Cambodia 2025 & Tourism : A Half-Hearted Recovery - Figures That Raise Questions

2025 was a crucial test for Cambodia's tourism industry, revealing an uneven post-pandemic recovery, marked by promising signs and persistent vulnerabilities.

Data from the Ministry of Tourism paints a complex picture: while some indicators show resilience, the sector remains far from its pre-crisis peaks, with declining tourist flows and a profound transformation of its source markets.

In 2025, Cambodia welcomed 5.57 million international tourists, a 16.9% drop compared to 2024 (6.7 million) and a 15.7% decline from the pre-pandemic level of 2019 (6.61 million).

This finding is the first warning signal: the recovery is not linear, and the sector struggles to regain its former dynamism.

A seasonal analysis reveals a particularly sluggish second half of 2025. The third and fourth quarters recorded dizzying drops (respectively -38% and -37.2% compared to 2024), wiping out the slight progress of the first semester. December 2025 symbolizes this gloom, with only 396,911 arrivals, down 43.2% from December 2024.

Transformation of Access Modes and Decline from Neighbors

The breakdown by mode of transport illustrates a major structural change:

Air travel is gaining weight again (51.3% of arrivals in 2025), boosted notably by strong growth in arrivals via Sihanoukville airport (+144.5%). Phnom Penh airport (PNH) is nearly back to its 2019 level.

In contrast, arrivals by land and sea have collapsed (-37%). This is directly linked to the brutal drop in tourists from ASEAN neighboring countries, whose arrivals plunged 34.5% in 2025.

This is one of the major lessons of this report: the geography of Cambodian tourism is reshaping. The traditional ASEAN market, particularly Thailand (-52.4%) and Laos (-60.7%), is declining sharply. Vietnam, the top source, is holding up better but still shows a 8.8% drop.

New Engines: China and Regional Diversification

In this shifting landscape, a ray of hope comes from the spectacular recovery of the Chinese market. With 1.2 million visitors in 2025, China recorded a 41.5% increase compared to 2024 and now accounts for 21.6% of all international tourists. It is once again the main driver of the recovery.

Additionally, there is positive diversification toward other regions:

• Europe shows overall growth of +3.2%, with remarkable performances from the United Kingdom (+10.4%), France (+3.4%), and several Eastern European countries (Poland +20.7%, Uzbekistan +143.6%).

• The Americas remain stable (-1.9%).

• Africa shows encouraging growth of +8.7%, driven by North Africa and countries like Morocco or Tunisia.

Domestic Tourism: The Solid Domestic Pillar

Faced with the volatility of international tourism, the domestic market appears as a pillar of stability. The number of Cambodian (KHM) visitors in various regions increased by 11.7% in 2025.

Phnom Penh and the Coastal Zone (including Sihanoukville) record strong local attendance. This vitality of domestic tourism partially offsets the decline in foreign visitors and ensures minimum economic activity for hotel and service infrastructure.

Economic Perspectives

2025 data raises crucial questions for the sector's future, which contributed about 9.4% of GDP in 2024 (compared to over 12% before the pandemic).

• Increased dependence on China: The recovery relies heavily on a single market, which carries risks in case of a reversal.

• Erosion of regional competitiveness: The drop in ASEAN arrivals suggests a loss of attractiveness or logistical and tariff barriers with neighboring countries.

• Need for diversification: Targeted development of European, non-ASEAN Asian, and emerging markets (Africa, Middle East) must be a strategic priority.

• Upscaling: With average length of stay stagnating around 7.1 days and tourist spending to rebuild, the quality of the offer and visitor experience are key.

At a Crossroads

2025 is not the year of the grand return for Cambodian tourism, but one of a painful and necessary transformation. The sector is at a crossroads: it must overcome the loss of part of its traditional regional clientele while capitalizing on the return of long-haul visitors and the robustness of its domestic market.

The road to a complete and sustainable recovery will be long. It will require agile tourism policies, investments in air connectivity, differentiated marketing promotion by market, and a renewed offer that highlights not only jewels like Angkor, but also coastal destinations and ecotourism experiences. Cambodia has the assets to rebound, but regional competition is fierce, and the time for adaptation has come.