AKP Phnom Penh, May 24, 2025 --

The Kingdom of Cambodia and the People’s Republic of China officially launched the “Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025” in Phnom Penh on May 23, aiming to boost tourism cooperation.

The launching ceremony took place at the Chaktomuk Conference Hall under the presidency of H.E. Vongsey Vissoth, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, and H.E. Xu Kunlin, Governor of Jiangsu province, China.

Also in attendance were H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism; H.E. Ek Sam Ol, President of the Cambodia-China Friendship Association; and H.E. Wang Wenbin, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, along with other senior officials and representatives from both countries' tourism-related private sector.

“The Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025 will be a key driver in attracting more Chinese tourists to Cambodia,” said H.E. Huot Hak. “It will enhance tourism and cultural ties, and further promote people-to-people exchanges, particularly among youth and future leaders, contributing to the vision of building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.”

The campaign is a direct result of the state visit by President H.E. Xi Jinping to Cambodia on April 17–18, 2025. During the visit, the two governments agreed to designate 2025 as the “Cambodia-China Tourism Year.”

H.E. Huot Hak emphasised that the initiative aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the principles of “ironclad friendship,” “Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future in the New Era,” with stability and sustainability, as well as within the framework of Cambodia-China diamond cooperation, he added.

Chinese Ambassador H.E. Wang Wenbin stated that the tourism campaign will inject fresh momentum into the long-standing friendship between the two nations.

“We warmly welcome Cambodian friends to visit China,” he said, “to experience the mystical allure of ancient China, witness the progress of modern China, and enjoy the warm hospitality of the Chinese people.”

The two-and-a-half-hour launch event featured vibrant artistic performances by Cambodian and Chinese artists under the theme “Charming Jiangsu, Colourful Cambodia.”

According to H.E. Huot Hak, Cambodia welcomed 2.4 million international tourists in the first four months of 2025, marking a 14 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Among them, more than 380,000 were Chinese tourists, a 49 percent year-on-year increase.

To attract even more Chinese visitors in 2025 and beyond, the Ministry of Tourism is focusing on developing innovative, clean, and green tourism products, he noted. Efforts are also underway to improve the management and development of existing tourism destinations, while promoting the organisation of international events, trade expos, eco-tourism, coastal and island tourism, sports tourism, and retirement travel packages.

The Ministry of Tourism has set an ambitious goal of welcoming 7.5 million international tourists in 2025, and is calling on all relevant stakeholders to help boost Cambodia’s global tourism profile.
In 2024, Cambodia received approximately 6.7 million international tourists, a 22 percent increase compared to 2023. Of those, about 850,000 were Chinese visitors, reflecting a 55 percent rise from the previous year.

By Chea Vannak