Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly passed a tourism-related bill on Monday that empowers the provincial government to declare any area in the province an integrated tourism zone, including wildlife parks, game reserves, national parks, and protected and reserved forests – a news source reported.
The new law titled “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act, 2019” provides for the creation of the Provincial Tourism Strategy Board, and the Culture and Tourism Authority. These agencies have been given wide-ranging powers relating to tourism.
The KP government will designate areas as integrated tourism zones through a notification in the official Gazette, on the recommendation of the Tourism Strategy Board.
The law also says that the tourism police will operate under the Culture and Tourism Authority (CTA), who will create or abolish posts for tourism police personnel as required.
The new law also gives CTA the powers to acquire land for the purpose of promoting tourism, and developing resorts, skiing facilities, hotels and other tourism related activities.
