Vietnam took the lead in the number of foreign arrivals to Cambodia in the first five months of the year with 122,000 tourists, accounting for 12.8%.
According to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, countries that recorded surges in arrivals to Cambodia during the period also included the US with 69,000 people, up 1.4%; the UK with 50,000 people, up 15.8%; and France with 47,000 people, up 5.5%.
Lao tourists to Cambodia sharply rose by 149% over the same period last year with 41,000 people thanks to Cambodia’s simplified customs procedures and the completion of a road linking the two countries.
However, the numbers of tourists from Cambodia’s traditional markets, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Australia have not increased in recent years.
By the end of May, Cambodia attracted nearly 950,000 foreign tourists, a 2.3% decrease compared to last year’s correspondent period.