Daily Times

With heat waves sweeping and summer holidays continued, many tourists have been making plans to spend their summer vacations in mesmerizing places of northern parts of the country alongside with their friends and family members where number of tour operators were witnessed a boom in business and through various social media sites they are seen offering discount rate joint trips.

Pakistan Northern areas were heaven on earth with superb locations, serene weather and culture making it even more interesting for the visitors, said a tour operator while talking to a private news channel. A CEO of Pakistan tour and travel operating in Northern areas commented that with the start of summer holidays we started offering affordable packages with good quality services.

Joint family trips is a new trend and people with these summer tours are enjoying luxury accommodations, hospitality and personalized services that make their trip truly special, said another travel agent.

“We were looking for a reliable, trustworthy tour operator to travel for Northern area’s of Pakistan with myself and wife so finally, I found a travel agent who were charging 30,000 to 50,000 for a single family joint trip with comfortable transportation”, said a citizen of Lahore.

It is sweltering hot in most major cities of Pakistan and literally everyone is trying to escape the blazing heat. While it may be a good idea to catch a plane and go with other people jointly to explore Pakistan’ amazing sites, said a visitor traveling to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

It is time to appreciate tour operators who are offering discount rate trips and promoting their homeland, said another traveler. It is summer vacation planning season, and that means professional travel agents across Northern areas doing hard work and making sure their clients have the best experience ever with earning handsome amount of money. “Majority number of clients come to us all the time saying they are overwhelmed by searching on the Internet,” said a tour operator, adding, “we save clients a lot of valuable time. We tour over 10 to 20 resorts a year to be able to provide firsthand comparisons.” Travel agents are responsible for helping members of the public select and organize their ideal holiday on a limited budget, said another tourist in Nathia Gali. The online booking facility for citizen is available where summer tour business is developing smoothly, and promoting our business these days, said another tour agent.

Kaghan Valley

During the Eidul Azha holidays, Kaghan Valley witnessed an impressive influx of more than 300,000 tourists, arriving with 53,220 vehicles, including a mix of small and large cars, and 16,540 motorcycles.

The Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) staff worked tirelessly around the clock to cater to the needs of the tourists during this peak season.

Following the directives of Advisor to the Chief Minister on Tourism and Culture Zahid Khan, and under the supervision of Director General of KDA Shahbaz Khan, special measures were taken to ensure facilities and guidance for the large number of visitors.

This included active involvement from KDA personnel, alongside traffic and tourism police, to manage traffic flow and maintain cleanliness across the valley. Challenges such as waste disposal were particularly addressed due to the substantial tourist traffic.

200 foreign tourists were also included those have visited Kaghan and Naran valley. They explored various picturesque locations such as Shogran, Kaghan, Naran, Siri Paye, Batakundi, Jheel Saif-ul-Malook, Lulusar Lake, and Lalazar.

Efforts were also made to preserve the environmental integrity of the valley during Eid celebrations, ensuring safe disposal of sacrificial remains to prevent pollution. Tourists engaged in recreational activities such as rafting in the Kunhar River and adventurous zip-lining experiences. Saif-ul-Malook Lake emerged as a popular destination, attracting a significant number of tourists amid the serene backdrop of snow-capped mountains in Pakistan’s Northern Areas.

Kubix Club

The Kubix Club of the University of Haripur has formed a partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for the Asia-Pacific region to foster tourism cooperation and student exchange.

According to details, the meeting took place on Sunday evening at the Taxila Museum and was attended by Ishtiaq Hussain, Chief Patron of Kubix Club, and Ms. Eun Ji Tae, Representative of the UNWTO for the Asia-Pacific region. Anjum Dara, Deputy Director of the Directorate General of Archaeology, and Humera Naz, Curator of Taxila Museum, were also present.

Ishtiaq Hussain highlighted that the Kubix Club is a leading platform for cultural and educational initiatives.

During the meeting, both sides discussed potential opportunities for joint projects aimed at enhancing cultural exchange, educational tourism, and promoting sustainable tourism practices.

Hussain stated that both parties expressed enthusiasm for future collaborations, including student exchange programs, cultural immersion initiatives, tourism-related research and projects, as well as capacity building and training.

He emphasized, “We are delighted to initiate this partnership with UNWTO, aligning our goals to promote tourism and cultural understanding among university students.” This collaboration is expected to open up new avenues for students to gain international exposure and experience, furthering their understanding of global tourism and cultural dynamics.

Governor Sindh

Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori Monday stressed for the promotion of tourists sites in the country to strengthen Pakistan’s economy and enhance ‘cultural activities’ for youngsters to enable them to be future leaders and effective contributors for society. Talking to a private news channel, he said that Pakistan is blessed with numerous tourist attractions, from civilizations of antiquity to unique heritage including diverse topography from mountains to beaches and religious sites, adding, we need to project the right image of the country to the outside world.

He said present government is committed and taking all possible steps to improve the basic infrastructure including the road network, water and sanitation, safety and security for the promotion of country tourism.

He said government will continuously focus on niche tourism segments such as business events, Eco-tourism, community-based tourism (CBT), medical and wellness, edu-tourism, and experiential travel to bring more tourists in the country, adding, we want to promote local cuisine as part of our cultural heritage and strengthen local culinary identity.