PHNOM PENH, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia recorded a total of 4.37 million international tourists in the first nine months of 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 8.8 percent, said a Ministry of Tourism report released on Monday.

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

Some 978,826 Thais and 906,398 Vietnamese traveled to Cambodia, down 35.9 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively, the report said, adding that 889,089 Chinese visited the kingdom, up 46.3 percent.

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

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

He said the recently opened Techo International Airport, which is Cambodia's biggest airport, will serve as a main gateway to the kingdom, offering greater flight capacity, modern facilities, and improved international connectivity.

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