Etihad Airways and the Cambodia Tourism Board have launched a US$120,000 campaign to attract visitors from the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. The partners announced the agreement at World Travel Market London in November 2026. Each organisation will contribute US$60,000.
The campaign aims to encourage longer holidays by promoting Phnom Penh and Cambodia’s southern coast alongside the temples of Angkor. It builds on Etihad’s existing Abu Dhabi–Phnom Penh service and an Air Cambodia codeshare that connects passengers onwards to Siem Reap.
Together, those connections give European tour operators a basis for building itineraries that combine temple visits, city stays and time by the coast.
Abu Dhabi Flights Anchor the European Campaign
Etihad launched its nonstop Abu Dhabi–Phnom Penh service on 3 October 2025. Travellers from the three campaign markets can look for itineraries through the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub, with connection times depending on their departure city.
Etihad operates the Phnom Penh route with an Airbus A321LR configured with two First Suites, 14 Business Class seats and 144 Economy seats. The cabin mix gives travel sellers options for customers with different budgets on the same route.
The campaign uses that existing service to bring Cambodia into more European holiday searches. For agents, the route provides a starting point for comparing where travellers should spend their first night and how they might continue after arrival.
Air Cambodia Codeshare Simplifies the Siem Reap Connection
Etihad and Air Cambodia introduced their codeshare in April 2026. Eligible itineraries allow passengers to book the Phnom Penh–Siem Reap leg on the same ticket and have checked baggage transferred to the final destination.
For visitors heading to Angkor, a through booking can simplify a journey that already involves a connection in Abu Dhabi. Travellers can also build in time in Phnom Penh before continuing to Siem Reap, depending on the itinerary they choose.
A separate interline arrangement offers connections to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Phu Quoc in Vietnam. That gives travel planners another option for holidays covering both countries. The booking arrangements for those journeys are separate from the Siem Reap codeshare.
Phnom Penh and the Coast Give Visitors Reasons to Stay Longer
Angkor Wat remains a central attraction in the campaign. The wider promotion gives travellers reasons to spend time in other parts of Cambodia before or after their temple visit.
Phnom Penh can form a distinct part of the holiday, with cultural landmarks, traditional markets and Cambodian food. The southern coast adds beaches and islands for visitors who want a slower end to their trip.
The order of those stops matters when planning a holiday. Travellers arriving in Phnom Penh can spend time in the capital before flying to Siem Reap. Others may prefer to put Angkor first and leave more time for the coast. The journey between those stops will shape how many nights visitors spend in each destination.
European Travel Sellers Can Build More Varied Holidays
The three-market campaign gives British, German and Italian travel businesses a common set of experiences to promote. Agents can use Phnom Penh as the arrival point, then build trips around the time clients want to spend at temples, in cities or by the sea.
The partners announced a combined budget for the campaign. They did not publish individual allocations or visitor targets for the United Kingdom, Germany or Italy.
Etihad commercial executive Aysha Al Kaabi presented the agreement as an extension of the airline’s Cambodia operations and its cooperation with Air Cambodia. Cambodia Tourism Board Chief Executive Kim Minea emphasised the opportunity to introduce overseas visitors to a wider range of experiences.
Overnight Stays Will Help Measure the Campaign’s Reach
Hotels, guides, restaurants and transport providers could see additional business if the promotion turns interest into bookings. Where that spending goes will depend on how travellers divide their time. An extra night in Phnom Penh, for example, creates different opportunities for local businesses than a longer beach stay.
Bookings from the three European markets will help show whether the campaign attracts more visitors. Stay lengths and spending across destinations will help answer a different question: whether those visitors see more of Cambodia once they arrive.
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