Tourism industry in Pakistan has a lot of potential but is generally neglected by country's policymakers. However, there are signs that the relevant stakeholders are aware of its importance and making the right noises to attract the attention of the government. Speaking at National Tourism Conference titled "Building the National Economy through Sustainable Tourism" on 24th April, 2017, Advisor to the PM on foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz said that if tourism in Pakistan is developed on the right lines, it can certainly make an important contribution to growth and employment generation. This, however, requires close co-operation between public and private sectors. The government has already declared tourism as an industry and offered numerous incentives to the sector. It organised an international skiing festival and tournament in Malam Jabba earlier this year which turned out to be a huge success. Medium and long-term plans of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also envisage expanded tourist infrastructure build-up, especially along the serene blue and golden sandy coastline of Pakistan. Pakistan is bestowed with countless blessings in the form of beautiful and captivating natural landscape. Historical and cultural heritage also offers numerous opportunities to tourists of this ancient land. The world has 10 peaks over 8,000 meters above sea level and Pakistan has the distinction of having five of these peaks, including the second tallest mountain, the K-2. We also have the largest glaciers on the globe outside the polar region which offer tremendous attraction to adventurers. Tourism, as a multi-dimensional business activity has grown to be a multi-trillion industry world-wide, employing more than 200 million people around the globe and contributing more than dollar 600 billion in direct and indirect taxes each year. Speaking on the occasion, the World Bank's Country Director, Anthony Cholest, remarked that other than security and stability, five factors determine the growth of tourism in a country. These include maintaining and developing sites, clarifying oversight and authority particularly between federal and provincial agencies, the creation of public-private partnerships, involvement of local communities and targeting the right segments such as domestic leisure tournaments, diaspora visits and religious tourism. Aziz Bolani, CEO of Serena Hotels was of the view that the conference would culminate in recommendations and the formulation of a core group which would assist the government in strengthening the tourism industry in Pakistan.

The observations made by Sartaj Aziz and others at the National Tourism Conference are quite relevant in our context; and these make ample sense. Indeed, Pakistan is endowed with all the natural resources which are considered necessary for the promotion of tourism but the situation on the ground is quite different. Of course, Pakistan is a diverse country with immense natural resources but we make very little use of these resources. Pakistan is blessed with an amazing array of some of the most beautiful valleys, lakes, rivers and mountains. Places like Swat, Malam Jabba, Shangla, Balakot, Ayubia, Murree, Chitral, Gilgit, Naran, Kaghan Valley and many historical and archaeological sites in other parts of the country could attract a lot of tourists. There exist a lot of opportunities for trekking, mountaineering, water rafting, hunting, desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing, bird watching, etc, which could entice adventure tourists and natural lovers to Pakistan. Given such a vast potential, Pakistan could economically benefit a lot from these endowments but the tourism sector at present has only a share of 2.9 percent in the country's GDP and accounts for 1.4 million jobs. In particular, international tourists are few which is nowhere near the potential. In order to seek the full potential of tourism industry, the country does not only need to have secure conditions but also requires infrastructure development, guide points, hygienic food, reliable transportation and comfortable accommodation facilities. The government cannot alone provide all the necessary facilities efficiently. Private sector, therefore, needs to be co-opted in this effort. It will even be better if international experienced investors are also brought on board to bring forth high standards of hospitality, travel, hygienic foods, safety and security to the targeted tourist areas. Of course, all these initiatives will take time to materialise. It is not easy to build the necessary infrastructure and improve the image of the country in a short period of time. Hopefully, the formation of a core group to help the government in strengthening the tourism industry will expedite the process. It may be added that domestic tourism also needs to be encouraged by providing affordable accommodation and transportation facilities for domestic middle class travellers. A huge demand will be forthcoming from this category of population and their needs should not be ignored. If the tourism industry could be promoted, it would not only add to the foreign exchange earnings and raise substantial revenues but would reduce unemployment and help integrate the country with other parts of the world.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017