Tourism Minister Thong Khon announced last week that Cambodia welcomed more than 1.7 million tourists during the first quarter of the year, an increase of 14 percent, which he attributed to the government’s strategy to attract international visitors.
Chinese tourists continue to top the list of visitors to the country by nationality, according to Mr Khon.
“We are meeting our goals as laid out in our strategy for the sector and are on course to greet 6 million visitors by the end of the year,” the Minister said.
With over 500,000 visitors in the first three months of the year, an increase of 80 percent, China is the largest market for the local tourism industry. Cambodia expects to welcome 1.8 million Chinese tourists in 2018, 2.4 million in 2019 and 2.6 million in 2020, Mr Khon said.
New direct flights connecting Cambodia with a host of destinations in China and closer ties between the Cambodian and Chinese governments are the biggest factors cited by experts as contributing to the hike in the number of Chinese visitors.
