Cambodia has been ranked the world’s fourth-best country in travel in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, earning 93.57 points out of 100 and placing ahead of established European destinations, including Spain and France, as well as regional competitors Vietnam and Thailand. Announced on October 6, 2026, the result puts Cambodia at the top of Southeast Asian countries featured in the ranking, offering international recognition for the Kingdom’s tourism appeal at a time when international visitor arrivals are experiencing a significant decline.
Key Facts
Global ranking: Fourth among the world’s best countries for travel in 2026.
Score: 93.57 out of 100.
Leading destination: Japan, with 95.52 points.
Southeast Asian position: Cambodia ranks ahead of Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.
Phnom Penh ranking: Third in the World’s Best Big Cities category, improving from 10th in 2025.
International tourist arrivals: Cambodia recorded 2,252,698 international visitors during the first eight months of 2026, down 44.4% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
Awards methodology: The 39th annual awards received 798,867 votes across multiple travel categories.
Cambodia Leads Southeast Asia in Global Travel Rankings
Cambodia’s fourth-place finish in the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards highlights its appeal among readers of Condé Nast Traveler, a US-based travel magazine known for destination coverage, travel recommendations and annual reader surveys.
With a score of 93.57, Cambodia finished behind only Japan, Italy and Ireland. The Kingdom also placed ahead of Spain, which scored 93.37, alongside other well-known destinations in Europe and Asia.
The top five countries were:
| Rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 95.52 |
| 2 | Italy | 94.80 |
| 3 | Ireland | 94.15 |
| 4 | Cambodia | 93.57 |
| 5 | Spain | 93.37 |
Cambodia’s position is particularly notable within Southeast Asia. Vietnam ranked 10th with 92.99 points, Thailand placed 12th with 92.89, and Singapore came 18th with 92.11.
The results place Cambodia ahead of several destinations competing for international travellers, giving the country a prominent position in one of the magazine’s established annual reader-voted travel awards.
However, the ranking reflects readers’ assessments of destinations rather than a direct measurement of tourist arrivals, tourism revenue or overall industry performance.
How the Condé Nast Traveler Awards Work
The 2026 awards marked the 39th annual edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, which cover countries, cities, hotels, resorts, airlines and other travel-related categories.
According to the report, the awards recorded 798,867 votes across the various categories. Readers participated in an online survey conducted from April 1 to June 30, rating destinations on a five-point scale ranging from excellent to poor.
The awards are therefore a measure of reader sentiment and destination appeal among the magazine’s participating audience. They offer international visibility, although they should not be interpreted as a comprehensive assessment of every destination’s tourism infrastructure, visitor experience or economic performance.
For Cambodia, the fourth-place ranking provides a positive international signal that can support destination marketing and encourage prospective travellers to consider the country.
Phnom Penh Ranks Third Among the World’s Best Big Cities
Cambodia’s recognition extends beyond its national ranking. Phnom Penh placed third in the World’s Best Big Cities category, rising substantially from 10th place in 2025.
The capital ranked behind Seoul and Tokyo, while finishing ahead of Shanghai, Sydney, Montreal, Paris and Singapore.
The result places Phnom Penh alongside major international cities in the magazine’s reader-based assessment. It also provides an opportunity to promote the capital as more than a transit point for visitors travelling to Cambodia’s better-known cultural and coastal destinations.
Phnom Penh offers a mix of historical landmarks, Buddhist temples, riverside areas, museums, restaurants, hotels and contemporary urban businesses. Wat Phnom, one of the city’s iconic attractions, is among the landmarks that contribute to its cultural identity.
For tourism operators and hospitality businesses, the city’s improved ranking could help strengthen its profile for short breaks, cultural tourism, food experiences, meetings and business travel.
Nevertheless, the award alone does not establish how many additional visitors Phnom Penh will attract. Converting international recognition into measurable tourism growth depends on factors such as air connectivity, visitor confidence, service quality, destination promotion and the availability of compelling travel experiences.
Tourism Recognition Comes Amid a Sharp Decline in International Arrivals
Despite the positive rankings, Cambodia’s tourism sector faces a challenging visitor-arrival trend.
According to figures from the Ministry of Tourism cited in the report, the Kingdom welcomed 2,252,698 international tourists during the first eight months of 2026. This represented a 44.4% decline from 4,050,227 visitors during the same period in 2025.
The decline affected both land and air arrivals, although the reported decreases differed considerably by travel mode.
| Tourism indicator | First eight months of 2025 | First eight months of 2026 | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total international arrivals | 4,050,227 | 2,252,698 | -44.4% |
| Land arrivals | 2,115,263 | 784,088 | -62.9% |
| Air arrivals | Not specified in the source | 1,411,562 | -24.9% |
| Visitors from the United States | 140,084 | 129,876 | -7.3% |
Land arrivals experienced the steepest reported contraction, falling 62.9% to 784,088 visitors. Air arrivals declined 24.9% to 1,411,562.
Arrivals from the United States also decreased, dropping 7.3% from 140,084 to 129,876 visitors.
The figures indicate that Cambodia’s tourism recovery cannot be assessed through international rankings alone. While a destination may receive strong evaluations from travellers, actual arrivals can be affected by travel access, regional conditions, visitor confidence and other factors not measured by reader surveys.
The available figures do not, by themselves, establish the causes of the overall decline. Further breakdowns by source market, travel purpose, entry point and length of stay would be needed to identify the main drivers and determine where tourism recovery measures could have the greatest impact.
What the Rankings Could Mean for Cambodia’s Tourism Industry
Cambodia’s fourth-place national ranking and Phnom Penh’s third-place city ranking offer tourism stakeholders useful promotional opportunities.
1. Strengthening international destination marketing
Tourism authorities, airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agencies can use the rankings as supporting evidence in destination campaigns. Recognition from an established international travel publication may help attract attention from travellers researching their next destination.
For maximum impact, promotional campaigns should connect the rankings to specific experiences, including Cambodia’s cultural heritage, local food, urban attractions, coastal destinations and community-based tourism.
2. Encouraging longer stays and broader itineraries
Phnom Penh’s improved position could help encourage visitors to spend more time in the capital instead of treating it only as a gateway to other destinations.
Tour operators could develop itineraries combining the capital with Cambodia’s cultural, historical and coastal attractions. Such packages may create opportunities for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, guides and local businesses to benefit from visitor spending.
3. Turning recognition into business opportunities
International rankings can support destination visibility, but tourism businesses ultimately need bookings and spending to generate commercial returns.
Hotels and travel companies may use the recognition in marketing materials and international sales outreach. Airlines and tourism stakeholders can also consider how destination promotion aligns with route development, seasonal demand and target markets.
4. Addressing the gap between reputation and arrivals
The 44.4% fall in international arrivals underlines the importance of connecting positive publicity with practical measures to attract and retain visitors.
Tourism stakeholders need to understand which source markets are contracting, whether the declines are concentrated at particular entry points, and which visitor segments offer the strongest recovery opportunities.
Without that information, global recognition may improve Cambodia’s visibility without necessarily producing an immediate increase in visitor numbers.
Angkor Times Analysis: Cambodia Needs to Convert Recognition Into Tourism Growth
Cambodia’s fourth-place finish in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards is a valuable international endorsement. Phnom Penh’s rise from 10th to third in the World’s Best Big Cities category adds another positive signal for the country’s tourism brand.
The challenge is to convert that recognition into measurable economic outcomes.
The contrast between the rankings and the reported 44.4% decline in international arrivals demonstrates why tourism performance requires more than reputation indicators. Reader surveys measure perceptions and preferences among participants, while arrival statistics measure actual cross-border visitor movements. Neither metric should be used as a substitute for the other.
For Cambodia, the next step is to connect international visibility with targeted destination marketing, reliable travel access, competitive tourism products and strong visitor experiences. Promoting Phnom Penh alongside the country’s cultural and coastal destinations could help distribute visitor spending across more businesses and locations.
The data also suggest that tourism recovery strategies should pay close attention to land arrivals, which recorded a much sharper decline than air arrivals. However, the reported figures do not establish why land travel fell or whether the trend reflects particular source markets or other factors. Those questions require more detailed official data.
For investors and tourism operators, the rankings provide a positive branding opportunity, but investment decisions should also consider visitor demand, occupancy, spending, air connectivity and operating conditions.
Ultimately, Cambodia’s tourism opportunity lies not simply in being recognised as one of the world’s leading destinations, but in translating that recognition into sustainable visitor growth, stronger local businesses and broader economic benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rank did Cambodia achieve in the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards?
Cambodia ranked fourth among the world’s best countries for travel, receiving 93.57 points out of 100 in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Which country ranked first?
Japan ranked first with 95.52 points, followed by Italy with 94.80 and Ireland with 94.15.
How did Cambodia compare with other Southeast Asian destinations?
Cambodia ranked highest among the Southeast Asian countries listed in the top 20. Vietnam placed 10th, Thailand 12th and Singapore 18th.
What rank did Phnom Penh achieve?
Phnom Penh ranked third in the World’s Best Big Cities category, improving from 10th place in 2025. Seoul and Tokyo ranked ahead of the Cambodian capital.
How many international tourists visited Cambodia in the first eight months of 2026?
Cambodia recorded 2,252,698 international tourist arrivals during January–August 2026, down 44.4% from 4,050,227 in the same period of 2025, according to figures cited from the Ministry of Tourism.
Does the ranking mean Cambodia’s tourism industry is growing?
Not necessarily. The ranking reflects reader assessments of destination appeal, while international arrival figures measure actual visits. Cambodia received strong recognition in the awards even as reported international arrivals declined sharply.