Cambodia's 5-month int'l visitor count plunges almost 48 pct to 1.54 mln

Cambodia's international arrivals fell nearly 48 percent to 1.54 million in the first five months of 2026, down from 2.95 million during the same period last year, according to a Ministry of Tourism's report released Monday.

The report noted that China, Vietnam, and the United States were the top three inbound tourism markets for the Southeast Asian country from January to May this year.

Thong Mengdavid, deputy director at the China-ASEAN Studies Center of the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, said the sharp decline in international tourists to the kingdom reflected regional economic slowdowns, online scamming issues, and the impact of border disputes with Thailand.

"The significant drop was also fueled by Middle East conflicts, which sparked flight disruptions and high fuel prices," he told Xinhua.

Tourism constitutes one of the four pillars of Cambodia's economy, alongside agriculture, construction and real estate, and the export of garments, footwear, and travel goods.

The kingdom recorded 5.57 million international visitors in 2025, earning a gross revenue of 3.87 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Ministry of Tourism.