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In the first half of 2024, Cambodian tourism witnessed a spectacular recovery after the pandemic. According to the latest figures from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, the country welcomed over 3.7 million international visitors, an impressive 23% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, visitors from Vietnam and Thailand accounted for half of this total, solidifying their position as Cambodia's two largest source markets.
Cambodia's favorable geographical location has made it an attractive tourist destination for visitors from neighboring countries, especially Thailand and Vietnam. According to the latest statistics, the number of tourists from these two countries has far surpassed other major markets such as China, the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
The figure of nearly 2 million visitors from Vietnam and Thailand, an increase of over 20% compared to the same period, demonstrates the undeniable appeal of Cambodian tourism to visitors from both countries.
Thailand led with nearly 1.15 million visitors, followed by Vietnamese tourists with nearly 758,000, accounting for over 20% of foreign visitors to Cambodia. Notably, the number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Cambodia in the past 7 months has increased by over 37% compared to the same period last year.
The number of foreign tourists visiting Cambodia is steadily increasing again, but has not yet reached the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level of 6.6 million. According to a report by the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, in 2023, Cambodia welcomed a total of 5.45 million international tourists, a 139.5% increase compared to 2022, with Thailand being the largest group with 1.8 million visitors, followed by Vietnam with over one million visitors.
Of the total number of international tourists, 1.8 million arrived in Cambodia by air and approximately 3.5 million by land, with the remainder arriving by sea. Foreign tourists visiting Cambodia in 2023 generated over US$3 billion in revenue for the country.
Cambodia launched the Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year 2024 and the "Visit Siem Reap 2024" campaign earlier this year, aiming to revive the tourism industry in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era.
Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting the Cambodian economy.
"These initiatives will boost the tourism industry, attracting more foreign tourists to Cambodia in general and to the Angkor Archaeological Park in particular," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said at the launch of the "Visit Siem Reap 2024" campaign in March.
Phnom Penh is the most attractive tourist destination for foreign visitors, followed by Siem Reap province and coastal areas, according to a new report from Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism.
Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting the Cambodian economy, alongside garment, footwear and tourism-related goods exports; agriculture; and the construction and real estate sectors.
