Foreign visitor visits to Cambodia fell 91.3 per cent in the first quarter because of COVID-19, but tourism may return in December
According to tourism ministry data issued on Wednesday, Cambodia attracted 102,560 international tourists in the first six months of 2021, a reduction of 91.3 per cent from 1.18 million in the same time last year.
According to the study, Thailand, China, and Vietnam were the top three sources of international visitors to the country between January and June of this year.
According to the report, 52,290 Thais, 29,751 Chinese, and 6,956 Vietnamese visited Cambodia in the first half of this year, a decrease of 67.5 per cent, 89 per cent, and 96 per cent, respectively, from the same time last year.
According to the study, there are currently 18 airlines operating into and out of Cambodia, and 1,089 flights to Cambodia were registered during the first six months of this year, a decrease of 89.5 per cent year on year.
Top Sopheak, secretary of state and spokesperson for the tourism ministry, said the huge drop in international tourists was due to the COVID-19 epidemic, which had prompted the kingdom to ban tourist visas for all foreign people since March last year.
“We expect that Cambodia will be able to reopen its doors to vaccinated visitors by the end of this year once the nation has attained herd immunity.”
By November, the Southeast Asian country hopes to have vaccinated 12 million people, or 75% of its 16 million population.
According to the health ministry, as of Aug. 10, the country has vaccinated 8.39 million individuals or 52.48 per cent of the entire population.
