Chinese Tourists in Cambodia: 2026 Opportunity for Small Businesses

Cambodia is back on the Chinese travel radar, and this time the numbers are serious. After the dramatic recovery in 2023, when Chinese tourist arrivals surged by 449% to nearly 500,000 visitors, Cambodia has continued to build on that momentum into 2025.

According to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Cambodia ranked among the top 15 outbound destinations for Chinese travelers in 2024, with over 700,000 Chinese visitors recorded. The new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, built with Chinese investment and fully operational since late 2023, has significantly improved access to the region. For Cambodian businesses, this momentum is an opening worth acting on now.

Why Chinese Tourists Are Choosing Cambodia

Cambodia offers a combination that works well for Chinese travelers: affordable travel, stunning cultural heritage (Angkor Wat is a genuine bucket-list destination), warm weather year-round, and an increasingly Chinese-friendly infrastructure. The China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership has produced real benefits for tourism, including direct flight growth and visa-free entry.

Beyond Siem Reap and Angkor, Phnom Penh’s blend of French colonial architecture and Cambodian history draws interest. Coastal destinations like Koh Rong are gaining attention on Douyin and Xiaohongshu as more Chinese travelers share their experiences online.

Opportunities for Small Cambodian Businesses

The surge in Chinese visitors isn’t just good news for large hotels and casino operators. Hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, tour operators, and retail shops all have a real opportunity to capture Chinese spending, which has historically been strong on accommodation, dining, and experiences. The key is being visible and accessible on Chinese digital platforms.

Chinese tourists in Cambodia, like elsewhere, are highly digital. They research on Xiaohongshu, book on Ctrip, pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay, and share their experiences on Douyin. A small hotel or restaurant that shows up on these platforms with good content and reviews can punch well above its weight against larger competitors.

5 Practical Steps for Cambodian Businesses to Attract Chinese Tourists

• Set up a Chinese-language presence: A basic Mandarin website or landing page, hosted on Chinese-friendly servers, is your first step. Chinese travelers who can’t read your information will move on quickly.
• Accept Alipay and WeChat Pay: Both are widely available for international merchants. Chinese tourists increasingly expect to pay digitally using these apps. Hotels and restaurants that accept them immediately feel more familiar and trustworthy.
• Build a Douyin presence: Short videos of your property, your food, or nearby attractions can reach Chinese travelers who have never heard of you before. Authentic content travels far on Chinese social media.
• Get on Ctrip and Mafengwo: These are the primary booking and review platforms for Chinese outbound travelers. Being listed with solid reviews puts you in front of active buyers.
• Create a WeChat account: For direct communication, booking confirmations, and ongoing engagement with Chinese guests. A WeChat account with a QR code at your front desk or on menus is a simple, effective touch.

Why Your Chinese Digital Presence Matters

The Chinese tourists arriving in Cambodia are digital-first travelers. They plan, book, and share everything through Chinese platforms. If your business is not visible on those platforms, you are invisible to the largest and fastest-growing segment of Cambodia’s tourism market. Here’s the breakdown:

• Chinese website with ICP license: For maximum reach inside China, hosting on Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud and holding an ICP license ensures your site loads reliably in China.
• Douyin: The main discovery platform for Chinese travel in 2025. A well-made video about Cambodia can generate thousands of profile visits and direct inquiries.
• Xiaohongshu (RED): Trust-building and lifestyle content. Chinese travelers check RED like a travel guidebook. Good reviews here drive real bookings.
• Baidu: Search engine marketing that captures Chinese travelers actively looking for Cambodia travel information and booking options.
• WeChat: Direct communication and loyalty. Chinese repeat visitors and their networks are your best word-of-mouth channel.

Our team at Chinese Tourist Agency helps businesses in Southeast Asia build this kind of presence. See our Xiaohongshu marketing and full service offerings.

For up-to-date data, Mafengwo, China’s leading travel review platform, publishes regular reports on Chinese traveler destination preferences that are useful for businesses planning their China marketing strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Chinese tourists visited Cambodia in 2024?

Over 700,000 Chinese tourists visited Cambodia in 2024, continuing the strong recovery that began in 2023 when arrivals surged by 449% after the pandemic years. Cambodia has re-established itself as a top destination for Chinese outbound travelers in Southeast Asia, ranking alongside Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia in terms of popularity and growth momentum.

What do Chinese tourists spend money on in Cambodia?

Accommodation, dining, and cultural experiences are the top spending categories. Chinese travelers visiting Siem Reap and Angkor Wat typically book mid-range to higher-end hotels and take guided tours of the temples. In Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, nightlife, dining, and leisure spending are significant. Shopping is less dominant than it was a decade ago: Chinese tourists today prioritize experiences over souvenirs, which is good news for restaurants, tour operators, and activity providers.

Is it complicated for a small Cambodian business to get on Chinese platforms?

It requires some setup, but it’s very manageable. A Ctrip listing for accommodation or tours is the most straightforward starting point and doesn’t require much technical knowledge. Alipay and WeChat Pay merchant accounts for international businesses have become easier to set up in recent years. For Douyin and Xiaohongshu, you can work with a Chinese digital marketing agency to create and manage content in Mandarin on your behalf. The investment is modest relative to the potential upside.

Will Chinese tourist numbers in Cambodia keep growing?

The signs are positive. Direct flights between China and Cambodia are increasing. The Siem Reap Angkor International Airport is adding capacity. The visa situation is favorable for Chinese travelers. And Cambodia’s Angkor Wat remains one of the most genuinely bucket-list worthy attractions in Asia. Cambodian tourism officials have set targets of 1 million or more Chinese visitors annually within the next two years, and based on current trajectory, those targets look achievable.

Act Now While the Market Is Building

The Chinese tourist wave in Cambodia is real and it’s growing. Businesses that invest in their Chinese digital presence now will be the ones capturing bookings as visitor numbers climb. Don’t wait until your competitors are already established on Douyin and Ctrip. Visit our services page and let’s get you in front of Chinese travelers.

Marcus Zhan is a digital strategist at GMA with over 10 years of experience helping international brands grow in China. He specializes in Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Chinese SEO.