Pakistan has the most beautiful and undiscovered touristic sites with huge untapped tourism potential, Ambassador Masood Khan said Saturday, urging members of the Pakistani community to help boost tourism in their motherland by investing in this potentially lucrative sector. Masood Khan, who is Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, was speaking at a well-attended reception for the Pakistani delegates to New York’s Travel and Adventure Show at the Consulate in New York. Pakistan, he said, was not only home to ancient and modern civilizations, but also vast untouched coastal areas, deserts, and a rich cultural heritage — all making the country as one of the top travel destinations in the world. Ayesha Ali, the Pakistani consul general, welcomed the visiting delegates, saying they did a great job in setting up the impressive Pakistan Pavilion at the two-day Travel and Adventure show in which 185 countries are taking part. The reception followed the inauguration of the Pakistan pavilion at the show, depicting the country’s tourism potential, by the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Tourism and Sports, Aun Chaudhry. Aun Chaudhry cut a green ribbon to open the pavilion to visitors, saying, “Pakistan is open for tourism.” The PM’s aide also said that the pavilion showcased the culture of all provinces of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with a sharp focus on scenic Gilgit-Baltistan as well as its historical past. Present at the inaugural ceremony at the show, among others, were the Minister for Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, Raja Nasir Ali Khan, the Azad Kashmir Tourism Minister, Faheem Akhtar, Ambassador Masood Khan, Consul General Ayesha Ali, and the Managing Director of the Pakistan Tourism and Development Corporation (PTDC), Aftab Rana. In his remarks at the reception, Ambassador Masood Khan said he was very impressed by the dynamism and the energy of the officials and delegates manning the stalls at the Pakistani pavilion while briefing tourism lovers about the ancient and cultural sites in Pakistan as well as the facilities provided for tourists. He urged the community members to encourage fellow Americans to go to Pakistan as it was a safe place to enjoy its tourist attractions. The ambassador said efforts were being made to further ease the grant of visas to tourists. Raja Nasir highlighted the services available in Gilgit-Baltistan for adventure sports like skiing, paragliding, ice hockey and polo.