Foreign visitor arrivals to Cambodia down 92 per cent in first five months

In May this year, Cambodia received 8,757 foreigners, a decline of 16 per cent compared to the same month last year, the report said. - AFP

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Cambodia attracted 91,596 foreign visitors during the first five months of 2021, down 92 per cent from 1.17 million over the same period last year, said a tourism ministry's report released on Wednesday (July 21).

Thailand, China and Vietnam were the biggest sources of foreign travellers to the kingdom during the January-May period this year, the report said.

It showed that some 46,395 Thais, 27,693 Chinese and 5,833 Vietnamese came to Cambodia during the first five months of this year, down 70 per cent, 90 per cent and 97 per cent respectively over the same period last year.

In May this year, Cambodia received 8,757 foreigners, a decline of 16 per cent compared to the same month last year, the report said.

The remarkable slump was due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has forced the Southeast Asian nation to suspend tourist visas to all foreign citizens since March last year.

"We hope that Cambodia will open its door to fully vaccinated foreign tourists in the fourth quarter of 2021," tourism ministry's secretary of state and spokesman Top Sopheak said.