China Leads Cambodia’s Tourist Arrivals in September with Surge in Visitors. AKP Phnom Penh, November 10, 2025

China was the largest source of international tourists for Cambodia in September 2025, with visitor numbers surging more than 50 percent compared to the same month last year, according to official data released Monday.

A total of some 104,000 Chinese travellers entered Cambodia that month, a 51.5 percent year-on-year increase, solidifying China’s position at the top of the inbound market, as reported by the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism.

Vietnam followed as the second-largest source market with 97,000 arrivals, though this represented a 6.7 percent decline. Thailand and Indonesia ranked third and fourth, with 16,000 and 11,000 arrivals, respectively, both showing significant decreases.

The ministry’s data also revealed a shift in how travellers are entering the country. Air travel served as the primary gateway, with approximately 203,000 arrivals—a 22.4 percent increase. Water arrivals also saw robust growth, rising 24.6percent to about 4,000.

In contrast, land border crossings saw a sharp decline of 64.8 percent, totalling roughly 119,000 arrivals, reflecting changing regional travel patterns.

Despite the strong monthly performance from key markets, Cambodia’s overall tourist numbers for the first nine months of 2025 saw a contraction.

The country welcomed about 4.3 million international visitors between January and September, an 8.8 percent decrease from the same period in 2024.