Cambodian tourism industry decline

Cambodia is experiencing a significant downturn in its tourism sector. Early reports in 2026 indicated a 46% year-on-year drop in international arrivals between January and July, driven largely by the closure of land borders with Thailand, which caused the Thai visitor market to fall by over 96%. Even when excluding Thailand, arrivals had declined by approximately 26%.

By the end of August 2026, data from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism showed international visitor numbers had fallen by 44.4% compared to the previous year, totaling approximately 2.25 million visitors. This slump has heavily impacted the Angkor archaeological site, where Angkor Enterprise reported that ticket sales dropped by 29.07% and revenue fell by 27.43% to $22.54 million.

The decline is attributed to a combination of the global economic crisis, rising fuel prices, and domestic challenges. The downturn is placing severe pressure on the local workforce, including drivers, tour guides, and vendors. As a result, the Asian Development Bank lowered its 2026 economic growth forecast for Cambodia from 4.1% to 3.9%.