KhmerTimes-Feb 9, 2026
As the tourism sector hailed the government decision to provide visa-free entry for Chinese travelers coming to Cambodia, industry leaders have also intensified the campaign with calls to extend the facility to more nationalities in a bid to increase the footfall of international tourists in the country. On January 15, the Ministry of Tourism informed all stakeholders about the decision to provide visa-free entry and stay of 14 days to nationals from the People’s Republic of China, covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, for four months from June 15 to October 15, 2026. According to industry data, 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Cambodia last year, a sharp 41.5 percent increase compared with the previous year. Though Vietnam remained the top source of visitors, with 1.22 million arrivals, this figure declined 8.8 percent year-on-year. The decision to provide visa-free entry to Chinese nationals was taken to revive the tourism market and this move was immediately hailed as a positive step by business leaders. Chhay Sivlin, President of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA), told the Khmer Times, “this is not only about tourism recovery,” Sivlin noted. “Simplifying entry accelerates decision-making for overseas investors, particularly those operating along the China–Cambodia Industrial Development Corridor.” She stressed that Cambodia is not pursuing a single-market strategy, instead, the program is being used as a test case to assess broader policy reforms. If successful, she said, similar fee waivers and facilitation measures could be rolled out in phases to other high-value markets. Read more at: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501841914/visa-free-entry-calls-turn-shriller-as-cambodia-eases-norms-for-chinese/#google_vignette
