Faiza Tehseen

The government needs to devise an effective policy and reframe the entire setup to explore the tourism potential of Pakistan and attract the maximum number of foreign tourists to the country.

“Despite all magnetism and opportunities in the tourism sector, the inflow of foreign tourists is far less than the real potential. It is very important to devise and enforce a proper policy to remove the bottlenecks and make Pakistan a hub of tourism,” Mubarak Hussain, Chief Executive Officer of Karakorum Explorers (Pvt) Ltd, told WealthPK.

He said that the hospitality and tourism segments of the economy were rapidly becoming the hot agenda of countries around the globe to earn foreign exchange. “Many international organisations and hotel chains are also offering attractive packages, training, and opportunities to become a part of this chapter of the economy,” he added.

There are many types of tourism including eco-tourism, adventure tourism, archaeology and heritage tourism, etc. Fortunately, every type of adventure including paragliding, hunting, and skiing yachting is available in Pakistan for tourists.

Mubarak Hussain said that quick visa processing for tourists, swift approval of no objection certificates (NOCs) concerning hunting gears and shipment of trophies, approval of NOCs for mountain climbers, security, economical but quality hospitality services, safe travelling facilities, easy exchange of money, well-trained tour operators and guides could attract more tourists to the country.

“These days, air travel towards any destination in the world is the fastest and easiest way. Inadequate infrastructure, ineffective policies and low standards of hospitality are the major issues to be checked. Proper maintenance and preparation of tourist destinations are also important,” he said.

He said that special economic airfares should be offered to tourists. He said that the government must announce effective but easy-to-follow policies to make Pakistan a hub of tourism. “In this way, not only a lot of entrepreneurs will step into this industry, but a lot of job opportunities will also be created,” he added.

Pakistan can generate a handsome amount of foreign exchange from the tourism and hospitality sector by removing the bottlenecks. In the year 2020, the total value of the tourism and hospitality segment of the economy in Pakistan was $20 billion. It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3% by 2026.

In the year 2021, Pakistan earned $18 billion from the tourism industry, which constituted 2.7% of the total GDP growth. Pakistan was ranked 83^rd in the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021.

Aftabur Rahman, Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), also stressed the need to remove the irritants to boost the tourism sector in Pakistan. “The world has opened up once again after the pandemic. For the development of the tourism industry in the country, it is important to reframe the whole setup and draft a proper policy,” he told WealthPK.

He said that the removal of all irritants is very important and very soon PTDC was going to take the initiative by introducing a new and proper tourism policy. The stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sector need to collaborate with each other.

“All this is to rethink the new dimensions of tourism which are not just focusing on economic growth but also aimed at inclusive growth for the long-term benefits of the people of the country,” said Aftab.

PTDC is initiating a plan to train all the stakeholders about the conservation of tourist sites and the standards of hospitality. Pakistan is a country with a varied list of tourist attractions starting from the world’s highest mountains to beautiful valleys, coastline, historical and archaeological sites, rich culture and landscape.

The tourism economy can generate foreign exchange. A good flow of foreign tourists adds fresh capital to the country’s economy and GDP growth. “Income from local tourists only means the transfer of money from one pocket to another in a house. So, it is important to craft the initiatives to make our product qualitative and attract foreign tourists,” Aftab told WealthPK.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk