Phnom Penh, 31 July, 2026 – Following the launch of the White Book 2027 on 19 May, EuroCham submitted a follow-up letter to Ministry of Economy and Finance, regarding its Visa Policy recommendation under the White Book 2027: Tourism & Hospitality Chapter.
This issue was also raised in EuroCham’s intervention letter addressing the oil crisis, which was submitted on 9 April, underscoring the importance of visa facilitation measures in supporting Cambodia’s tourism sector and broader economic recovery.
According to preliminary findings from the upcoming Business Pulse Survey H2 2026, 52.4% of member companies in the tourism and hospitality industry reported that revenue performance for January to June 2026 fell largely below targets, with a further 38.1% reporting performance slightly below targets, meaning over 90% of tourism businesses surveyed missed their revenue expectations this half. This marks a sharp deterioration compared to H2 2025, underscoring the urgency of the sector’s current challenges and the need for decisive policy support. The full Business Pulse Survey HR2 2026 report will be released next week.
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“Tourism visits to Cambodia are at their lowest in many years while Vietnam alone posted a 20% increase in 2025. We need to take decisive action and embed a strong medium- and long-term strategy combining visa policy, smart marketing and support to businesses on the ground to maintain high-quality offers and create new experiences.
Cambodia has so much to offer to visitors, and much beyond Angkor Wat. Our food scene alone is worth a trip! But we have been speaking about more marketing and promotion for many years now —‘influencers’ are all over — and numbers continue to decline. It might be time to try new approaches.”
Mr. Tassilo Brinzer, Chairperson of EuroCham Cambodia.
Against this backdrop, EuroCham’s letter sets out a strategic frameworkfor repositioning Cambodia’s visa policy to capture high-value, location-independent travellers and professionals. Key recommendations include:
- An Extended Visa-Free Program — granting visa-free access of up to 30 days, through 31 December 2027 (extendable), to nationals from high-income regions including Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand and possibly others.
- Leveraging Techo International Airport — positioning the new airport as a central marketing asset to attract the regional Asian expatriate market through short flight times, lower regional airfares and direct, transit-free connections to Phnom Penh – providing a highly secure travel alternative during the periods of global transit disruption such as the middle east crisis.
- A Streamlined “Live & Work” Pathway — establishing an accessible 3-to-6-month entry option for digital nomads and remote professionals, with a clear, low-friction mechanism for transitioning into standard Type E visa and work permit arrangements for those who choose to stay long-term.
Taken together, these measures — proposed under the coordinated campaign banner “Live | Work & Enjoy Cambodia” — aim to alleviate immediate economic pressure on the tourism sector while positioning the Kingdom as a competitive, forward-looking regional hub, ahead of neighbouring markets, which have already moved to attract this high-value demographic.
EuroCham reaffirms its full commitment to working alongside the Royal Government of Cambodia and remains available to support the development and implementation of these recommendations through practical, collaborative engagement.
Read the recommendation here: Tax & Governance Committee | EuroCham WhiteBook
