Cambodia welcomed 611,894 international tourists in the first month of this year, up 13.3 percent compared to the 540,023 tourists recorded during the same period in 2024, said a report from the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) yesterday.
The rise of international tourists, mainly from Thailand, Vietnam and China, were announced by the Tourism Statistics Department of MoT on March 11.
According to the ‘Tourism Statistics Report – January 2025’, the Kingdom welcomed 245,403 tourists travelling by air, reflecting an 18.8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Additionally, 366,491 tourists arrived by land and waterways, marking a 9.8 percent rise, bringing the total to 611,894 international tourists, the statement added.
Thailand maintained its position at the top, with 189,343 tourists in January, reflecting a 15.7 percent increase from 163,661 during the same period last year, further strengthening its role as Cambodia’s largest tourist source.
Despite a modest increase of only 796 visitors, Vietnam maintained its position as Cambodia’s second-largest tourist source, recording a total of 85,796 visitors, which reflected steady interest from Vietnamese travellers to the Kingdom.
Amid the Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year, Chinese tourist arrivals surged to 67,998, a 45.5 percent increase from 46,781 in 2023. However, China remained third, behind Cambodia’s neighbouring countries, as in previous reports.
Delving into the report, the Kingdom also experienced a substantial increase in Russian tourists, totalling 13,432—an impressive 96.9 percent surge compared to 6,822 visitors in January 2023, securing the ninth spot on the list.
During the MoT annual conference on February 26, Huat Hak, Minister of Tourism, said that for 2025, we hope that the number of international tourists visiting Cambodia will increase to between 7.2 million and 7.5 million.
With the Minister’s intention to boost foreign tourist arrivals by 500,000 to 800,000 by year-end, January’s arrivals represent 8.1 to 8.4 percent of the target, with 11 months remaining.
It may be informed that the Angkor Enterprise recorded about 146,140 foreign tourists in January, contributing to approximately 23.8 percent of the total tourist arrivals reported by MoT.
From these visitors, the Angkor Archaeological Park generated nearly $7 million in revenue from ticket sales, marking a 26.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Speaking to Khmer Times, Chhay Sivlin, President of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA), praised the efforts of the MoT Minister for launching numerous initiatives to promote Cambodia’s tourism potential, particularly to Chinese tourists.
Participating in nearly every trip, Sivlin noted that the Minister has led delegations to various Chinese provinces almost every month, meeting with tourism-related officials, agencies, experts, and social media influencers.
The CATA President highlighted that Chinese tourists remain uncertain about their safety due to rumours of scams and captivity. To address these concerns, she recommended tourists travel to Cambodia through agencies that ensure their safety and beyond.
According to Sivlin, using travel agencies offers international tourists the best prices for transportation and accommodation while providing opportunities to explore new tourism sites they have never visited.
She further noted that the nearly 50 percent increase in Chinese tourists in January was due to collaborative efforts between the MoT and the private sector, which jointly organised various events alongside the Chinese New Year celebration on January 29.
