Islamabad: The World Bank (WB) recently identified 23 sites across Punjab for the development and promotion of tourism initiatives in the country — in an effort facilitated by the provincial government, a news source reported. The programme’s findings were compiled in a study earlier commissioned by the bank to promote women-and-youth engagement in the province’s tourism sector.
The project has been launched through the WB-assisted ‘Punjab Tourism for Economic Growth’ project. Under the said initiative, the institution would provide technical and financial assistance to the provincial government in its tourism development endeavours.
The identified sites include Derawar Fort (Bahawalpur), shrine of Hazrat Syed Ahmed Sultan Sakhi Sarwar (Dera Ghazi Khan), Fort Munro (DG Khan), tombs of Shah Rukne Alam, Shah Shams and Mai Maharban (Multan), Harappa (Sahiwal), shrine of Hazrat Baba Haji Sher Chawli Mashaikh (Vehari), shrine (darbar) of Sakhi Saidan Shah Shirazi (Choa Saidan Shah, Chakwal), Rohtas Fort (Jhelum), Mazar Sakhi Sultan Bahu (Jhang), Nur Jahan’s tomb (Lahore), Kalabagh (Mianwali), Sadiq Garh Palace (Bahawalpur), Cholistan Desert (Bahawalpur), Khanpur Dam (Haripur), Jallo Park (Lahore), shrine of Hazrat Makhdum Jahaniyan Jahangasht (Bahawalpur), Hiran Minar (Sheikhupura), Lal Suhanra National Park (Bahawalpur), Khabeki Lake (Khushab), Thal Desert, and Raja Man Singh’s Haveli (Jhelum).
The report has further identified that tourist business around these sites are not sufficient for the needs of the visitors. Surprisingly, the report suggests that even though the revenues for these business grow during seasonal high flows, their profitability falls with the increase in revenue.
The reason identified for these issues include operation inefficiency and imbalanced cost structures. The report goes on to say that these businesses could benefit significantly from technical support that assists them with revenue-cost dynamics to achieve better balance.
