ANN/PHNOM PENH POST – Rebounding regional travel to Cambodia has driven a stronger-than-expected recovery in the domestic tourism industry, as Thailand and Vietnam alone accounted for 58.52 per cent of all January-August international visitors, although a significant return of visitors from more distant locations remains elusive, industry players said.
The comments come after Minister of Tourism Thong Khon on September 9 disclosed that Cambodia is expected to receive between 1.5 and two million international visitors this year, after his ministry revealed the figure for the first eight months of this year, at 998,272, which would imply a pick-up in arrivals over the remaining four months to December.
The January-August figure marks a 720 per cent rise year-on-year, albeit a 77 per cent drop from the same period in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the ministry, Thailand and Vietnam accounted for the lion’s share of arrivals, at 348,660 and 235,546, respectively, representing year-on-year rises of 477 per cent and 3,017.3 per cent.
Also on the list of top source markets were: China, the United States (US), Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, France, the United Kingdom (UK) and Laos.
Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia Chapter (PATACC) Thourn Sinan told The Post that, as the global tourism industry fails to show truly meaningful improvements, the number of international travellers visiting and doing business in the Kingdom has increased, but remains at less-than-desirable levels that will take more time to reach.
