Assignment # 5

Tourism scope in Pakistan

SUBMITTED BY:

Shahid Manzoor
SAP ID: 8892
CMS: 404770

SUBMITTED TO:
Syed Mustaqeem Moin
Lecturer (Life & Living Courses)
Tarbiyah Department

Riphah College of Science & Technology

RIPHAH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, LAHORE
Tourism in Pakistan:
Tourism in Pakistan is a growing industry [1]. In 2010, Lonely
Planet termed Pakistan as being "...tourism's ‘next big thing’ for more years than we
care to remember. The country is geographically and ethnically diverse, and has a
number of historical and cultural heritage sites. The upsurge in tourism in the past few
years has been aided by the Government of Pakistan's recent decision to end
mandatory No Objection Certificates for foreign tourists seeking to visit certain parts of
the country. And opening up.
Pakistan was ranked The Best Holiday Destination for 2020[2] and
Pakistan was also declared the third highest Potential adventure destination in the world
for 2020. As security in the country improves, tourism in Pakistan increases. In just a
couple of years, tourism in Pakistan has increased by more than 300%. Pakistan also
launched online visa services for 175 countries and 50 countries were offered Visa on
arrival, which made a tourism trip to Pakistan easier. Pakistan also received an influx of
travel vloggers who showed the beauty of the country, especially the northern areas like
Hunza and Skardu.
According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness
Report 2017 released by the World Economic Forum, the direct contribution of travel
and tourism to Pakistan's GDP in 2015 was US$328.3 million, constituting 2.8% of the
total GDP. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of
travel and tourism to Pakistan's GDP in 2016 was US$7.6 billion (PKR 793.0 billion),
constituting 2.7% of the total GDP. By 2025, the government predicts tourism will
contribute ₨1 trillion (US$7.1 billion) to the Pakistani economy.

How we can promote Pakistani Tourism:

There are few things that we need to keep in mind in
order to promote tourism and help it add to our economy. Let’s discuss a few step that
we can take in order to promote Pakistani tourism.

1. Historical placeless must be rehabilitated:

Many historic places like Shalimar Gardens, Rohtan Fort,
Rawat Fort, and Altit Fort have been lost in the woods. Our government must
take strong measures and rehabilitate these tourist sites as soon as possible.
These tourist sites attract local tourist on great lengths and should be able to
generate economic benefits widely

2. Infrastructure need to be improved:

Have you seen tourism sites in foreign countries? Their

standard of living there and the facilities they provide is top notch. We need to
improve our infrastructure and provide necessary facilities to the tourists so they
 can enjoy the exploration. Most of the tourists don’t visit far off places because
they fear it will be highly remote and won’t find their necessities.

3. Keep our landscape clean:

We have often come across many pictures where there is garbage
laying around at a beautiful tourist site such as lake Saif-Ul-Malook. There was garbage
and trash lying everywhere and as the citizens of Pakistan; it is our dire duty that we
must keep our beloved land clean and invite people to explore Pakistan. Rahman
Travels is one of the best tour operators out there because they highly focus on
maintaining the tourist sites they take their passengers to.

4. Necessary tourism campaign and advocacy:

We need to attract people to come visit us. We need to
encourage our tourism ourselves. Campaigns like “Tour Pakistan & Witness the
Serenity Yourself” will encourage people to explore Pakistan on a larger scale. Our
influences also need to play a role in it and should advocate their experiences to such
sites. We recently came across a blog where a social media influencer, Humna Raza so
profoundly explained her visit to Hunza and Skardu and explained how awesome it was
and how amazing the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are.

5. Cooperation among the tour operators:

There are many tour operators now in the country. All these
tour operators must cooperate with one another and encourage each other. Should
build contacts and attract tourists by providing them amazing facilities.

Best Places to Visit in Pakistan for Trip:

Top five places that can we advertise for visit.

1. The Karakoram Highway:

Often called the KKH, the Karakoram Highway is
probably the first thing that will come to one’s mind when someone speaks of the
Northeastern Pakistan. And why not? Considered to be one of the greatest
engineering achievements of the 20th century, with some sources pushing for it
to be the eighth wonder of the world, the 805-mile long KKH connects Pakistan
with China, running from Abbottabad down to Gilgit-Baltistan that leads up to
Kashgar, in the province of Xinjiang in west China.

As much as the beauty is set to marvel you with never-

ending display of beautiful sceneries like that of Mansehra, Thakot and especially
Gilgit-Baltistan, the road is, in fact, one chilling jeep drive in the world, with its
 twisted paths, narrow corners and probably “I’m going to die now” moments. At
some areas, no two jeeps can ride side by side, thus one must really understand
the roads well to be able to meander through these narrow paths. Hire a driver
for this one, and make sure there are spare tires. Don’t forget your refreshments
too.

2. Gilgit-Baltistan
Another popular destination is the Skardu district that lies in the
center of Gilgit-Baltistan. Its stunning views of crystal clear lakes, deserts, picture-
perfect roadways and villages make up Skardu’s fascinating yet unique beauty. Avid
mountaineers will be happy to learn that the district is the base camp for some of the
world’s highest mountains such as the K2, K3 and Gasherbrum.
Other valleys in the Gilgit-Baltistan region which you can explore
include Astore, Diamir, Gilgit and Ghizer.
While you could get to Gilgit-Baltistan via the KKH, you can also
fly on Pakistan International Airlines from Islamabad to Gilgit Airport.

3. Azad Kashmir:
If Gilgit-Baltistan was stunning enough, you should make your
way down to the connecting Azad Kashmir to let your eyes feast on more beauty.
In Muzaffarabad, the capital city, you can head up to Pir Chinasi at a peak of
2,900 metres and take in the panoramic view of the city. The enticing lush green
forests and serene waters of Neelum Valley, Jhelum Valley, Sharda Valley and
Leepa Valley are definitely not to be missed. There are also pretty lakes located
in these valleys, such as the Shounter Lake, Ratti Gali Lake and Chitta Katha
Lake in Neelum Valley.

4. Lahore:
Lahore is a wondrous mix of cultural, artistic and heritage-filled
attractions that boast the legacies of the Mughal Empire and the British Raj,
enchanting gardens, parks, and forts, majestic mosques, and scrumptious food.
A couple of days at Lahore may not suffice to explore this beloved city.

There are tons to see — from the beautiful Shahi Qila or

Lahore Fort, historic Minar-e-Pakistan and the captivating scenery of the
Shalimar Gardens to the shopping spaces of Anarkali Bazaar, Liberty Market and
 the Mall of Lahore. You should also pay a visit to the mosques in Lahore — they
have been beautifully and elegantly constructed with charming architecture. Oh,
and how could we forget the multitude of restaurants on Food Street and
M M Alam Road for you to satisfy your appetite.

Please don’t forget to make your way out to the outskirts of

Lahore to witness the Guard Ceremony at the Wagah Border with India just in the
background.

5. Islamabad:
Pakistan’s capital Islamabad is a peaceful city surrounded by
calming scenery, and it is no wonder that it has been travelers’ favorite after Lahore.
One of the most sought-after location is the Faisal Mosque, with its splendid
whitewashed facade and four minarets towering over you. Located on the foothills of
Margalla Hills, which itself is popular among hikers, the mosque is, in fact, a gift from
Saudi Arabia for the people of Pakistan, and is the largest mosque in the country.

Now if you’re already at the foothills of Margalla Hills, you can

make your way to Saidpur Village that has been around since the Mughal era. Here you
can witness the perfect blend of the traditional with the modern, despite it being an
informal heritage site.
Just in front of the monument is a wax museum, known as
the Pakistan Monument Museum, where you can learn more about Pakistan’s history.

Improvement in tourism through apps and technology:

According to universal McCann 2008 the key social platforms are:

Some currently in-use famous social networks are:

 WhatsApp
 Instagram
 Twitter
 Facebook
 YouTube
 Flicker etc.
Talking about tourism in under developed countries like Pakistan there
are many dimensions including education, awareness, social interaction, economic
contribution and social change on the conditions of the local community involvement.
Online communities of people sharing common interests and activities are known as
social networks. Social communities facilitate a user with a variety of interaction
options, from simple chat to video conferencing and from messaging through email to
blogging, vlogging and group discussions. These social networks also offer the facility of
making groups containing categorized relationships (e.g former college mates), ways to
communicate with friends or advertising system for carrying out economic activities.
Popular spaces combine different functions of this type.
Social interaction of the people through internet has opened new
horizons of opportunities. Generally travelers use social media and online communities
in order to seek information from users regarding their potential trip or to generate the
content relating to their experiences of tour, in the form of comment, reviews and
pictures. So by using social apps and information technology we can enhance our
tourism industry.

How can we make Pakistan a peaceful state for tourists?

Strategies for Tourism Development in Pakistan:

The aim of the proposed strategies is to maximize the tourism
contribution towards the positive image of the country, environment and economic well-
being of Pakistan. Pakistan is both dynamic but at the same time complicated in the
marketing, management and its tourism development. So in order to create employment
opportunities, generate confidence for inward investment and to stimulate leisure
opportunities for domestic and foreign tourists, following strategies should be
considered by the government and the concerned departments of tourism industry.
Preference to tourism industry:
Government of Pakistan must prioritize the tourism
industry by allocating sufficient amount of annual budget to this sector, funding new
projects, attracting private investments and participating more in tourism fairs
worldwide.
Environmental sustainability:
Pakistan is a country with beautiful nature and historical
background. The government and related authorities must maintain its natural beauty
and old historical places by allocating more funds and work with UNESCO and other
foreign bodies to maintain the heritage sites of the world. The government should
introduce ECO friendly vehicles to sustain the environment.

Safety and security issues:

The biggest challenge Pakistan tourism industry facing today is
the safety and security for the people of Pakistan as well as the tourists visiting
Pakistan. Government of Pakistan must take strict measures in order to maintain law
and order situation as they were in the previous years. Pakistan was one of the safest
countries till 2005, so the government should revise the same safety and security
measures in order to gain back the positive image.

Health and hygiene issues:

Most of Pakistan population lack access to safe drinking water.
Government should pay attention and improve the drinking, sanitation, garbage system
and hospital conditions so that the tourists don’t get ill.

Host community involvement:

Major achievement in tourism industry can be achieved by the
help residents of the country. Local residents can play their role through hospitality, their
33 own small businesses, giving rooms of their homes in areas where hotels are not
present, guiding tourists where tourist’s guides are not available, arranging local
festivals by not increasing the price to items unnecessarily.

Accessibility to facilities:
The government should increase their role in the area of
providing facilities to tourists as the private sector is doing right now i.e. Banking
facilities like ATM and visa card acceptance is the demand of time, opening more world
class hotel and restaurant chains and internet services should be improved in rural and
mountain areas which are mostly visited by the tourists.
Quality assurance:
Tourists demand quality products when they spend so much money
to visit a place. In order to assure quality to the tourists, the government should improve
the 34 conditions of hotel, guest rooms and food chains. Government should focus on
the clean environment, electricity shortage and inflation in the country.

References:
1. Malik, Javeria (6 May 2015). "Tourism's Impact on Pakistan Economy: Tourism
and its Impact on Pakistan economy".
2. Desk, Eurasian Times. "Pakistan Ranked 'The Best Holiday Destination' For
2020 By Leading Travel Magazine". Eurasiantimes.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.