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Over the past couple of years, tourism in Pakistan has not only improved significantly but also thrived. This is in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision to make the country a tourist hotspot. The efforts made by Pakistan Tourist Development Corporation (PTDC) have also borne fruit as in the last year alone, Pakistan has won two accolades by making it to the list of 10 under-the-radar tourist destinations for 2020 by Forbes, an international publication, and topping Conde Nast Traveller’s list for Best Holiday Destination for 2020. Now, the government is preparing itself for increasing the capacity of the tourism sector to accommodate an ever-increasing number of visitors.
Tourism in Pakistan: A Look At Latest Government Plans
The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, has announced that the country is planning to expand the hospitality industry in the next two to three years, yet another measure to provide that extra boost to tourism in Pakistan. He added that about 25 to 30 ‘five-star’ international standard hotels and motels will be made in the country so more people can easily come and explore the tourist destinations of Pakistan.
Zulfikar Bukhari also added that the incumbent government has prioritized the promotion of tourism and for this reason is giving appropriate focus to this sector. He also added that the government would soon launch “Pakistan” as a brand to promote the tourism industry. An ePortal would be launched for tourists to provide proper information about the hotels and resorts and their ratings, weather, traffic, and other information regarding tourist destinations in the country. The government is also working to formulate a national tourism strategy from 2020 to 2030 for which it has also introduced a five-year action plan (2020-25).
In addition, measures are being taken to modernize Pakistan’s tourism sector so more people can have access to it by working to collaborate with communications technology so information can be widely available. PTDC has been restructured to work as a coordination body to make and regulate policies rather than working as an operator. The government is now also working to include more tech-savvy, young workforce to lead tourism development in the country.
Earlier, PTDC came up with the idea of “Brand Pakistan,” which will make use of local and international influencers’ voices as well as launch extensive advertising campaigns, which will use digital channels such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Zulfikar Bukhari also said that integrated tourism zones are being developed through master planning for systematic development of tourism destinations and the government has planned to give a leading role to the private sector to utilize corporate’s efficiencies and expertise in this regard. In this regard, the PTDC’s hotels/motels in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are being leased out to the private sector. Similarly, the properties located in provinces would also be leased out by the respective provincial governments.
Pakistan’s Adventure Tourism
Pakistan is also looking to reform the country’s adventure tourism. To that end, a panel on Adventure Tourism in Pakistan was organized by the Tourism Forum in Islamabad. All prominent stakeholders were briefed about the importance of generating activity in this sector as well.
At the same time, a large number of tourists and athletes thronged the zigzag hilly track of Malam Jabba in Swat to witness the second Swat Marathon. This is an annual winter sports event in Malam Jabba aimed at promoting adventure tourism in the scenic Swat valley. This year, the event was jointly organized by Malam Jabba Ski Resort and Pearl Continental Hotel, and was attended by more than 300 athletes of different ages. Many foreign athletes were also present at the event. Last year, more than 200 athletes participated in the event.
The marathon was held in different categories including five, 10, 25, and 42 kilometres. The athletes showed exceptional spirit and enthusiasm to make the uphill task possible. Pakistan’s renowned forest conservator, Ejaz Khan was the chief guest who said, “Swat valley has great potential for all kinds of tourism. It offers every adventure to national and international tourists,” and urged everyone to keep the valley green and clean.
Other attractions of the event were live performances by Hunza Folk Band, which paid a tribute to Ali Sadpara followed by several instrumental tracks, mash ups in Urdu and Brushiski that enthralled the audience.
But that’s not all, in Islamabad too, adventure tourism activities were underway at the Tourism Expo and Family Festival in Fatima Jinnah Park. The event featured recreational activities like paragliding, accuracy landing, wingsuit flying, trike flying, skydiving, and power paragliding as part of the Field Marshal Paragliding Championship. Concerts along with a food festival were also held.
During the inauguration ceremony, Zulfikar Bukhari said Pakistan is an ideal spot for adventure tourism and Islamabad is blessed with beautiful landscapes and thriving wildlife habitat along with a clean environment that can be taken advantage of. Present at the ceremony was Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan as well who said the government would extend all possible assistance and facilities to the Paragliding Association for the uplift of paragliders and adventure tourism in Pakistan.
2021 is going to be an exciting year for Pakistan’s tourism industry as a lot of preparations have already begun. Much like Adventure Tourism, Pakistan’s government has taken up an initiative to revive heritage tourism through Al Beruni Radius . There are a number of annual tourist festivals as well which will be taking place this year as well. The latest Galiyat Snow Festival had people hooked to the scenery and snow. If you are planning on your perfect getaway, our guides will give you an insight on what to expect each season. Check these out:
- Go to spots in 2021
- Summer at Ratti Gali Lake
- Explore the majestic Kalash Valley
- Take the Safari Train from Margalla Hills to Attock
If you want to know more about Pakistan’s tourism initiatives, check out our dedicated page, or write to us at blog@zameen.com. You should also keep checking Pakistan’s largest property blog, Zameen Blog, for all the latest news on Pakistan.
