Daily Times

Pakistan has been bestowed with rich scenic beauty comprising of snow-capped and high-rise mountains in Gilgit Baltistan, Chitral, Naran and Kaghan valleys. The lush green Neelam Valley of Azad Kashmir, rocky hills and mountainous ranges of Balochistan, pacifying and accessible beaches of Karachi and Gawadar, and plains of Punjab set a unique topography of the entire region of Pakistan. The historical sites of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, religious places like temples, gurdwaras and fascinating metropolitan urban centres are a treat to the eye for foreign tourists. The diversity of these places offer ethnic, historical and geographical variations owing to which British Backpacker Society has labeled Pakistan as the world’s top travel destination for 2018. The mountainous topography of Pakistan has been deemed as beyond one’s wildest imagination.

There lies an untapped potential in the tourism industry of Pakistan because of its diverse culture, languages, heritage and traditions which if harnessed effectively can contribute to GDP worth $9.5 billion by 2025. It is indeed disillusioning to note that several factors pose a grave threat to the tourism industry of Pakistan; the first and foremost being pollution and extensive deforestation in the scenic northern areas of the country. The trees, which were once a source of magnificent beauty in the north have been utilized in building hotels and motels, which eventually has transformed the natural look of the mountains into a synthetic outlook. To combat this natural loss, there is a need to devise a proper mechanism from which adequate facilities should be made available to the tourists along with preserving the natural charm of the heavenly mountainous regions.

It is disillusioning to note that several factors pose a grave threat to the tourism industry of Pakistan; the first and foremost being pollution and extensive deforestation in the scenic northern areas

Pollution is another severe threat to the tourism industry of Pakistan. Tourists dispose plastic wrappers, papers, cups and other edibles packets on the ground or in the river. They tend to neglect the dustbins placed for proper disposal of the waste, and continue littering the surroundings thereby spoiling the picturesque beauty of the regions. Considering this, there stands a need for the authorities to disseminate civic sense amongst the public for keeping the places pollution free and to follow a proper waste disposal method.

The prevailing law and order instability and terrorism are roadblocks for flourishing the tourism industry. The strictness in provision of visa requirements to the foreign tourists discourages them to visit the scenic places in the northern areas of the country. In order to enhance the tourists’ inflow in the country every year, there stands a need to provide for relaxed visa requirements and to encourage the implementation of multiple entry visas to ensure repeated foreign visits to the tourist places in Pakistan.

The need to improve the security condition with the renewal of the multiple entry visa requirements and the visa on arrival option for the foreign tourists stands as a necessity. These new options allow the tourists to visit Pakistan for maximum of 30 days, which call for stringent security measures to safeguard the lives of both tourists and natives.

The need to improve trip planning by provision of effective tour guides, who can help in disseminating information about the suitable hotels to the tourists as per their requirements is another critical requirement for boosting the tourism industry of Pakistan. Tour guides should be seasoned, well-trained and highly capable in facilitating and guiding the tourists while accompanying them to different sites.

The afore-mentioned measures, if implemented effectively are likely to add to the value of the tourism industry and can rightly help in its improvement.

Published in Daily Times, December 27^th 2018.