Pakistan is blessed with beautiful green landscapes, high mountain peaks and many other forms of natural wonders. The government of Pakistan is increasingly making efforts to unlock the tourism potential of the country. In this regard, various initiatives were taken in 2019. The process of applying for a tourist visa in Pakistan was made fairly easy. Similarly, different tourism conventions were held to change the image of Pakistan from an unsafe country to a tourist-friendly one. To facilitate and ensure the safety of visitors, a tourism police wing was introduced in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The visit of the British royal couple in October helped Pakistan grab international headlines. The country gradually made its way to the top. In this blog, we will discuss some more steps that were taken to boost tourism in Pakistan in 2019.
Let’s get started.
Flashback of Major Events that Boosted Tourism in Pakistan in 2019
Some of the major tourist activities and events that took place in 2019 are as follows:
- In Dec 2018, Forbes termed Pakistan as one of the coolest places to visit in 2019
- In March 2019, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) was restructured
- In April 2019 the government announced the ease of visa policies
- In April 2019, Pakistan Tourism Summit was held at Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad
- Various bloggers visited Pakistan
- KP Tourism Authority was established and a tourism app was introduced for the first-time (tourism app in Pakistan, camping pods in KP)
- To ensure the safety and security of the tourists visiting Pakistan, a tourism police wing was introduced in AJK and KP
- The royal couple’s visit in October 2019 attracted a new wave of foreign tourists
- The launch of Kartarpur Corridor paved way for religious tourism in Pakistan
- Pakistan tops the list of Conde Nast’s list of Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
Let’s take a closer at the list of factors that helped revive tourism in Pakistan. But first, let’s check out this PTI official video comprising all the major tourist events in Pakistan in 2019:
Forbes termed Pakistan as one of the coolest places to visit in 2019
Just at the beginning of 2019, Forbes Magazine, a famous international publication, ranked Pakistan among the year’s top 10 coolest places to visit. This was based on a number of factors. One of the most important being viral testimonials by foreign tourists.
Various international travelers who visited Pakistan documented their experiences of how they were left awestruck by the natural beauty of the country. Their heart-warming accounts of locals welcoming them with open arms took the internet by storm.
Case in point: American vlogger Drew Binsky, who has visited around 171 countries since 2012, visited Pakistan in March 2019 for two weeks and shared the 10 things he loves about the South Asian country. All of this helped highlight the fact that Pakistan is a safe country to visit.
Check out Binsky’s experience in this video:
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) was restructured
The web portal of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) was revamped to provide more information to tourists in March 2019. It served as an information gateway for international travelers who wanted to visit the land of wonders, aka Pakistan.
In November 2018, the government had formed a National Tourism Coordination Board in a bid to promote tourism and to help increase coordination among provinces to draft tourism policies.
In this regard, in March 2019, PTDC was restructured to empower provinces to formulate their own tourism strategies based on their budget. This helped provinces become more autonomous in devising their own strategies and boosted the tourism industry in Pakistan.
The government announced the ease of visa policies
This was a major breakthrough in terms of attracting foreign tourists. The relaxed e-visa policy opened up doors to tourism for travelers belonging to 175 countries.
There are around 50 countries, the nationals of which have the liberty of even getting a visa on arrival. If you belong to one of the countries that have been offered relaxed visa policies, then you just need to create an account on Pakistan online visa system and get yourself a tourist visa with the click of a button. Check out our detailed blog on how to apply for a tourist visa in Pakistan for more details.
Pakistan Tourism Summit was held at Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad
Various conventions and workshops were held to strengthen the tourism industry in Pakistan. The Pakistan Tourism Summit was held in April 2019, where international bloggers and social media influencers were invited to participate and share their experiences and opinions about Pakistan.
Various International Bloggers visited Pakistan
From the American vlogger, Drew Binsky to the famous food blogger, Mark Weins – many social media influencers visited Pakistan and showcased the positive image of the country.
Alyne Tamir, who is hailed as Dear Alyne on facebook, visited Pakistan in October 2019. She presented a video named from Terrorism to Tourism, which cleared away the apprehensions of most foreign travelers looking to visit the land of the second-highest mountain in the world. Let’s check out the video:
KP Tourism Authority was established
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took some major steps to boost tourism in Pakistan. The provincial government of KP decided to establish an authority that will restore cultural and historical sites in the province and work towards a progressive tourism policy. KP Tourism Authority was established in 2019.
Later, the provincial government of KP also introduced a tourism app which will facilitate tourists visiting the northern areas of Pakistan. Tourism police was also introduced in AJK and KP to provide safety to travelers visiting Pakistan.
To further boost tourism in KP, modern camping pods were set up across the province. Take a look at this video of the camping pods in Gabeen Jabba in KP:
The royal couple’s visit in October 2019 attracted a new wave of foreign tourists
The visit of the royal couple in October 2019 brought the country on international stage. From exploring the spell-bound beauty of Gilgit and Chitral valley, to visiting the most iconic mosque in Lahore – the Badshahi Mosque, the royal couple’s visit highlighted Pakistan’s positive image to the world. Check out this video of the royal couple’s most famous visit to Pakistan:
The launch of Kartarpur Corridor paved way for religious tourism in Pakistan
The Corridor of Peace is a visa-free corridor linking the Kartarpur, Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with Dera Baba Nanak Shrine in Gurdaspur District in India. Before the launch of Kartarpur Corridor, the Indian Sikhs could not visit the sacred site of Kartarpur and used to take the help of binoculars just to catch the glimpse of the revered gurdwara.
Thousands of Indian Sikh devotees could visit the gurdwara thanks to the efforts of the Pakistani government to boost religious tourism and bring harmony and peace in the region.
Pakistan tops the list of Conde Nast’s list of Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
The year 2019 came to an end with a bang! An American luxury travel magazine, Conde Nast, declared Pakistan as the #1 holiday destination for 2020, reinforcing the fact that Pakistan is a safe country to visit.
All in all, 2019 was a successful year for tourism in Pakistan: foreign tourists were all praise for the untainted beauty of the country, new incentives were taken to revive tourism activities and, above all, the country’s name was associated with tourism instead of terrorism on the global stage.
Pakistan has stepped in 2020 with renewed energy to attract foreign tourists and showcase the beautiful side of the country. If you are an avid traveler wanting to experience the pristine beauty of mountain slopes, green meadows and glacial lakes, then head over to Pakistan and see it yourself!
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