Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan on Thursday (October 14) has finalised the master plan and feasibility study for the development of Thandiani in Abbottabad, Mankial in Swat, Ghanool in Mansehra, and Madaklasht in Chitral to promote tourism, according to media sources. The chief minister stated that the plan will be presented to World Bank (WB) for implementation.
During the meeting, more details about the Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) were shared. It was revealed that Madaklasht will be established on 540 kanals, Mankial on 754 kanals, Thandiani on 640 kanals, and Ghanool on 480 kanals. Besides this, it was reported that ITZs will bring investment worth USD 2.8 billion and create 16,000 job opportunities. The attendees decided to showcase the ITZs project in Dubai Expo 2020 to attract foreign investment.
It is pertinent to mention that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism (KITE) Project Director Tausif Khalid revealed that the master plan was presented by a reputed Malaysian company – AJM Planning and Urban Design Group (APUDG) – to attract tourists.
APUDG Managing Director Norliza Hashim stated that local planning, map making, destination management plan, construction of roads, and phase-wise infrastructure development were all part of the master plan. It was revealed that it will comprise several plans including private sector businesses, municipal, and public sector investment.
Sharing more details about the master plan, it was disclosed that there are six programmes for the development of ITZ in Thandiani, which will include a resort and 428-room hotel for tourists along with five projects for uplift of infrastructure and other facilities.
For ITZ in Mankial, seven projects were prepared, which included five infrastructure projects, a resort, and a 71-room hotel. On the other hand, for ITZ in Madaklasht, eight projects were sketched including a resort, a 382-room hotel, and five other projects. For Ghanool ITZ, eight projects were prepared which included a 218-room hotel, a resort, and five infrastructure projects.
Iqra holds BS in International Relations and is passionate about writing engaging content on trending real estate topics. When not working, she is either spending time with family, shopping, or discussing shows & movies.
