PHNOM PENH, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia attracted a total of 3.71 million international tourists in the first seven months of 2025, down 8 percent from the same period last year, the Ministry of Tourism said on Friday.

Thailand topped the chart among foreign tourist arrivals to the Southeast Asian country during the January-July period this year, followed by Vietnam and China.

Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy under the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said the 8 percent decline in international tourist arrivals reflected both regional economic slowdowns and intensified competition from neighboring destinations, which may have diverted visitors.

"It also highlights lingering challenges in air connectivity and destination diversification," he told Xinhua.

"The newly built Techo International Airport, scheduled to open to official operations on Sept. 9, 2025, will serve as a major gateway to Cambodia, offering greater flight capacity, modern facilities, and improved international connectivity," he added.

By accommodating more direct long-haul and regional flights, it will make travel to Cambodia more convenient and attractive for tourists, Mengdavid said.

He said the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025 and stronger inflows of tourists from China and some ASEAN member states could help stabilize Cambodia's tourist growth in the entirety of 2025.

Tourism is one of four pillars supporting Cambodia's economy in addition to garment, footwear and travel goods export, agriculture, and construction and real estate. ■