Too afraid of scams in Cambodia, Koreans avoid traveling to Southeast Asia

The number of South Korean tourists to Southeast Asia is dropping sharply amid reports of scams and kidnappings in Cambodia.

Korean tourists "avoid" Southeast Asia for fear of being scammed - Photo: AFP

According to data released by Incheon International Airport Corporation on November 16, the number of passengers from South Korea flying to Southeast Asian countries in October decreased by 7.25% compared to the previous month, to 784,962.

Cambodia recorded the sharpest decline, down 15.4% from 13,727 arrivals in September to 11,613 in October.

The decline comes after a wave of warnings in October about young Koreans being lured to Cambodia to work, but instead sold into fraudulent complexes.

Many victims are detained, forced to participate in operating online fraud lines, even abused or sold to other centralized fraud centers.

Furthermore, according to the Strait Times , the impact of the crisis extends beyond Cambodia. Specifically, the Philippines and Thailand also saw a significant drop in the number of Korean tourists in October, down 18.9% to 120,175 and down 5% to 157,402, respectively.

This is more remarkable when the total number of international passengers passing through Incheon airport during the same period increased by 3.1%, reaching more than 6.39 million.

Travel agencies say market demand is changing rapidly. “Not only are group tours being canceled, but individual travelers, especially business travelers and solo travelers, have also seen a significant decline. This trend may spread to package tours later in the year,” a tourism official told local media.

A survey by the Korean public opinion polling agency Realmeter on October 21 showed that the Korean public is more concerned about Southeast Asian tourism.

Specifically, 82.4% of respondents said that the recent series of incidents in Cambodia had affected their views on traveling to the region. This rate was up to 88.3% among the 20-year-old group.

Additionally, 56% said the South Korean Foreign Ministry handled the crisis ineffectively in the early stages, when warning information and support for citizens were given too late.

Trieu Phuong

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/qua-so-cac-o-lua-dao-o-campuchia-nguoi-han-quoc-ne-luon-du-lich-dong-nam-a-2025111714031179.htm