Swat: Residents of Swat recently urged the federal government to announce a relief package for people associated with the region’s tourism industry — with the initiative deemed necessary in light of the complete halt in local and international tourism in the area due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a news source reported.
According to estimates, tourism amounts to approximately 80% of the total income generated by Swat’s residents. This is mostly due to the significant number of local and international tourists that visit the area all year round — especially during the summer season. Furthermore, many families are in the habit of renting cottages in the region for the whole month of Ramazan; however, that has also not happened this year.
As per the information available, Swat is home to approximately 350 hotels and over 400 restaurants, while the city can accommodate as many as 30,000 travelers per night. However, reportedly all hotels, restaurants, and businesses associated with tourism are currently shut — resulting in widespread unemployment.
As a result, with the tourism industry facing major hurdles due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the people associated with the sector are now looking towards the government for relief.
