Revitalising Cambodia’s Tourism through Heritage, Community, and Ecological Stewardship

The Cambodian government is investing in tourism infrastructure to support the sector’s recovery and diversification. These include airport expansions and upgrades in Sihanoukville and the development of new airports, such as the Techo International Airport (KTI), Kandal Province and the Dara Sakor International Airport, Koh Kong Province. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in the tourism sector, including digital payment transactions and online marketing. The government’s strategic efforts to diversify tourism offerings, invest in infrastructure, and promote sustainable practices are crucial for the sector’s long-term success.

National campaigns: Targeted, diversified, and sustainable

In response to global disruptions, Cambodia’s national tourism campaigns have evolved from broad-based promotion to targeted, multifaceted initiatives. The primary goals are to accelerate the sector’s post-pandemic recovery, diversify its offerings beyond cultural heritage, and build a more resilient and sustainable tourism industry.

Cambodia’s national campaigns in 2024 included the “Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year 2024,” “The First Cambodia-India Tourism Year 2024,” and the “Visit Siem Reap 2024” Campaign. In 2025, the “Cambodia-China Tourism Year,” “Cambodia-India Tourism Year” and “Green Season” (from May to October every year) were pursued. Moreover, we have formulated a Muslim tourism development plan and promoted tourism investment in the Siem Reap region. All these campaigns aim to restore international visitor numbers, diversify tourism products, extend tourist stays and spending, encourage sustainability and technology, and enhance global competitiveness, towards a projected goal of 7.2 to 7.5 million visitors by the end of 2025.

The Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia is highly interconnected and requires close cooperation from all stakeholders based on the principle of “dynamics of stakeholders system.” The six areas of cooperation of the tourism sector family are as follows: 1) National-level cooperation among ministries and institutions under the roof of the Government; 2) Collaboration with sub-national administrations, especially the Phnom Penh Governor and 24 provincial governors; 3) Cooperation with the private sector, both domestic and international, under the framework of Public Private Partnership (PPP). 4) Cooperation with foreign embassies in Cambodia, development partners, Cambodian embassies/consulates abroad, bilateral, multilateral, sub-regional, regional (ASEAN), and global international cooperation; 5) Cooperation with media networks, content creators, and influencers (national and international); and. 6) Cooperation from individuals (meaning each person, each tourist, and those benefiting from tourism), aligned with the slogan: “Everyone is an ambassador for Cambodia’s tourism.”

Community-based and community-led tourism

In rural Cambodia, booming community-based tourism (CBT) models involve local communities managing tourism initiatives to promote conservation, generate income, and offer authentic cultural experiences. These projects often receive initial support from NGOs or government agencies before transitioning to independent, community-led management.

Chi Phat, Cardamom Mountains: Established in 2007, it is a flagship model for community-based ecotourism in Cambodia. This ecotourism iniatiative helped transform former poachers and loggers into ecotourism guides, providing a sustainable income that incentivises forest and wildlife protection. The community offers guided treks to waterfalls and ancient burial sites, as well as mountain biking, kayaking, and multi-day camping trips. The initiative has brought tangible benefits to the community, with 80 per cent of earnings going to the families providing services and 20 per cent to a community fund for improvements. In this case, it has led to a significant reduction in poaching and illegal logging and supported the conservation of endangered species in the Cardamom Mountains.

Chambok, Kirirom National Park: The park has been a model for sustainable community tourism since 2002. The villagers have been empowered to manage all tourism operations, including homestays, guided nature walks, birdwatching tours, and waterfall excursions. All tourism revenue stays within the community, providing an essential source of income that helps alleviate poverty and provides an alternative to illegal logging. This community is a model that emphasises cultural tourism, offering homestays that allow visitors to experience local life, enjoy traditional food, and learn about local crafts. Prek Toal, Tonle Sap Lake: Birdwatching and ecological education are offered in one of Southeast Asia’s most signifi cant bird sanctuaries. This community combines village homestays with tours of the protected bird sanctuary. Visitors’ fees directly support conservation efforts. The initiative also includes a workshop where villagers weave crafts from water hyacinth (an invasive species), providing an additional source of income and managing the local ecosystem. It offers an alternative to mass tourism boat trips on the lake, ensuring more of the tourism revenue benefi ts the community directly rather than external tour operators. Banteay Chhmar, Banteay Meanchey Province: This community-run project manages visitor services at the remote Banteay Chhmar temple complex. The initiative helps preserve the temple site by managing visitors and providing sustainable income for local guides and tourism operators. The villagers offer services such as homestays, guided tours, and transport, with profi ts returning to the community for development projects and conservation. Anlong Thom and Popel, Phnom Kulen National Park: These two community- based tourism centres on Phnom Kulen focus on ecotourism and conservation in a historically significant area. The community involves visitors in conservation activities, such as tree planting initiatives to preserve the national park’s natural resources. They offer homestays, trekking, hiking, eco- farming, and handicraft experiences, providing tourists with a range of ways to engage with the community and environment. The priority is to train local guides and community members in hospitality, finance management, and conservation, ensuring the community can manage the operations independently.

Strategies to address overtourism

Cambodia is tackling overtourism through a multi-pronged approach that focuses on diversifying tourist destinations, implementing site-specific management strategies, and promoting sustainable tourism practices. National policy frameworks like the Tourism Development Strategic Plan and the National Ecotourism Policy guide these efforts. Diversifying tourist attractions is a primary strategy to reduce the concentration of visitors in the heavily touristed area of Angkor by promoting lesser-known destinations across the country. Beyond Angkor Wat and its historical and cultural heritage, Cambodia showcases other assets. These include the capital Phnom Penh and its surrounding areas, with a contemporary metropolis with lots to offer; eco-tourism and adventure in the northeast regions; and coastal areas in Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, Kampot and Kep, and in other agricultural sites.

Prospects for intra-ASEAN travel

The potential for increased intra-ASEAN travel and the marketing of ASEAN as a single destination is significant, leveraging the region’s diverse offerings and large, emerging consumer base. This integrated approach is a key strategy for enhancing the region’s overall tourism resilience and competitiveness on the global stage. The potential for increased intra-ASEAN travel already constitutes the largest share of international arrivals within the region, and several factors point to further growth. Cambodia has been strongly promoting the ASEAN market and joining an annual event that brings together public and private sector tourism stakeholders from across the region and beyond. It includes the TRAVEX trade show, which facilitates business-to-business networking and marketing in the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF). Moreover, the ASEAN Cruise, Rail, and Flight Tourism Corridors promote seamless cross-border travel within specifi c themes. These focus on creating multi-country experiences for tourists. The ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025 and the ASEAN Marketing Strategy have been developed by ASEAN National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) to guide collective marketing efforts. The latest strategy focuses on leveraging digital marketing and sustainable tourism. ASEAN digital marketing is actively promoting its brand through digital and social media campaigns under the tagline, “A Destination for Every Dream.” ASEAN is working to implement region-wide standards for tourism services, including safety and hygiene guidelines, to enhance quality and build visitor confidence.