Arya News - According to the Ministry of Tourism, from January to October 2025, Cambodia welcomed a total of 4.75 million international visitors, a decrease of 11.6% compared to the same period in 2024.
PHNOM PENH – Experts in Cambodia’s tourism sector note that the Kingdom’s latest transport infrastructure achievements — especially the Techo International Airport — have contributed significantly to attracting more international tourists and investors to visit Cambodia.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, from January to October 2025, Cambodia welcomed a total of 4.75 million international visitors, a decrease of 11.6% compared to the same period in 2024. The decline, predominantly of visitors from neighbouring nations, was attributed to Thai military aggression. However, visitors from China showed a positive increase of more than 44%.
In 2024, the tourism sector contributed about 9.4% to Cambodia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), helping the country earn nearly $3.64 billion from international tourists, according to the ministry.
Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA), said that over the past year, Cambodia’s overall tourism situation has significantly improved, with most visitors coming from high-potential countries such as the US, Europe, the UK and China. She added that “quality tourists” refers to tourists who spend more during their trips.
“Tourism service providers who cater to high-end visitors are becoming busier, meaning those businesses are gradually recovering. These guests tend to choose eco-tourism and community-based tourism products, and sometimes have demands beyond just visiting ancient temples,” she said.
She added that what is particularly noteworthy is that under the new government mandate, there has been extensive development of tourism-supporting infrastructure, such as the Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport and the Techo International Airport, as well as investment projects in the hospitality sector.
“All of these developments have attracted more direct flights from various countries, especially major ones like Turkey, the UAE and India — and more are on the way,” she said.
To boost air transport and travel, the Cambodian government and private sector continue to develop international airport infrastructure. Notably, the Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (A 4E category, with $1.1 billion investment) opened in 2023; the Dara Sakor Airport (4D category, $200 million) began operations in 2024; and most recently, the Techo International Airport (4F category, with connecting infrastructure worth over $2 billion) officially opened on October 20, 2025.
According to the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), from January to October 2025, the Kingdom’s three international airports (Techo International Airport, Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport and Sihanouk International Airport) handled 52,954 inbound and outbound flights — a 12% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
An SSCA report added that the three airports served 5,665,129 air passengers (inbound and outbound), an increase of 14%. Meanwhile, air cargo (inbound and outbound) reached 74,912 tonnes, also rising by 14% compared to the first ten months of 2024.
Currently, a total of 34 airlines are operating in Cambodia — 4 national carriers and 30 international airlines.