August 11, 2025
PHNOM PENH – Despite still simmering border tensions, the Cambodian tourism sector continues to show positive signs, according to Minister of Tourism Huot Hak.
In a voice message received by The Post on the evening of August 9, Hak stated that although the Thai military launched attacks along the border and unilaterally closed land border crossings, the Kingdom’s tourism sector has not experienced a decline. Between January and June 2025, Cambodia welcomed over 3 million international tourists.
“Cambodia’s tourism sector is progressing positively as planned. Specifically, in the first six months of 2025, approximately 3.36 million international tourists visited Cambodia, representing a 6.2% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Domestic tourists totaled around 14.57 million, a 50.3% increase,” he said.
He acknowledged a sharp drop in the number of Thai and other foreign arrivals entering Cambodia via land borders with Thailand over the past month but highlighted that air travel remains stable. Key tourist destinations in Cambodia include the ancient temples of Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, coastal areas, the northeast region and other recreational sites.
“We acknowledge that Thai and other international tourists entering through the Cambodia–Thailand land border have significantly declined. This is due to Thailand’s military aggression against Cambodia. At the same time, Thailand has also suffered a significant drop in international tourist arrivals,” he said.
The minister explained that, in response to the impact of Thai actions, the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has implemented preventive measures and contingency planning since the early stages of the conflict, which began on May 28.
The ministry held emergency meetings with private sector stakeholders and relevant parties to prepare for the crisis, including the possible return of Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand, he added.
He noted that the ministry has had extensive experience in dealing with similar challenges in the past, such as the SARS outbreak in 2003, the global financial crisis in 2008, the border conflicts with Thailand in 2008 and 2011, and more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Although we are currently facing challenges due to Thailand’s invasion, the ministry continues to implement our planned actions and programmes as usual. We have simply increased our focus on priority tasks,” he added.
According to the minister, on August 1, the ministry issued an emergency announcement — in multiple languages — to reassure international tourists and tour operators that, despite the current border tensions, Cambodia remains one of the safest travel destinations, and that the situation poses no threat to foreign visitors.
“Even though tourist arrivals from Thailand have declined, we are actively working to attract tourists from Vietnam, Laos and third countries to enter Cambodia via Vietnam and Laos,” he said.
Huot Hak also stated that in 2025, the ministry is preparing to promote Cambodia’s tourism potential through participation in major international expos in countries like Vietnam, Japan, France and the UK, as well as the UN Tourism assembly. In addition, Cambodia is encouraging international tourists to visit the country via regional neighbours like Malaysia and Singapore.
“Besides participating in these tourism events, Cambodia will continue to promote the Cambodia-China and Cambodia-India Tourism Year campaigns through multiple events both inside the country and in China and India. Moreover, we are working hard to attract tourists from Muslim-majority, Arab and Middle Eastern countries according to our strategic tourism marketing plans,” he added.
According to the minister, the tourism ministry is also seeking broader cooperation with countries and tourism agencies worldwide to promote Cambodia’s tourism potential.
Based on data from the Angkor Enterprise, in the first seven months of 2025, 618,771 international tourists purchased tickets to visit the Angkor Archaeological Park, representing a 5.89% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Revenue from ticket sales reached $28.64 million, an increase of 5.39%.