Chinese Visits to Angkor Up 30% in May Tourism Surge

[geovalin]

Chinese tourist arrivals to Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park climbed by 30% in the first five months of 2025, marking a strong rebound for the country's top heritage site.

 

New data from Angkor Enterprise shows that 43,193 Chinese visitors explored the UNESCO-listed complex between January and May — up from 33,292 during the same period last year. China ranked fourth among source countries, trailing only the US, UK, and France.

 

In total, Angkor welcomed over 527,000 foreign tourists from 171 countries, generating $24.5 million in ticket sales.

 

The spike comes amid renewed efforts to revive regional tourism under the banner of Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025. Thong Mengdavid of the Royal University of Phnom Penh credits “greater accessibility, promotional campaigns, and direct flights” for the rise.

 

Tourism leader Thourn Sinan called the increase “a significant step forward in revitalising bilateral exchanges.”

 

Located in Siem Reap province, Angkor’s sprawling 401-square-kilometre site features 91 temples dating back as far as the 9th century. The May surge in Chinese visits offers a welcome boost to the local economy — and a sign that Cambodia’s post-pandemic tourism recovery is gaining ground.

 

 

-2025-06-04

 

[Watawattana]

So, the Chinese are still travelling in huge numbers, just not to Thailand as much.

[Kinnock]

Well that's a tourist location off my wish list.

 

[Yagoda]

4 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

Well that's a tourist location off my wish list.

 

They arent as noticeable as you think. They use zero dollar tours so you dont see them as much as other folks who are self guided. 

 

The most noticeable of the tourists are the totally hot Euro girls. If I was young (Im not) and handsome (im not) Id be in X Bar or Temple Bar or staying at Onedierz, Funky Village, Garden Village or White Rabbit just reveling in their thong bikinis, short shorts and diaphanous white linen pants, prowling in pairs, looking for drunken one night adventure. The Chinese dont go to those places either.

 

I have four regular drivers, they hate the Chinese.

 

But, stay away from Angkor Wat at sunrise or some of the KTVs on Khmer Pub Street and you wont know they are there.