ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Monday said that developing tourism on the right lines could make an important contribution to growth and employment, which required close cooperation between the public and private sectors. Addressing the national tourism conference titled “Discover Pakistan”, the adviser claimed that marked improvement in the overall security situation in Pakistan following the government’s firm resolve and affirmative action against terrorists and extremist elements created a favourable environment for international and domestic tourism. “This would also provide means of livelihood to tens of thousands of people across the country,” the adviser said. The event was a multi-stakeholder effort that aimed at addressing issues faced by the Pakistani tourism industry and seeking how the tourism industry stakeholders and the government could work together to improve Pakistan’s economy through sustainable tourism. The adviser said that Pakistan had been bestowed with countless blessings in the form of beautiful and captivating natural landscapes. “From the mighty stretches of the Karakoram and the Himalayas in the North to the vast alluvial delta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan remains a land of high adventure and natural beauty,” he said. “Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, hunting, desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching are examples of activities, which entice adventure tourists and nature lovers to Pakistan.” He said that the historical and cultural heritage also offered many opportunities to the tourists. “Main tourist attractions include Swat, Kalam, Malam Jaba, Shangla, Balakot, Ayubia, Murree, Chitral, Gilgit, Naran and Kaghan valleys, mountain ranges and historical and archaeological sites in other parts of the country.” He said that the world had 10 peaks of more than 8,000 metres above the sea level, and Pakistan had the distinction of having five of those peaks, including the second tallest mountain, K2. “We also have the largest glaciers on the globe outside the polar region, which offers tremendous attractions for adventurers.” Tourism, as a multidimensional business activity, had grown to be a multi-trillion-dollar industry worldwide, employing more than 200 million people around the globe and contributing more than $600 billion in direct and indirect taxes each year to global economic development, he said. “Tourism industry needs not only secure conditions but also infrastructure development, guide points, hygienic food, good transport and comfortable accommodation facilities.” He said that a stable, strong and economically developed Pakistan was not a distant dream but an approaching reality, if only every single sector of the economy was ready to put in its contribution for the prosperity of people of the country. “At this conference, the participants would be assessing Pakistan’s potential for tourism, formulating strategies, discussing challenges, debating obstacles and then identifying the way forward. We will look forward to the final outcome and recommendations emerging from this important conference.”