from January 1 to March 22, 2024, denotes that Angkor Pass ticket sales have reached 317,721. Total revenue from ticket sales between January and February 2024 exceeded USD $11.23 million (with 235,850 tickets sold).
Is Cambodia Seeing A Revival Of International Tourism?
During the 2024 River Festival held in Siem Reap from March 16-17, Prime Minister Hun Manet shared that 5.45 million international tourists had visited Cambodia in 2023, generating a gross revenue of USD $3.08 billion.
While the latest 2024 numbers appear promising, particularly since they indicate a rise from the same period in 2023, it is not unlikely for Cambodia’s tourism levels to rise during the peak season (aligning with the country’s colder months from November to February).
The total revival of international tourism to Cambodia still remains uncertain, however, the Prime Minister has expressed hope that tourism numbers will finally surpass pre-pandemic levels by 2025.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia recorded 6.6 million international visitors in 2019, earning USD $4.92 billion dollars in revenue.
Efforts To Boost Tourism In Cambodia
During the Government-Private Sector Forum (G-PSF) in November 2023, the Cambodian government announced the Visit Siem Reap 2024 Campaign aimed at addressing challenges across the tourism value chain in Siem Reap.
This campaign includes tourism promotion, working to establish connecting flight routes between major tourist destinations, and striving to create an ‘attractive tourism environment’ in 2024.
The new Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport was opened in October 2023, which officials hope will spur more international tourist arrivals to the country. Cambodia also introduced a new e-Arrival Card system in early 2024 for all travellers, aimed at simplifying the entrance process.
The government has also organised a number of events to promote travel to Cambodia, such as the launch of the 2024 Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year, the River Festival in Siem Reap, and the upcoming Tourism and Trade Fair in Sihanoukville from March 24-26.
Khmer New Year, the most celebrated festival in the country, is also coming up from April 13-16, 2024, and is expected to spur more travel within Cambodia.
Additionally, AirAsia Cambodia recently announced the launch of daily domestic flights to Phnom Penh (PP), Siem Reap (SAI), and Sihanoukville (KOS) starting from May 2, 2024.b2b-cambodia
