Cambodia began a four-month visa-free trial for Chinese visitors on Monday, becoming the latest Southeast Asian country to ease visa policies as countries across the region compete for a larger share of China's rebounding outbound travel market.
The move reflects a broader race among Asian destinations to attract Chinese travelers, but analysts say visa-free access is increasingly becoming a baseline requirement rather than a decisive advantage as more countries roll out similar policies.
Instead, safety, flight connectivity, travel costs and destination appeal play a growing role in determining where Chinese tourists choose to go.
Under the pilot program, which runs from June 15 to Oct 15, Chinese passport holders can enter Cambodia without a visa, stay for up to 14 days and make multiple entries after completing an electronic arrival card. The Cambodian government hopes the program will attract at least 600,000 Chinese visitors during the trial period and help push annual arrivals above 1.2 million this year.
Tourism is one of the pillars of Cambodia's economy, and China has long been among its most important source markets.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia welcomed a record 2.36 million Chinese visitors in 2019. Arrivals have recovered gradually since borders reopened, reaching about 1.2 million in 2025, up 41.5 percent from the previous year but still only around half of pre-pandemic levels.
According to Cambodian tourism ministry data, China accounted for 331,199 arrivals in the first four months of 2026, becoming Cambodia's largest source of foreign tourists.
Yet the recovery remains uneven, underscoring the challenges Cambodia faces in rebuilding demand. Flights between the Chinese mainland and Cambodia were still down 53.1 percent from 2019 levels as of June 15, compared with a decline of just 9.2 percent for China-Southeast Asia routes overall, according to aviation data intelligence platform VariFlight.
The recovery has also been concentrated in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. VariFlight data shows that while services to Phnom Penh have largely recovered, direct routes linking Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in Guangdong province with Siem Reap, gateway to the Angkor Wat temple complex and once a favorite destination for Chinese travelers, have yet to resume.
The slower recovery comes as regional competition intensifies. Thailand granted permanent visa-free access to Chinese travelers in 2024. Malaysia has repeatedly extended its visa-free program, while Singapore implemented a mutual visa exemption arrangement with China. South Korea is also preparing visa-free measures for Chinese tour groups linked to major international events.
Many of those destinations have already seen strong gains in Chinese arrivals. VariFlight forecasts suggest Chinese outbound demand is increasingly concentrating in competing destinations, with South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia expected to rank as the top three international destinations for Chinese travelers during this summer's peak travel season. Flight capacity to several regional markets has already exceeded pre-pandemic levels, while Cambodia remains far below its 2019 benchmark.
Analysts say the evolving preferences of Chinese travelers help explain why visa-free policies alone may no longer be sufficient.
Chinese tourists typically evaluate overseas destinations based on four main factors: safety, convenience, cost and overall attractiveness, said Wu Liyun, a professor at the China Academy of Culture and Tourism at Beijing International Studies University.
"Safety remains the most fundamental consideration," she said. "If travelers are concerned about personal or property security, they are unlikely to choose a destination regardless of how convenient the visa policy may be."
Convenience extends beyond visas, she added, encompassing flight availability, travel distance and the ease of moving around a destination. Costs, including both travel expenses and time spent reaching a destination, also weigh heavily on decision-making.
For Cambodia, safety perceptions may be particularly important. In recent years, reports of telecom and online scams operating in parts of Southeast Asia have affected perceptions of destinations including Cambodia.
Cambodian authorities have stepped up efforts to combat these criminal activities and repeatedly stressed that visitor safety remains a top priority.
Kong Roatlomang, deputy director-general of tourism development and international cooperation at the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, said this month in Beijing that the country was taking multiple measures to ensure the safety of Chinese and other international visitors, and expected Chinese arrivals to rise by 20 to 30 percent this year.
"China and Cambodia are ironclad friends. We are a community with a shared future," Kong said. "This (visa-free access) is a pilot project. If successful, it will be extended."
Cambodia has also expanded Chinese-language services, upgraded signage and launched promotional campaigns aimed at the Chinese market.
"Travel is fundamentally about relaxation and leisure," Wu said.
While visa facilitation lowers barriers and generates initial interest, improving infrastructure, public services, direct flight connectivity and tourism products tailored to younger travelers will be equally important, she added.