Tourism and terrorism

Decades of instability and terrorism have hit the tourism industry in Pakistan badly. The state minister for parliamentary affairs has recently confirmed that only 5,634 foreign tourists visited Pakistan last year. The number is paltry. In contrast, Turkey received over 42 million foreign tourists last year; these tourists brought in $30 billion into the economy. The Turkish comparison is relevant, as tourism has continued in that country despite civilian unrest, an increase in terrorist attacks, an increasingly authoritarian government and being located on the border of civil-war ridden Syria. Turkey may be blessed with a better image and located closer to Europe, but theoretically there is no reason why a country blessed with the natural, cultural and historical riches of Pakistan cannot attract high numbers of tourists. Being on the list of the most dangerous countries to travel to for the last decade has been a key hindrance, but so has been an increasingly tight visa regime in the country. While the government has taken steps to encourage religious tourism, with the number of Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan from India each year on the rise, many of the impediments to the rise of tourism in the country are of our own making.

The Khyber Pakthunkhwa government has taken a positive step to announce a new tourism policy with the theme: ‘Let’s promote tourism to beat terrorism.’ The theme may sound nice to Pakistanis, but may not be the most attractive to foreigners, who travel to relax, not ‘beat terrorism’. However, the KP government’s promise of eco-friendly resorts in hill stations and an investment of Rs50 billion in the sector is a positive step. With tourism now a provincial subject, there is huge potential to step up efforts to improve the industry. Back in the 1970s, Pakistan became a major tourist destination in the world. Even now, a cursory look at the range of attractions available suggests Pakistan possesses great potential to become a major tourist destination. There are historical sites such as Mohenjodaro, Taxila and Harappa, the Mughal legacy in Punjab, a range of hill stations in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, and some of the highest and most challenging mountains in the world in the north. The improvement of tourism in the country depends much on the implementation of the National Action Plan and on managing to curb terrorism. The current foreign tourist numbers of around 5,000 are too low in an improving security environment. Pakistan needs an image makeover. That will require a proper strategy.