International tourist arrivals to Cambodia fell 45.6 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2026, dropping to 1.31 million from 2.4 million a year earlier. The figures were reported by The Cambodia China Times, citing the latest Ministry of Tourism report.
The report attributed the sustained pressure on the country’s tourism sector to regional geopolitical tensions, rising travel costs, and shifting global consumption patterns.
China remained Cambodia’s largest source market, with 331,000 arrivals, down 14.5 percent year-on-year. Vietnam followed with 312,000, a 24 percent decline. Thai arrivals collapsed to 28,900 from 674,000 a year earlier, a 95.7 percent drop the report linked to tensions along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
International arrivals by air totaled 839,000, down 17 percent. Phnom Penh International Airport handled 555,000, a 22.6 percent decrease, while Siem Reap International Airport recorded 246,000, down 10.8 percent. Sihanoukville International Airport ran counter to the trend with 36,000 arrivals, up 117 percent.
Among destinations, Phnom Penh received 740,000 foreign visitors, down 5.5 percent, and Siem Reap province saw 320,000, a 32 percent decline. Sihanoukville drew 199,000, up 13 percent.
Cambodia welcomed 5.56 million international tourists in full-year 2025, down 16.9 percent from 2024.
To boost inbound travel, the government will pilot visa-free entry for Chinese citizens from June 15th to October 15th, requiring only an electronic arrival card and allowing stays of up to 14 days with multiple entries.
The tourism data carries relevance for Cambodia’s gaming sector. Phnom Penh monopoly operator NagaCorp recently reported a 2.1 percent year-on-year increase in gross gaming revenue for the first quarter of 2026, to $174.7 million, with continued mass market strength offsetting weaker VIP volumes. The modest growth marks a sharp slowdown from the group’s strong performance in 2025, when full-year GGR rose 27.4 percent to $691.6 million.
