Daily Times

The Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab-Ur-Rehman Rana Wednesday said that Pakistan has been making sustained efforts to boost tourism in the country, seeking a rise in footfall of both domestic and international tourists, after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking to PTV news channel, he said PTDC in next month of February would hold a ‘Tourism Education conference’ where we will focus on introducing tourism as a subject in schools and establish more tourism academies to raise awareness among our youth for responsible tourists.

He said that PTDC is introducing an awareness drive through social media and electronic media platforms on ‘Responsible tourism’ where we will engage our key stakeholders within the school ecosystem to ensure the success of this transformative initiative.

Talking about another project, PTDC MD said that the department with the coordination of the health ministry also identified five to six hospitals in various cities of the country for ensuring quality health facilities to tourists, adding, that we are focusing on the health wellness of tourists where they will get best surgery, transplant, Yoga and other medical treatments.

He said that our objective is to promote local tourism by educating tourists, adding, that PTDC also introducing a ‘National Calendar of Events’ soon where tourist can easily plan their holiday trips, adding, that Pakistan has a lot of potential to attract a huge number of foreign tourists and expatriate Pakistanis to explore and witness the country’s culture, religious tourism, eco-tourism, and Sikh heritage.

To another question, he said that the number of foreign tourists who arrived in Pakistan in the year 2023 is a 115 percent increase in foreign tourists, adding, PTDC had also launched a new website for online booking of hotels and motels, adding that people have started to contact PTDC hotels and motels for advanced booking of rooms to avoid rush.

Pakistan’s hospitality is known for its warmth and generosity, which will create a more welcoming environment for

tourists in the coming days, he added.

Pakistan is also improving its infrastructure, including airports, roads, and public transportation, to make it easier for tourists to travel within the country, he mentioned.

Pakistan will offer more effective tourism opportunities to international audiences through targeted marketing campaigns and partnerships with travel agencies and tour operators, MD highlighted.

“We are introducing a project in which we will streamline our visa policies to make it easier for tourists to obtain visas and travel to the country”, he concluded.