By By Faryal Najeeb
World Tourism Day is being celebrated since September 27, 1980 by the World Tourism Organisation. It was established at the Third Session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Torremolinos, Spain, in the September of 1979.
The purpose of this day is to display the awareness that tourism is vital to the international community and to show how it affects the social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide
Karachi has taken its own special initiatives to mark “The World Tourism Day” with special discounts on hotel rates for foreigners, travel packages and banners declaring association with the globe celebrating the tourism industry today (Saturday).
General Manager (South zone) of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, Riaz Ahmed Khan informed that while most of the active celebrations were being conducted in the Punjab province, Karachi has also made the efforts to recognise the day in Sindh.
“We have banners displayed all over Club road, I.I. Chundrigar Road and various other localities of Karachi. Local tour operators have also promoted the day by offering discounts to foreigners on city tours and hotel rates”, he added.
Listing some top tourist destinations in the metropolis, he elucidated that Karachi was the centre of attention also because it happened to be the commercial hub of the country generating over 60 per cent of the revenue of the country alone.
He expressed that the people of the city were very warm and hospitable who welcomed foreigners into their houses with a smile and the image portrayed of Pakistanis as extremists was misleading and false.
“Karachi is the birthplace of the father of the nation and also hosts his mausoleum, better known as Mazar-e-Quaid,” he said. “We have tourist attractions such as the Mohatta Palace, Frere Hall and Quaid museum and heritage markets like the Empress Market and Lea market,” he continued.
Khan added, “All over the world tourists are attracted to the three S – sea, sand and sun. Interestingly, we have seven S’s – sea, sand, sun, stone, snow, snow cheetah and sky”. The GM elaborated that these words summed up all the resources of Pakistan and not just of those in Karachi including minerals, wildlife, weather and the mountain ranges.
Referring to other parts of the country, Khan articulated that Pakistan caters to all types of tourists as the country has mountain resorts, famous religious shrines, scenic valleys, archaeological sites such as Moenjodaro and the oldest and largest graveyard in the world and wonderful beaches along with four types of seasons throughout the year.
He further informed that the provincial government was working on improving the infrastructure and telecommunication facilities to assist foreigners’ trip to the country and provide them with a pleasant stay.
He also stated that the government was working towards providing concessions up to 50 per cent to tourism operators so that they could build up on the travel and tourism industry and improve it further. The government was also planning on introducing special tourist visas, he added.
Nevertheless, Riaz Ahmed Khan admitted that the country had security issues which marred the appeal of the country and led to a significant decline in tourists and which had put the tourism industry under threat.
Unfortunately, reality reflects another picture, he lamented. The increasing acts of terrorism have shaken the very foundation of Pakistan and its people. The concerns of security are increasing by the day as suicide bombing threats increase in the city.
According to John Davis, an American on a first time visit with a Pakistani friend, the people of Karachi are very friendly and contrary to what he has been led to believe through the media channels.
He admitted that he had only been around a few places in Karachi and had yet to see other parts of Pakistan, but added that he felt that the city needed to tighten its security measures further.
“It’s a case where one apple spoils the entire bunch”, he reasoned on the negative image portrayed of Karachi. “But it’s the task of the government to ensure that even that one bad apple is removed to save the rest,” he continued.
Kamya Shukla, a visitor from across the border voiced that it is sad that tourism in Pakistan is declining due to security reasons. “I find the place very beautiful and I firmly believe that India and Pakistan should further strengthen ties,” she expressed.
Both the foreign visitors were vocal in their approval of the World Tourism Day and informed that in their own countries, special efforts were made to mark the day. They further stated that celebrations are marked in the form of special airline discounts, travel packages by various tour companies, international exhibitions etc.
“One can find banners and bright attractive posters displayed by the various industries related to tourism all over India. We also have travel marts going on there this year,” Shukla added. However, both the tourists noted that Karachi lacks the spirit and there was no tourism day celebration announcement in their notice.
“More should be done in Pakistan as this country is in great need of foreigners to lift both its image and its economic situation. World Tourism Day could have been an ideal platform, yet, I haven’t seen much on it in my stay so far,” Davis expressed.