90% of Cambodian Hoteliers Miss Targets — EuroCham Demands Visa Reform

Tourism revenue in freefall, EuroCham raises the alarm: the European chamber of commerce urges Phnom Penh to overhaul its visa policy to revive a sector in distress.

The numbers are stark. According to preliminary findings from the upcoming Business Pulse Survey H2 2026, more than nine out of ten EuroCham member companies in the tourism and hospitality sector report having missed their revenue targets for the first half of 2026. Precisely, 52.4% describe performance as largely below expectations, and a further 38.1% as slightly below target. That marks a sharp deterioration compared to H2 2025, which EuroCham — the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia — describes as underscoring the urgency of the sector's current challenges. The full report is due for release next week.

Against this backdrop, EuroCham has sent a follow-up letter to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, just weeks after publishing its White Book 2027 on 19 May. The aim: to push the Royal Government to substantially rethink its visa policy, framed as a priority lever to revive a tourism sector under severe strain. The issue is not new — it had already been raised in a previous intervention letter on the oil crisis, submitted on 9 April, in which EuroCham stressed the role of visa facilitation measures in supporting the country's broader economic recovery.

Falling Behind Vietnam

For Tassilo Brinzer, Chairperson of EuroCham Cambodia, the urgency is unmistakable. "Tourism visits to Cambodia are at their lowest in many years while Vietnam alone posted a 20% increase in 2025," he warns. He is calling for a medium- and long-term strategy combining visa policy, smart marketing, and support to businesses on the ground, rather than another round of piecemeal measures.

He also points to the limits of relying on conventional tourism promotion alone. "We have been speaking about more marketing and promotion for many years now — 'influencers' are all over — and numbers continue to decline. It might be time to try new approaches," he says, noting that Cambodia's appeal goes well beyond Angkor Wat, singling out the country's food scene as an underused asset.

Three Levers to Reposition Cambodia

EuroCham's letter lays out a strategic framework built around three pillars, presented under the joint campaign banner "Live | Work & Enjoy Cambodia."

An Extended Visa-Free Program. EuroCham recommends granting visa-free access of up to 30 days, through 31 December 2027 (extendable), to nationals of high-income regions — Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and possibly others.

Leveraging Techo International Airport. The chamber proposes positioning the new airport as a central marketing asset to attract the regional Asian expatriate market, capitalising on short flight times, lower regional airfares, and direct, transit-free connections to Phnom Penh — a travel option seen as particularly secure at a time of global transit disruption, notably linked to the Middle East crisis.

A Streamlined "Live & Work" Pathway. The third recommendation calls for an accessible 3-to-6-month entry option for digital nomads and remote professionals, paired with a clear, low-friction mechanism for those who choose to stay long-term to transition into standard Type E visa and work permit arrangements.

A Narrow Window Before Regional Rivals Move First

Taken together, EuroCham argues, these measures would both ease the immediate economic pressure on the tourism sector and position the Kingdom as a competitive, forward-looking regional hub. The chamber is explicit about the urgency of the timeline: several neighbouring markets have already moved to attract this high-value demographic, whether affluent travellers, mobile professionals, or location-independent workers.

EuroCham says it remains fully committed to working alongside the Royal Government of Cambodia, and available to support the development and implementation of these recommendations through practical, collaborative engagement.

The full recommendation is available on the EuroCham Advocacy Compass platform, under the Tax & Governance Committee section of the White Book.