Cambodia : GMS: Mekong Tourism Development Project

Sovereign Project | 35282-013

The Project aims to reduce poverty, contribute to economic growth, increase employment, and promote the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage. The specific objective of the Project is to promote sustainable tourism in the lower Mekong basin through infrastructure improvements, community and private sector participation, and sub-regional cooperation. The Project will comprise four parts: Part A, tourism-related infrastructure improvements; Part B, pro-poor, community-based tourism development; Part C, sub-regional cooperation for sustainable tourism; and Part D, implementation assistance and institutional strengthening.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Nida, Ouk
    Southeast Asia Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Cambodia
  • Modality
  • Sector
    • Industry and trade
Project Name GMS: Mekong Tourism Development Project
Project Number 35282-013
Country / Economy Cambodia
Project Status Closed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Loan 1969-CAM: GMS: Mekong Tourism Development Project
Asian Development Fund US$ 15.60 million
Strategic Agendas Environmentally sustainable growth
Regional integration
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Governance and capacity development
Private sector development
Sector / Subsector

Industry and trade / Trade and services
Gender Effective gender mainstreaming
Description The Project aims to reduce poverty, contribute to economic growth, increase employment, and promote the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage. The specific objective of the Project is to promote sustainable tourism in the lower Mekong basin through infrastructure improvements, community and private sector participation, and sub-regional cooperation. The Project will comprise four parts: Part A, tourism-related infrastructure improvements; Part B, pro-poor, community-based tourism development; Part C, sub-regional cooperation for sustainable tourism; and Part D, implementation assistance and institutional strengthening.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

The GMS is the fastest growing tourism destination in the world. This is bringing in much-needed foreign exchange, creating jobs, and contributing to economic growth. However, growth in tourism is constrained by difficulties in access, the lack of investment in tourist infrastructure, the absence of new products to attract visitors, and weaknesses in policy and institutional capacities. The GMS countries have a strong comparative advantage in tourism, demonstrated by the high growth rates, but need to exploit it more effectively to use it as an instrument of poverty reduction, and broad-based economic growth.

GMS Economic Cooperation Program

GMS Program Strategic Framework
Impact Promote sustainable tourism development in Cambodia through infrastructure improvements, community and private sector participation, and sub-regional cooperation.
Project Outcome
Description of Outcome The two expected outcomes are: i). Increased economic growth, and ii). Sustainable tourism in the lower Basin of the Mekong River
Progress Toward Outcome
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

The key expected outputs are: A. Tourism-related infrastructure improvements, B. Pro-poor, community based tourism development, C. Subregional cooperation for sustainable tourism, D. Implementation assistance and institutional strengthening

Part A: Tourism-Related Infrastructure

Urban sewer on the west side of Siem Reap rehabilitated, new connections to the system were constructed, stabilizing lagoons constructed in the west part of the town to treat discharges from the area of about 17,000 population;

Community sanitation and health awareness program conducted

6.3 km of road access to the Genocide Memorial rehabilitated

Part B: Pro-Poor, Community-Based Tourism Development:

Capacity building activities for local tourism communities and construction of small-scale tourism infrastructures in Rattanak Kiri and Stung Treng, were completed. A certain number of infrastructure such as visitor information centers (VIC), small bridges, parking areas, toilets, sign posts, fences, food & vendor stalls, changing areas, and ticket booths, etc. were constructed.

Part C: Sub-regional Cooperation:

Tourism Law approved; sub-decree on the new hotel classification system harmonized with Lao PDR and Viet Nam prepared, approved and implemented; Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office was established and the Project contributed funds for its operation.
Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)
Geographical Location
Safeguard Categories
Environment B
Involuntary Resettlement B
Indigenous Peoples B
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation
Business Opportunities
Consulting Services To support the implementation of the Project, a total of 346 person-months of consulting services (127 person-months international and 219 person-months domestic) will be required. The Consultants will be engaged in accordance with the ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consultants and other arrangements satisfactory to ADB on the engagement of domestic consultants. Separate consulting services packages will be rocured to provide assistance to the PCUs in the NTOs, and the PMUs in charge of infrastructure improvements. The consultants for PMUs will be firms and will focus on Part A. The consultants for the PCUs will be firms and will focus on overall project management and part C of the Project. Individual consultants will be engaged for Part B and will be recruited by PCU. Consulting firms will be selected and engaged following the quality and cost-based selection method. Consultants will provide on-the-job training to national and provincial govenrment officials involveed in implementation.
Procurement Goods and works to be financed by ADB will be procured in accordance with ADB Guidelines for Procurement. International competitive bidding (ICB) procedure will be used for major civil works contracts estimated to cost over $1.0 million and supply contracts valued over $500,000. Procurement of minor civil works will be undertaken through local competitive bidding (LCB) in accordance with procedures acceptable to the ADB. International shopping (IS) will be followed for materials and equipment packages estimated to cost more than $100,000 equivalent but less than $500,000 equivalent. Equipment items that are locally available, and cost less than $100,000 equivalent, may be procured through direct purchase in accordance with procedures satisfactory to ADB. For the pro-poor, community-based tourism component, where the proposed subprojects will be relatively small, and scattered throughout the provinces, the Project may fund NGOs to work in a collaborative and participatory manner with local communities.
Responsible ADB Officer Nida, Ouk
Responsible ADB Department Southeast Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Cambodia Resident Mission
Executing Agencies
Ministry of Tourism
H.E. Tith Chantha
[email protected]
Street 169, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Timetable
Concept Clearance 08 Mar 2001
Fact Finding 09 Mar 2001 to 22 Mar 2001
MRM 26 Aug 2002
Approval 12 Dec 2002
Last Review Mission -
PDS Creation Date 30 Nov 2006
Last PDS Update 19 Oct 2010

Loan 1969-CAM

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
12 Dec 2002 07 Feb 2003 06 Aug 2003 30 Jun 2008 30 Jun 2010 30 Dec 2010
Financing Plan Loan Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 20.70 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 15.60 17 Jun 2022 16.82 0.00 100%
Counterpart 5.10 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 17 Jun 2022 16.82 0.00 100%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating - Satisfactory - - - -

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.

The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.

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Title Document Type Document Date
Greater Mekong Subregion Mekong Tourism Development Project Reports and Recommendations of the President Nov 2002

Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

Title Document Type Document Date
GMS: Mekong Tourism Development Project: Siem Reap Wastewater Management Project Initial Environmental Examination May 2007
Mekong Tourism Development Project: Resettlement Plan (Siem Reap Wastewater Management Subproject) Resettlement Plans May 2007

Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

Title Document Type Document Date
Greater Mekong Subregion: Mekong Tourism Development Project (Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Viet Nam) Validations of Project Completion Reports Dec 2013

Related Publications

None currently available.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.

Tenders

No tenders for this project were found.

Contracts Awarded

No contracts awarded for this project were found

Procurement Plan

None currently available.