The Kingdom of Cambodia (Cambodia) has received a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) towards the costs of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth Project (the project). The objective of the project is to increase tourism receipts in Kampot, Kep, and Koh Kong provinces. The project will contribute to increase and more equitable distribution of tourism benefits by improving last-mile tourism access infrastructure andnenvironmental services; catalyzing additional private investment; promoting tourism-related micro, small and medium-sized enterprise development; and supporting capacity building to strengthen destination management, marketing, and the implementation of regional tourism standards.

The expected outcome will be increased tourism receipts in Kampot, Kep and Koh Kong. By 2019 aggregate annual international tourism receipts in the three project provinces will increase from $15 million to $60 million, while direct tourism employment will increase from about 5,000 in 2012 to 22,000. In 2025. At least 60% of these jobs will be held by women. In addition to these impacts the project is also designed to strengthened institutional capacity to promote inclusive tourism growth, promote formal cooperation in tourism between government, civil society, the private sector, and local communities; and generate public revenue needed to finance the protection and maintenance of public goods such as rural and urban roads, marine passenger terminals, and heritage sites.

The project has established a Project Coordination Unit (PCU) in the Ministry of Tourism, and three Project Implementation Units (PIUs), one in each of the three project provinces. Similar TIIG Projects are being carried out in Laos PDR and Viet Nam Additional information about the project is available on the ADB website at: http://www.adb.org/projects/documents/cam-gms-tourism-infrastructure-inclusive-growth-project-rrp.