World Bank downgrades KP tourism project implementation to ‘unsatisfactory’

The World Bank has downgraded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project to "moderately unsatisfactory" in terms of implementation progress, despite surpassing several key targets and mobilising nearly USD 83 million in private investment. The project, approved in 2019 and set to close on April 30, 2027, initially aimed to enhance tourism infrastructure, assets, and destination management for sustainable tourism development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The World Bank's report highlights that while the project has exceeded several targets, implementation remains uneven, with institutional capacity for implementation and sustainability still rated as a substantial risk. Beneficiaries of the project have increased to 559,773 individuals, with 150,236 women, significantly surpassing the target of 33,000.

The project's achievements include the installation of 452 multilingual signboards, construction of 70 prefabricated toilets, establishment of five Rescue 1122 stations, launch of a 24/7 tourism helpline, illumination of four heritage sites, conservation of six archaeological sites, rehabilitation of 16 flood-affected sites, and upgrading of three museums. Direct and indirect job generation reached 3,822, surpassing the target of 2,500.

However, the World Bank report acknowledges the need to accelerate implementation as the project enters its final phase with less than a year remaining before its scheduled closure.