MGR Online — Cambodian media reports that Cambodia's international tourism revenue fell 31.5% year-on-year to $1.4 billion in the first half of 2026, owing to a decline in foreign tourist arrivals, although a rise in domestic travel has helped cushion the impact, Cambodian authorities said.
The National Bank of Cambodia reported that tourism growth slowed to 0.1%, compared with 6.1% in the same period of the previous year, with foreign tourist arrivals plunging 47.9% to just 1.8 million, down from 3.4 million — or 29.6% when Thai tourists are excluded.
The report noted that China remained the largest tourist market at 25.8%, followed by Vietnam at 25.6% and the United States at 6%.
The slowdown in the tourism sector has been linked to the closure of Cambodia-Thailand land border crossings, negative publicity surrounding online scam operations, and the conflict in the Middle East, which caused weekly flights between Cambodia and the Middle East to drop from approximately 52 to 44.
Foreign tourists arriving by air fell 22.8%, while land and water arrivals declined 66.4%. Revenue from ticket sales at the Angkor Archaeological Park fell 29.8% to $18.5 million.
Meanwhile, the report noted that domestic tourism surged significantly by 50.5%, with Phnom Penh accounting for 63.4%, coastal destinations 24%, Siem Reap 6.8%, and ecotourism areas 1.3%.
The president of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia chapter said the slowdown in the country's tourism sector reflects global uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and intensifying competition within ASEAN, while welcoming the government's efforts to crack down on online scam centres in order to restore the country's image.
Data showed that in 2025, Cambodia welcomed 5.57 million foreign tourists, and the government has set a target of 5.6–5.8 million foreign tourists for this year, making a recovery in the second half of the year critically important.
