(Phnom Penh): In his congratulatory message on the occasion of World Tourism Day 2025, under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that in the first eight months of 2025, Cambodia welcomed more than 4 million international tourists, while domestic tourists reached 17.28 million, an increase of nearly 53 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.

The message further highlighted that in 2024, Cambodia received 6.7 million international tourists, an increase of 22.9 per cent, while domestic tourists totaled 22.52 million, up 20.1 per cent compared to 2023. Revenue from international tourism reached USD 3,637 million, contributing about 9.4 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and creating approximately 510,000 jobs.

According to the premier, the continued growth of the tourism sector is a crucial foundation contributing to macroeconomic progress and overall development across all sectors, including the private sector. This has been achieved through improved business and investment environments, which generate jobs, income, and momentum to drive sustainable economic growth.

He further stressed that with the continued maintenance of peace, political stability, security, and social order, Cambodia remains a safe and attractive tourism destination, offering promising opportunities for trade and investment in the Asian region. Notably, over the past three decades, tourism has become a key driving force for Cambodia’s development.

In this regard, Samdech Thipadei reaffirmed his optimism that the tourism sector will remain a vital economic priority, creating employment, increasing income for the people both directly and indirectly, promoting exports at the grassroots level, sustaining economic growth, boosting national revenue, and contributing to cultural preservation as well as the protection of the environment and natural resources in an effective and responsible manner.
=FRESH NEWS