4 weeks ago
107
Tourists at the quieter-than-usual Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on June 17.
PHOTO: LAUREN DECICCA/NYTIMES
John Yoon and Muktita Suhartono
Published Aug 10, 2026, 11:45 AM
Updated Aug 10, 2026, 11:45 AM
- The war in the Middle East has caused flight disruptions and high airfares, leading to a sharp drop in European tourists visiting South-east Asia destinations like Cambodia and Thailand.
- Local tourism workers face severe income losses, forcing many to cut expenses drastically.
- Some areas like Bali remain more stable due to visitors from other countries.
SIEM REAP, Cambodia – Khon Mony normally shuttles at least four groups of tourists on his tuk-tuk to the ancient stone spires of Angkor Wat in Cambodia each week. But in the whole of May, he did not get a single customer.
He blames the war raging more than 4,800km away in the Middle East.
English (US)