Angkor Archaeological Park received 510,528 international visitors from January to September 2026, down 27.6% from the same period last year. Ticket revenue fell 25.9% to US$24.23 million, according to figures from state-owned Angkor Enterprise, as Cambodian officials cite safety concerns, negative publicity and regional tensions among the pressures on travel.
The figures put a number on the strain facing Cambodia’s best-known tourism destination. The park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Siem Reap province, covers 401 square kilometres and includes 91 temples built between the 9th and 13th centuries. Visitors from the United States, the United Kingdom and China remain among its largest international markets.
The decline has not been uniform month to month. In September, 35,535 foreign tourists visited the park, 0.32% fewer than a year earlier, while ticket revenue rose 3.1% to US$1.69 million. The monthly figures suggest some stabilisation, but one month’s increase in revenue does not yet show that the wider downturn has ended.
Safety and regional pressures
Tourism Minister Huot Hak has attributed the broader fall in international arrivals to several factors: negative publicity, concerns about online scam operations, friction along the Cambodia–Thailand border, and conflict in the Middle East that has pushed up fuel costs and weakened enthusiasm for international travel. The figures alone do not establish how much each factor has contributed to fewer Angkor visitors.
Online scam concerns have become a particular challenge for Cambodia’s reputation. A Cambodian tourism scholar, Thong Mengdavid, said government efforts to dismantle scam networks could help restore travellers’ confidence. His assessment is an expectation, not evidence that the campaign has already reversed the tourism decline.
The distinction matters for visitors deciding whether to travel: measures against criminal networks may address one concern, but border tensions, airfare costs and wider perceptions of safety can also shape plans. Cambodia’s public messaging will need to be matched by visible enforcement and clear information for prospective travellers.
A recovery strategy
Mengdavid identified stronger cooperation with other countries, more direct flight routes and targeted tourism campaigns as potential drivers of recovery. He also said lowering travel barriers and addressing safety concerns would be important to bringing back both first-time and repeat visitors.
For Siem Reap, the stakes extend beyond ticket sales at the temples. A sustained drop in international arrivals can affect the wider visitor economy, including hotels, transport operators, guides and small businesses. The nine-month revenue decline provides a measure of pressure on Angkor Enterprise, but it does not capture the full financial effect across the city.
