Cambodian premier urges tourism sector to embrace digital change

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet has called on smaller tourism firms, craftspeople and community-based operators to improve their digital skills so they can reach more visitors online. He said the shift could support jobs and help tourism earnings spread more widely within local communities.

He also asked national tourism agencies to use data more effectively when shaping decisions.

Bringing smaller businesses online

In a message issued on 23 September before World Tourism Day on 27 September, Hun Manet said micro, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, including family-run operations, should be included in the sector’s move toward digital technology.

According to the prime minister, better digital capacity and marketing would open wider business opportunities, raise earnings and create employment. He added that digital visibility for Cambodia’s attractions, heritage, arts, cuisine and community-based tourism offerings would help businesses connect faster with local and global markets.

Arrivals fall sharply

The comments came as Cambodia’s tourism sector faced a severe downturn. The Ministry of Tourism said the country received 1,997,821 international visitors in the first seven months of the year, down 46.2 per cent on the same period last year.

Domestic travel showed growth during that period, with 23,802,124 visits recorded within Cambodia, up 47.6 per cent. The ministry said the domestic figure represents visits rather than unique travellers.

The World Tourism Day 2026 theme, 'Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism', places technology at the centre of the sector’s future. Hun Manet said online tools and AI are altering traveller behaviour, from choosing destinations and arranging bookings to making payments and sharing experiences.

He added that the same technologies could help tourism authorities follow market trends, manage visitor movements and take decisions informed by better evidence. To take advantage, he said Cambodia needed stronger digital skills, improved services and better connectivity.

Risks and cultural value

The prime minister warned that the transition also carries dangers, including:

• unequal access to technology
• cyber threats
• risks to personal data and privacy
• misinformation

He said digital technology and artificial intelligence should be used safely, transparently and in a manner that is accountable and centred on people.

At the same time, he stressed that Cambodia’s cultural identity should remain the foundation of its attractiveness to visitors. He said warmth of welcome, traditions, heritage sites and natural landscapes offer value that digital tools can highlight but never substitute.

Hun Manet added that the government would continue to prioritise digital infrastructure, workforce development, tourist destinations and service quality as it seeks to attract more visitors from home and abroad.