Cambodia welcomes 1.29 million international visitors in Q1

Chea Vanyuth / Khmer Times Share:
Foreign tourists pose for photos in front of the Bayon Temple in Siem Reap. The significant increase in international tourist arrivals, reflect the recovery of the tourism industry in Cambodia. KT/Khem Sovannara

Cambodia received 1.29 million international visitors in the first quarter, a remarkable increase of 709 percent from 159,546 over the same period in 2022.

The significant increase in international tourist arrivals, reflecting the recovery of the tourism industry, was due to the country’s effective pandemic control measures, flight connections, and overall stability.

According to a report from the Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday, Thailand, Vietnam, and China were the top three tourism markets, with 424,241 Thais, 207,527 Vietnamese, and 132,665 Chinese visiting the country during the period.

These three countries accounted for 32 percent, 16 percent and 10 percent of the total tourist arrivals in the Kingdom. Other major tourism markets for the country included Laos, the US, Korea, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia.

A total of 480,000 foreign tourists arrived by air through the country’s three international airports, while 800,000 entered through border gates and waterways.

 

Meanwhile, in the first three months, Cambodians made more than 400,000 outbound tourist trips, a 1,000 percent increase from the same period in 2022.

Ministry of Tourism spokesperson Top Sopheak said that peace, effective Covid-19 pandemic control, improved infrastructure, including air connectivity, and new tourism products have all contributed to the increase in foreign tourist arrivals.

“We are hopeful to receive at least four million foreign tourists by the end of 2023, with China accounting for one million of those visitors,” Sopheak told Khmer Times yesterday.

The inauguration of the new Siem Reap international airport in October is expected to lead to an increase in tourism, he added.

Tourism is one of the four sectors supporting the economy.

The country has three world heritage sites, including Angkor archaeological park in northwestern Siem Reap province, Preah Vihear Temple in northwestern Preah Vihear province, and Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological site in central Kampong Thom province.

Cambodia is also known for its pristine coastline, which stretches for 450 kilometres in the four southwestern provinces of Sihanoukville, Kampot, Kep, and Koh Kong.

In the pre-pandemic era, the Kingdom welcomed 6.6 million international tourists in 2019, generating $4.92 billion in revenue, according to the ministry.

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