Kampot: Kampot International Tourism Port, to be completed by the end of 2021, will become an international maritime gateway, a vital component in the national transportation system, and an important magnet for national and international tourists, according to Minister of Tourism Thong Khon.

The Minister inspected the construction site of the port with Kampot provincial leaders at Teuk Chhou district of Kampot province on Thursday. He says, the quay will “link tourist transportation to the southern islands and connect Kampot province to the world and support tourism development in the Bokor Mountain region and other nearby areas, especially along the Kingdom’s coastline.”

Building work started back in 2018 and is now said to be 84% complete and on track to be finished by December 31. Located on 4 hectares in Teuk Chhou district, about 6km west of Kampot town, the project is financed by an $8 million loan from the Asian Development Bank, and will have a water depth of 4.5m.

Once operating, it will have the capacity to handle about 1 million passengers and tourists.

Kampot provincial Department of Tourism director Soy Sinol said on Thursday that the quay would inject a new dose of vitality into the Kampot market and lure in travellers from neighbouring countries to the province’s wide-ranging selection of beaches, mountains, natural attractions and other tourist destinations.

“We are eagerly awaiting to receive tourists through the port,” he said, adding that the project is the first of its kind for the province, predicting that the quay would catch the eye of more investors.