Chinese tourists visit the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh in recent times. Post Staff
Cambodia’s private-sector tourism operators have expressed optimism that the number of Chinese tourists and tourism investments will continue to surge, especially following the official state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Kingdom.
Xi, along with a delegation of Chinese government officials and private sector representatives, conducted a two-day state visit to Cambodia from April 17 to 18. During the visit, a total of 37 agreements were signed, under the leadership of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Xi.
These agreements covered various sectors including investment, commerce, education, finance, information technology, youth employment, agriculture, healthcare, water resources, tourism, women's affairs and more.
An April 17 press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation highlighted the significance of this visit. It emphasised that the visit not only reaffirmed the unwavering commitment to the strong “ironclad friendship” between Cambodia and China, but also deepened the all-around strategic partnership and win-win cooperation between the two countries.
Both sides agreed to designate 2025 as the “Cambodia-China Tourism Year” and encouraged greater travel between the two countries. They also pledged to jointly develop tourism routes, promote destination marketing and strengthen cooperation in tourism safety.
Anheng Sokpheak, president of the Cambodia Chinese Tour Guide Association, told The Post on April 18 that the presence of China’s top leadership in Cambodia brings great potential benefits.
He noted that with high-level support and encouragement from Chinese leadership for its citizens to visit Cambodia, the number of Chinese tourists is expected to increase significantly.
He added that Chinese tourists have historically played an important role in driving Cambodia’s economic growth by creating jobs and generating income, particularly before the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020.
“Following the state visit of President Xi Jinping to Cambodia, I hope we will see more Chinese investments and tourists, especially since both governments have designated 2025 as the Cambodia-China Tourism Year. This will likely lead to increased tourist numbers,” suggested Sokpheak.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia received 6.61 million international tourists in 2019. Chinese tourists accounted for the largest group with 2.36 million arrivals (about 35% of all foreign visitors). The country earned approximately $4.92 billion in revenue from international tourism that year, with the sector contributing 12.1% to Cambodia’s GDP.
In 2024, Cambodia received a total of 6.7 million international tourists, a 22.9% increase from 2023. Chinese tourists ranked third with 848,952 arrivals, a 12.7% increase. In the first two months of 2025, Cambodia received 1.26 million international tourists, an increase of 27.9% compared to the same period in 2024. Among them, 184,372 were Chinese tourists, representing a 67.6% increase.
The tourism ministry has forecast that international tourist arrivals to Cambodia could reach between 7.2 and 7.5 million in 2025, building on the strong recovery signs seen in 2024.
The government also plans to continue bilateral cultural exchange initiatives, including the “Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year” and “Cambodia-India Tourism Year” throughout 2025.
