Cambodia’s Tourism Growth Faces Challenges As Angkor’s Popularity Declines

Cambodia received 6.7 cardinal overseas arrivals successful 2024, which was astir 8 per cent much than 2018 figures and a roar for nan country’s tourism sector. But location is simply a paradox: While overseas visitors person surged, nan Angkor Archaeological Park, nan nation’s astir celebrated attraction, has seen a important descent successful visitors. While Cambodia’s different cities and airports roar pinch much visitors, visitors look to beryllium increasing weary of nan Unesco World Heritage site, which houses nan celebrated Angkor Wat temple.

The betterment of Cambodia’s tourism assemblage aft nan pandemic is evident from 6.7 cardinal world visitors successful 2024 which exceeds nan 2018 levels. But this bully news belies nan plunging numbers of visitors to Angkor. In 2024, conscionable 15.3% of Angkor’s overseas visitors visited, down from 41.8% successful 2018 and 33.4% successful 2019. The number of visitors to Angkor, which was 2.59 cardinal successful 2018, dropped to conscionable complete 1 cardinal successful 2024, pointing to an moreover much worrisome inclination for nan country’s tourism.

The Shift successful Tourists and nan China Factor

One of nan main reasons for nan alteration successful arrivals successful Angkor is nan crisp autumn successful number of Chinese tourists. In 2018, much than 1.12 cardinal Chinese nationals visited Angkor, accounting for much than half of each foreigners coming to Cambodia. By 2024, however, that number collapsed 92.6% to 82,675. Though location has been an influx of visitors from neighboring ASEAN countries specified arsenic Thailand and Vietnam, it wasn’t capable to offset nan autumn successful section visitors. Thailand and Vietnam visitors thin to for illustration short and budget-friendly trips and whitethorn skip Angkor owed to nan expense. In 2024, conscionable 1% of Thai visitors and 2.5% of Vietnamese included Angkor connected their itineraries.

South Korea, Japan and India characteristic mixed capacity successful mid-range markets. Interest is expanding among Indian travelers, including young couples successful hunt of a belief experience, but nan deficiency of nonstop flights from Japan and South Korea, and rising title from Vietnam, has kept them successful check. Visitors from further afield, among them nan high-spenders of Europe, North America and Australia, still correspond nan bulk of Angkor’s dedicated tourists: 96.7% of Spanish visitors sojourn Angkor, though connected overmuch little numbers which don’t look to relationship for nan wide decline.

Cambodia’s Tourism Standing successful nan Region

Despite being an world icon, Cambodia’s tourism has agelong struggled to support up pinch location tourism powerhouses. In 2024, 35.5 cardinal visitors visited Thailand, and 17.6 cardinal visited Vietnam. By contrast, Cambodia’s 6.7 cardinal world arrivals accounted for only astir 19 percent of Thailand’s full and 38 percent of Vietnam’s. This discrepancy indicates Cambodia’s room and imaginable for increase, but besides suggests nan country’s comparatively mini footprint successful nan location tourism marketplace successful respect to ASEAN.

Why Is Angkor Losing Its Luster?
There are various reasons for nan decreasing allure of Angkor. One large problem is “product fatigue,” particularly for visitors successful Asean; galore see Angkor arsenic a once-in-lifetime destination, not location they would travel backmost to. Meanwhile, arsenic entranceway costs proceed to increase, visitors are looking for different experiences that cater to their shifting recreation tastes. Wellness retreats, quality experiences, taste activities — Cambodia tin make amended usage of those kinds of appeals, it seems.

In different blow, a shrinking of archaic trading methods and falling accessibility – particularly nan nonaccomplishment of nonstop flights to Siem Reap – has further exacerbated nan situation. Unfavourable media reports, peculiarly successful Chinese and South Korean news of net scams, fraud and crime, could besides put disconnected would-be tourists.

Missed Opportunities

Cambodia is besides capable pat into its position successful avast excavation preferred destination wrong ASEAN. Tourist who are coming to circuit neighboring countries specified arsenic Thailand and Vietnam tin beryllium encouraged to widen their enactment successful Cambodia by combining recreation packages. This could beryllium done by simplifying visa procedures and enhancing proscription connections enabling visitors to see Cambodia successful a multi-country travel pinch neighbours.

But without a corporate strategy, Cambodia could get near retired successful nan acold successful ASEAN’s competitory tourism landscape. The maturation inclination of a rising tide tin assistance each boats if Cambodia tin foster location synergies, improving linkages pinch airlines and tourism bodies would let Cambodia to pat much afloat into nan ASEAN recreation flow.

A Roadmap for Sustainable Growth

For Cambodia to execute sustainable maturation successful its tourism and retrieve Angkor, it must adopt a holistic approach:

· The Need for Long-Term Sustainability: A move successful attraction toward sustainable tourism practices that thief section communities, protect taste practice and person little biology effect will beryllium basal for semipermanent growth.

Angkor’s Next Chapter

Though Angkor thrives arsenic an internationally renowned practice site, Cambodia tourism must set to a caller world reality. Cambodia tin protect nan bequest of Angkor and support its tourism assemblage connected a maturation way by broadening offerings, updating trading and addressing sustainability. It will beryllium nan invention that blows travelers distant and that will unafraid a rich | and move future.

(Source: Cambodia Ministry Tourism)