Islamabad: Spain’s Ambassador to Pakistan Manuel Duran has said that Pakistan needs to initiate tourism campaigns in selected countries to attract additional tourists, a news source reported. The ambassador, during a recent exchange with several media representatives, further stated that Pakistan’s tourism sector possessed significant potential for growth.
Duran quoted the example of Spain where several tourism initiatives were introduced that resulted in a positive response. He said that at one point, Malta, Croatia, and many other European countries were unknown to Spanish travellers, but overtime they had become popular summer tourist attractions. He added that this had been possible due to well-designed marketing campaigns and agreements with low-budget airlines that were keen on expanding their list of destinations.
The Spanish envoy advised that Pakistan should invest in developing its network of restaurants and hotels to provide tourists with high-quality venues for eating and living. He also extended Spain’s help in developing infrastructure and preparing the country for potential visitors. He added that being a significant member of the European Union (EU), Spain could help enhance the availability of Pakistani products and services in various EU markets.
Duran also shed light on the existing and potential trade ties between the two countries. He expressed his appreciation for the fact that Spanish businessmen were receiving visas upon their arrival in Pakistan. He added that the number of Spanish tourists could increase once they began to realise that they didn’t need to visit the Pakistan embassy to acquire a visa.
