Daily Times

LAHORE: A three-day Gilgit-Baltistan festival kicked off on Friday at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) with an aim to highlight flora and fauna of the northern region.

Stalls of herbal products, gemstones, woodcraft, agricultural products, tourism monuments, wall climbing and food court from the mountains were a great attraction for the visitors. The festival was jointly inaugurated by Provincial Minister for Tourism, Sports, Archaeology and Museums Gilgit-Baltistan Fida Khan Fida and LCCI President Malik Tahir Javaid.

Addressing the participants on the occasion, Fida Khan said that government of Gilgit-Baltistan was paying special attention towards the upgradation of tourism sites and for the promotion of tourism related activities. He said that all the segments of the economy were being given equal importance under a comprehensive strategy adopted to promote tourism.

The minister said that since the law and order situation has improved, the flow of international tourists is also getting a considerable momentum. He said that Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world that have unique tourist points. He appreciated the LCCI for organizing the three-day festival to bring to the limelight the potential of Gilgit-Baltistan.

LCCI President Malik Tahir Javaid in his address said that lack of proper infrastructure was hitting hard some of the finest tourists sites. He said the government would have to divert its attention towards the neglected areas. He said that in today’s world when all types of technology was available, there must not be any connectivity problems for the international tourists.

He said that Gilgit-Baltistan has huge potential for tourism but it could not be tapped so far only because of unavailability of good road network. He said that tourism is a billion-dollar industry and has played a very vital role in the economic development many of countries. He said that Pakistan could earn billions of dollars by highlighting its tourism potential in the outer world. He said that the LCCI would continue to work for the promotion of this segment of the economy.

The LCCI president said that ambassadors working abroad should be tasked to contact tourism related organizations for highlighting the tourists sites in Pakistan. He said that the three-day Gilgit-Baltistan festival would help promote sustainable tourism, culture and heritage of the region.

Published in Daily Times, April 14^th 2018.