Peshawar: On Monday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assembly passed a bill that allows the KP government to declare any area in the province an integrated tourism zone, on the recommendation of the Tourism Strategy Board, a news source reported. As per this new law under the KP Tourism Act 2019, laws pertaining to the environment, wildlife, rivers, and forest protection would not apply to areas that have been declared integrated tourism zones.
The new law allows the provincial government to obtain land to promote tourism by developing resorts, hotels, skiing facilities, and other tourist attractions. The government will send suggestions to the Tourism Strategy Board, which will assess the impact of the proposed developments. If required, the board will also be able to issue guidelines to alter the plan to bring it in line with the tourism strategy of KP.
The KP Minister for Tourism said that the government will follow international guidelines and take steps to conserve the environment while implementing this law.
Under the tourism bill 2019, the KP government is also going to establish a tourism police department, whose major function will be to keep harassers, unauthorised tour guides, and fraudsters in check. They will also provide information regarding tourist destinations, transport facilities and accommodations, among other things, to help tourists.
