Depth report

　　

Cambodia has been named Asia's leading cultural destination for 2024 at the World Travel Awards, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism.

It is reported that this award is the fourth time that Cambodia has won this honor, and Cambodia has further established its reputation as a world-renowned tourist destination. The Ministry of Tourism said the award will help further promote Cambodia as a world-renowned cultural and eco-tourism destination.

Cambodia is known for its four World Heritage Sites, including the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap Province, the Preah Vihear and Guoko Temples in Preah Vihear Province, and the ancient archaeological site of Sampo Pole in Kampong Tung Province.

In addition to its rich cultural heritage, Cambodia boasts a pristine 450-kilometre coastline spanning the four southwestern provinces of Sihanoukville, Kampot, Hakuba and Koh Kong.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia's appeal as a cultural tourism destination continues to grow. According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia received a total of 3,164,497 international tourists in the first half of this year, up 22.7 percent year-on-year. Among them, Thai tourists ranked first with about 955,250 visitors, an increase of 9.7%; Vietnam ranked second with 639,549 visitors, up 38%; Chinese tourists ranked third with about 389,360, up 45.2 percent.

Especially in Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located as a World cultural heritage site, according to a report released by the Angkor Institution on September 1, 2024, the ticket revenue of Angkor Wat in the first eight months of this year reached 30,334,290 US dollars, an increase of 31.36%, and a total of 651,857 international tourists bought tickets for Angkor Wat, an increase of 30.76%.

The Ministry of Tourism estimates that foreign tourist arrivals will not return to pre-epidemic levels until at least 2025. According to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia received 6.61 million foreign tourists in 2019. Chinese tourists accounted for 37 percent, making them the country's largest source of foreign tourists. As many as 2.36 million Chinese tourists visited Cambodia in 2019, generating about $1.8 billion in revenue for the country.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia received 5.45 million foreign tourists in 2023, an increase of nearly 140 percent from the previous year, with a total revenue of $3.08 billion. Chinese tourists account for about 10 percent of the total number of international tourists, and China is Cambodia's third largest source of foreign tourists after Thailand and Vietnam, while about 1.82 million Thais and nearly 1.02 million Vietnamese visited Cambodia last year, up 113 percent and 120 percent, respectively.

In 2022, the number of inbound foreign tourists totaled 2.2 million, an increase of 1059% over 2021; Local visitors reached 13.9 million, an increase of 199%.

In order to promote the recovery and development of tourism, the Cambodian government promulgated the National Tourism Development Strategic Plan 2022-2035 in 2023. The plan sets out three strategic objectives: to make Cambodia a leading and attractive cultural tourism and ecotourism destination in the region, while preserving Cambodia's national and cultural identity; Developing tourism as a growth driver, contributing to socio-economic development, inclusiveness and equity, and combating climate change; And enhance the competitiveness of tourism and promote the sustainable development of tourism.

It has also set up eight strategic projects to develop innovative and attractive local tourism products; Research marketing, promotion and tourism appeal; Strengthening the quality and safety of tourism; Tourism human resource development; Connecting and facilitating travel; Promoting Cambodian symbolism in tourism; Promoting economic, social and cultural sustainability and managing the negative impacts of tourism; Promoting environmental sustainability and natural resources to combat climate change.

In a recent report, the Central bank of Cambodia pointed out that tourism is one of the main drivers of the country's economic growth in 2024. Thanks to better physical infrastructure, more direct flight connections and Cambodia's world-renowned attractions, more foreign tourists are expected to visit Cambodia this year.