International tourist arrivals to Siem Reap province in northwest Cambodia – home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Angkor temple complex – are declining sharply, according to warnings from analysts and regional tour operators.
Key causes identified include rising travel costs, especially international airfares, and Cambodia's badly tarnished image as a transit hub for organized scam syndicates in Southeast Asia.
Many tour operators in Siem Reap report that bookings and Angkor ticket sales have fallen noticeably compared with the same period in previous years. The slowdown comes as Cambodia's tourism industry is still striving to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industry experts say that beyond ticket prices, safety concerns and fears linked to high-tech scam operations near border areas have prompted many travelers to shift to neighboring destinations perceived as safer.
Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism has not yet issued an official comment on the latest figures, but hotel and restaurant associations in Siem Reap have called on the government to stabilize airfares and boost communication efforts to improve the destination's image.
