Sihanouk International Airport (KOS) recorded an increase in January year-on-year visitor numbers of more than 80 per cent, with over 4,000 passengers.

“International tourist arrivals reached 4,294 in January, up from 1,170 in the same period in 2024, an increase of 84.4 percent,” said the Ministry of Tourism.

Cambodia’s tourism industry is experiencing an overall positive trend, with international arrivals growing by 13.3 per cent, reaching 611,894 in January 2025.

This positive trend continues to build on the momentum of past years, suggesting that Preah Sihanouk’s tourism sector could see a strong recovery moving forward.

Cambodia Airports announced that the airport reached the one million passenger mark for the first time in August 2019. 

However, international arrivals to Sihanouk International Airport totalled 27,441 in January 2019, with this month’s figures down by 84.35%.

Preah Sihanouk province plays a crucial role as a major gateway to Cambodia’s coastal attractions.

“Land arrivals to Preah Sihanouk continued to show positive growth, increasing by 10.5 per cent to 357,599 tourists in January 2025,” said the ministry.

“On the other hand, waterway arrivals saw a decrease of 10.4 per cent, with 8,892 tourists arriving by boats, signalling that maritime travel may be facing some challenges,” it added.

The reduced demand for travel by sea could be the result of several various factors, such as competition from other forms of transport or changes in tourism patterns.

Overall, the province’s increase in air and land travel shows promising signs of recovery and growth.

Meanwhile, Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) and Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) also saw growth in international arrivals in January 2025. 

PNH recorded 157,120 international arrivals, an increase of 18.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, while SAI saw 83,989 international arrivals, up 16.1 per cent.