Karachi: A day-long seminar was held in Karachi titled ‘Potential of maritime tourism development in Pakistan’, according to a news source. The event was organised by the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) at the Pakistan Maritime Museum.
This seminar gathered all the stakeholders of maritime tourism in one place. Director General of NIMA, Vice Admiral Syed Khawar Ali Shah, said that maritime tourism is the fastest growing industry in the world. He revealed that Pakistan has over 700 miles of beautiful beachfront, most of which is currently underutilised.
Officials of NIMA expressed their resolve to take things to the right direction and develop maritime tourism in line with countries like the Maldives. Shah stated that water pollution has greatly impacted the previously thriving maritime activities in Pakistan.
Naghmana Zafar, a member of NIMA’s faculty, talked about developing maritime tourism through blue economy. She revealed that coastal maritime tourism is projected to become the largest contributor to the ocean economy by 2030, and grow by 3.5 % per annum. She hailed this as an opportunity to promote sustainable tourism in Pakistan, and to attract foreign visitors.
