Tourists visit Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province. Post Staff
Nearly 5 million international tourists visited Cambodia in the first three quarters of 2024, a year-on-year increase of over one-fifth, while almost 1.4 million Cambodians travelled abroad, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
From January to September, the country welcomed a total of 4.8 million international guests, an increase of 22.2% compared to the same period in 2023, and equivalent to 99.7% of the number seen during the same interval in 2019 – a record year for international arrivals – according to the ministry.
The ministry noted that with the growth in international travellers, ticket sales for Angkor Archaeological Park also showed positive results, with 699,850 tickets sold – a year-on-year increase of 29.7%. This generated revenue of $32.52 million, a rise of 30.2%.
Meanwhile, 1.36 million Cambodians also travelled abroad for leisure, marking a 3.2% increase.
Top Sopheak, secretary of state and spokesperson for the ministry, told The Post on October 24 that political stability and domestic security are the main factors that have helped attract more international tourists and investors.
He added that besides peace and security, the country also boasts a variety of tourist attractions, ranging from cultural and historical tourism to nature-based and recreational resorts. He said the quality of hospitality and cooperation between the Cambodian government and private sectors, both domestically and internationally, has also improved.
Sopheak stated, “Overall, in 2024, we expect to receive around 6 million international tourists, and by 2025, the international tourism sector may return to numbers similar to 2019.”
In 2019, Cambodia welcomed its highest number of international tourists, at 6.61 million, an increase of 6.6% over 2018. Ticket sales to Angkor Archeological Park reached 2.2 million, generating over $99 million. Total revenue from international tourism that year was $4.92 billion, contributing 12.1% to the country's GDP.
Sopheak further emphasised that the increase in international flights is another factor that will help the country attract more international tourists and investors.
Khiev Thy, president of the Khmer Angkor Tourist Guide Association (KATGA), stated that the number of international tourists coming to Cambodia, particularly to Siem Reap province, has indeed increased compared to the past few years, when it had dropped to nearly zero due to concerns over the spread of Covid-19.
However, he said this number remains far below 2019 levels, when many international tourists visited Angkor temples during the day and enjoyed Pub Street at night.
He added, “We expect that the number of international tourists coming to visit Siem Reap will continue to grow from this high season onwards. Most … now come from Europe and the US, unlike in 2020 when the majority were from Asian countries, especially China.”
In 2023, 5.45 million international tourists visited Cambodia, marking a 139.5% increase compared to 2022. Revenue from these travellers reached approximately $3.04 billion, up 115% from $1.41 billion in 2022. International tourists stayed in the country for an average of at least seven days, according to the ministry.
