Cambodia is resetting its tourism playbook as it confronts a turbulent global landscape, unveiling a series of new strategies designed to cushion external shocks, diversify visitor markets and lift tourism revenue in 2026 and beyond.

From data driven marketing partnerships to major airport upgrades and visa reforms, the Cambodia Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism are coordinating a broad effort to turn recent headwinds including global economic uncertainty and border tensions with Thailand into a springboard for more resilient growth.

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Tourism Rebound Meets New Global Headwinds

After a rapid post pandemic recovery that brought an estimated 6.7 million international visitors in 2024 and more than 4 million in the first three quarters of 2025, Cambodia’s tourism sector has entered a more complex phase.

Recent statistics show that while arrivals remain significantly above pandemic lows, foreign visits in the first nine months of 2025 slipped by almost 9 percent year on year as global economic pressures and geopolitical risks weighed on regional travel. The downturn has been especially visible in short haul markets relying on overland crossings.

The most dramatic impact has come from border tensions with Thailand, historically Cambodia’s single largest source of tourists. Industry analysis indicates that Thai arrivals dropped sharply in the second half of 2025, in some months by more than a third compared with the previous year, reflecting both physical border disruptions and a loss of traveler confidence. Vietnam, another key neighbor, has also registered a more modest decline in visitor numbers, underlining how sensitive cross border tourism remains to political and economic uncertainty.

Despite these setbacks, officials stress that the broader trajectory is still positive. The first months of 2025 saw double digit growth in international arrivals compared with 2024, and domestic tourism has surged as Cambodians increasingly travel to their own beaches, mountains and heritage sites. The Cambodia Tourism Board is framing the current moment not as a reversal but as a “stress test” for the sector’s resilience and a catalyst for overdue reforms aimed at reducing dependence on any single market or entry channel.

Data Driven Strategy and New Partnerships

At the heart of Cambodia’s new tourism strategy is a shift toward data driven decision making and closer collaboration with private sector partners. In late 2024, the Ministry of Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding with global payments company Visa, giving planners access to anonymized transaction data that tracks where visitors come from, how they spend and which destinations or businesses benefit most. Officials say the tool, branded Visa Destination Insights, is already helping refine marketing priorities and identify high value segments that were previously under targeted.

Under the agreement, Visa is also supporting training workshops for local tourism operators on digital payments, financial literacy and online marketing, areas that became critical during the pandemic but where many Cambodian small and medium enterprises still lag. The Cambodia Tourism Board sees these skills as essential to capturing more value from each visitor, particularly as global travelers increasingly expect seamless digital experiences from booking to payment and review.

The data partnership complements a wider push to modernize tourism governance. Officials are working to integrate real time visitor statistics, airline schedules and hotel performance indicators into a unified dashboard to guide policy and marketing campaigns. The goal is to move away from a narrow focus on headline arrival numbers and toward metrics that track length of stay, per capita spending and dispersal of tourists beyond traditional hubs such as Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Rebalancing Source Markets: China, India and Long Haul Visitors

One of the clearest priorities emerging from Cambodia’s new strategy is the diversification of source markets. While arrivals from Thailand and Vietnam remain substantial, their recent volatility has underlined the risks of over reliance on neighboring economies and land borders. In response, the Cambodia Tourism Board is doubling down on air based markets, with a particular emphasis on China, India and long haul visitors from Europe and North America.

Chinese tourism is once again becoming a pillar of growth. After a gradual return in 2023 and 2024, officials estimate that about 1 million Chinese visitors traveled to Cambodia in 2025, a strong rebound though still below the 2.3 million recorded in 2019. The government has announced plans for visa free entry for Chinese passport holders beginning in 2026, a move expected to significantly reduce barriers to travel and encourage more frequent short breaks as well as group tours. Promotional campaigns are being tailored to Chinese social media platforms and online travel agencies, highlighting both classic attractions such as Angkor Wat and newer coastal and eco tourism offerings.

India is also moving higher on the agenda following the designation of 2025 as ASEAN India Tourism Year. Cambodia has stepped up its participation in trade fairs and cultural events in major Indian cities and is promoting spiritual, historical and wellness themed itineraries that resonate with Indian travelers. New air connections are being added, including existing Phnom Penh New Delhi flights and planned services linking Indian gateways with Siem Reap, which authorities hope will unlock both religious tourism and higher spending family travel.

At the same time, long haul markets from Europe, Australia and North America are being courted as stabilizing forces that tend to stay longer and spend more per trip. Research shows that visitors from countries like Spain, Italy and Germany have high rates of visiting heritage sites such as Angkor, and often combine Cambodia with neighboring destinations in multi country itineraries. The Tourism Board’s strategy calls for joint promotions with airlines and regional partners to position Cambodia as an essential stop on Southeast Asian cultural routes rather than just an add on destination.

Infrastructure, Connectivity and the Airport Push

To support its growth ambitions, Cambodia is investing heavily in transport infrastructure and aviation connectivity. The Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which opened in 2023, has already begun to reshape access to the country’s premier heritage destination with a modern terminal capable of handling larger aircraft and increased passenger volumes. Early 2025 figures show a steady rise in ticket sales for Angkor Archaeological Park, helped by the introduction of an online ticketing and inspection system that streamlines entry for international visitors.

In the capital region, the Techo International Airport near Phnom Penh is moving toward a planned opening in 2025. Designed to eventually handle up to 50 million passengers per year in several phases, the new hub is intended to relieve pressure on the existing Phnom Penh airport and create capacity for more long haul and regional flights. Government and industry sources say the airport’s scale and modern facilities should make it more attractive for airlines considering direct services from Europe, the Middle East and East Asia, all central to the Tourism Board’s diversification strategy.

Airline partnerships are also expanding. Turkish Airlines is preparing to launch flights linking Istanbul and Phnom Penh in late 2025, which would make the Cambodian capital accessible via a major European and transcontinental hub. Regional carriers from Thailand, Vietnam and other ASEAN states are expected to adjust routes as new airports come online and demand patterns shift. In parallel, road and coastal infrastructure upgrades aim to improve access to secondary cities and emerging destinations, so that the benefits of increasing arrivals are more widely spread across the country.

Sustainable and “Green Season” Campaigns

Beyond traditional high season marketing, Cambodia is placing greater emphasis on smoothing visitor flows throughout the year and promoting more sustainable forms of travel. A flagship initiative is the “Visit Cambodia in the Green Season” campaign, which encourages both domestic and international tourists to explore the country during the rainy months from May to October. Authorities report that the program helped drive a strong rise in domestic trips in 2025, easing pressure on peak season infrastructure while injecting revenue into communities that previously endured long low season slumps.

The campaign is also being used to highlight eco tourism products such as community run homestays, forest and waterfall excursions, and low impact river and coastal experiences. Officials say this approach not only spreads economic benefits but also aligns with growing global demand for authentic and sustainable travel. Branding the rainy season as a time of lush landscapes and cultural festivals, rather than as an off peak compromise, is central to efforts to change perceptions among travelers and tour operators.

Environmental sustainability is becoming a recurring theme in Cambodia’s tourism planning documents. The government is encouraging investment in cleaner transport, waste management solutions and heritage conservation, particularly around heavily visited sites in Siem Reap and coastal provinces. By tying Green Season promotion to concrete sustainability measures, the Tourism Board aims to protect the natural and cultural assets that underpin the industry while securing the support of environmentally conscious visitors and partners.

Supporting Small Businesses and Digital Transformation

Recognizing that the vast majority of tourism jobs and services are generated by micro, small and medium enterprises, the Cambodia Tourism Board is putting new focus on helping these businesses adapt to a changing market. Training programs delivered in cooperation with international organizations and private companies cover topics ranging from online booking management and digital payment acceptance to customer service and multilingual communication.

Digital transformation is seen as particularly important in rural and secondary destinations, where operators may rely heavily on walk in traffic or single offline agents. By integrating into global online travel platforms and using social media to tell their stories, local guesthouses, guides and restaurants can reduce their vulnerability to sudden drops in one source market or distribution channel. The Ministry of Tourism’s collaboration with Visa and other tech partners is expected to expand access to these tools and improve data literacy so that small businesses can track and respond to trends more effectively.

Financial resilience is another priority. Authorities are considering measures to improve access to credit and insurance products tailored to tourism, which was hit hard by the pandemic and more recent shocks. Sector observers argue that without stronger balance sheets and safety nets, many small operators remain one crisis away from closure, undermining the diversity and authenticity that make Cambodia attractive to visitors.

Managing Risk in an Uncertain Regional Environment

The Cambodia Tourism Board’s latest strategies are being rolled out against a backdrop of heightened regional risk, including political tensions, economic slowdowns and shifting travel advisories. The 2025 border conflict episode with Thailand, although localized, exposed just how quickly a disruption in one corridor can ripple through the entire tourism value chain, from hotel occupancy in Siem Reap to transport providers and tour guides across the country.

In response, policymakers are working on contingency plans that include diversifying overland gateways, incentivizing airlines to maintain or expand routes, and coordinating with regional partners on crisis communication. The objective is to avoid a repeat of sudden, severe declines in visitors from any single country by ensuring that alternative markets and transport options are ready to absorb shocks.

Industry experts note that Cambodia’s relatively low public debt and strong political commitment to tourism investment give it room to maneuver. However, they also warn that success will depend on sequencing: stabilizing border and safety concerns, rebuilding traveler confidence through clear messaging, and then sustaining momentum with high quality products and services. The current strategy package is framed as a multi year roadmap rather than a quick fix, with 2026 viewed as an important benchmark for judging whether the sector can grow in a more balanced and resilient way.

FAQ

Q1: Why is Cambodia changing its tourism strategy now?
Cambodia’s tourism authorities are responding to a mix of strong post pandemic growth and new challenges, including global economic headwinds and regional border tensions. The updated strategy aims to protect recent gains while reducing dependence on a few neighboring markets and land borders.

Q2: What role does China play in Cambodia’s new tourism plans?
China is considered a cornerstone market, with around 1 million Chinese visitors estimated in 2025 and visa free access for Chinese passport holders planned for 2026. Cambodia is investing in Chinese language marketing, partnerships with online travel platforms and tailored tour products to further grow this segment.

Q3: How is Cambodia trying to attract more Indian tourists?
Cambodia is leveraging ASEAN India Tourism Year 2025 to promote itself at trade shows and cultural events in India, while expanding direct air links such as flights between Phnom Penh, New Delhi and planned routes to Siem Reap. It is highlighting spiritual, historical and wellness experiences that appeal to Indian travelers.

Q4: What infrastructure projects are expected to boost tourism growth?
Key projects include the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and the upcoming Techo International Airport near Phnom Penh. These facilities are designed to increase capacity for international flights, attract new carriers and improve the overall travel experience for visitors.

Q5: How is Cambodia addressing sustainability in its tourism sector?
The government is promoting eco tourism, community based experiences and off peak “Green Season” travel, while encouraging investments in cleaner transport and better waste management. Efforts focus on protecting natural and cultural assets, especially around heavily visited sites like Angkor.

Q6: What support is being offered to small tourism businesses?
Small and medium tourism enterprises are receiving training in digital payments, online marketing and customer service, often in partnership with international firms. Authorities are also exploring improved access to finance and tailored insurance products to help these businesses withstand future shocks.

Q7: How significant are domestic tourists in Cambodia’s strategy?
Domestic tourism has become an important pillar, with millions of Cambodians traveling within the country and providing a buffer when international arrivals soften. Campaigns such as “Visit Cambodia in the Green Season” specifically target local travelers to maintain activity year round.

Q8: What is being done to manage risks from border tensions and regional conflicts?
The Cambodia Tourism Board is working on contingency plans that include diversifying markets, encouraging more air based arrivals and coordinating with neighboring countries on crisis communication. The aim is to avoid overreliance on any single land border or source market.

Q9: Will visitors see changes in how they book and pay for services?
Yes. As digital transformation accelerates, more hotels, tour operators and local businesses are offering online booking, electronic payments and dynamic pricing. This should make planning trips to Cambodia easier and more transparent for international and domestic travelers alike.

Q10: What should travelers expect from Cambodia’s tourism offer in 2026?
Travelers can expect improved air connectivity, more diversified itineraries that go beyond traditional hotspots, expanded digital services and a stronger emphasis on sustainable, community based experiences. Authorities hope these changes will make Cambodia both more accessible and more resilient in an uncertain global environment.