Tourism industry in Pakistan has remained underdeveloped due to various reasons. The road infrastructure remains poor, making major tourist destinations inaccessible to tourists.
There is criticism against the government for failing to effectively market its tourism products to the world and the locals. The ever-deteriorating security situation, negative perception of the country, sectarian strife, etc, have worsened the situation, especially in the northern parts of the country.
The sector is facing new challenges after the devolution as provinces are responsible for developing their own tourism products and formulating policies. But what has happened is that provinces are fighting over assets but not ready to take over the liabilities. The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) that owned prime properties across the country has been reluctant to transfer any of these to the provinces.
Furthermore, many believe the abolition of the federal tourism ministry has created confusion and resulted in disappearance of Pakistan from the world tourism. Their point is that tourism is sold as a national product and not regional. However, others believe an environment of competition between provinces will bode well for the sector.
Aftab Rana, President, Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan (STFP) and a consultant who has advised on tourism policies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB), says people are finally exploring new tourist destinations, especially in the north. "The areas that were in the reach of a limited few are now visited by common travellers. It is a healthy sign that people want quality recreation." A proof of this, he says, is that the number of tourists attending festivals, such as Shandur Mela, Chilam Joshi in Chitral and visiting destinations in GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has swelled manifold.
Read also:Web of destinations
He says KP is the first province to come up with a comprehensive policy under which it has announced to attract private investment, ensure compliance of tourist services standards, produce professional and trained human resource, promote the concept of sustainable tourism, stop deforestation, and so on.
Rana says as a first step, "KP has demolished several multi-storey buildings in Nathiagali that were constructed in violation of building by-laws and removed encroachments -- something that had never happened in the past." The KP has most of the developed tourist sites and best resorts/guest houses in the country. The colder weather of KP destinations makes these viable for summers as well.
There has been continuous growth in tourist traffic to GB over the past few years, attributed mainly to the opening up of Babusar Pass route. The people who come to Naran and Kaghan have a temptation to cross over to the other side and reach Hunza after travelling on smooth roads. They can easily cover this distance in 5 to 6 hours.
Read also: Editorial
Previously, people had the only option of travelling on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) to reach this region. That route was much longer. Once in Gilgit, people find Skardu within their reach as well.
He says last year the GB authorities put the number of tourists around one million which is four times the annual average for this region. "The major reason for this is the increased access for vehicular traffic via Babusar Pass (mentioned above). Earlier, he says, these areas were jeep-able tracks only."
He explains that tourists coming to GB are mostly those who travel on their own vehicles, stopping at different locations before starting the next leg of their journey. "The number of tourists who come here by air is a tiny fraction," he adds.
There is a perception among people that the number of tourists visiting Murree has come down due to the shift towards areas further north. But this may not be true as it has been observed that the crowd coming here is totally different. These are the ones who mostly travel in air-conditioned buses and reach this place in a matter of hours to enjoy the temperature difference. A large percentage is from Rawalpindi/Islamabad that spends a day here and returns in the evening. They are not the adventure-seeking type whose destination preferences are totally different.
Karrar Haideri, Executive Member, Alpine Club of Pakistan is hopeful about return of foreign tourists to Pakistan. "The security in the GB, which was beefed up after the Nana Parbat tragedy, has been further increased due to the construction of CPEC route passing through GB. The length of this route within the region is 450 kilometres."
"Recently, people have come from the UK and other European countries as they are fond of mountaineering, climbing, and adventure tourism. They are quite used to physical exertion," he adds. Now tourists are coming from the neighbouring China as well as countries as far as Thailand.
About security measures, Haideri says, "It has been made binding on foreign tourists to get invitation from local tour operators and not come here on their own. They are briefed by the operators and have to plan every step according to the advice they get. The security agencies deployed in the region have to be informed about their movement from time to time," he adds.
He agrees with Rana and recommends Babusar route for tourists travelling to GB, adding that the Bisham-Chilas section on KKH is still not very safe for travellers.
If the existing impediments were not enough, the federal interior ministry imposed a condition of acquiring a No Objection Certification (NOC) on foreign tourists. Shabbir Mir, a journalist based in Gilgit, says though this condition was removed after criticism from different quarters, foreign tourists are still uncomfortable. "They are stopped and checked at pickets set up at close distances. Why can’t they go for invisible security and let the tourists feel safe and free?"
Mir says the NOC condition has been there for a long time for diplomats, donor agencies staff, INGO workers, foreigners working on projects, etc, residing in Pakistan and willing to travel to GB. On the other hand, he says, the foreigners coming on tourist visas have been exempt as these visas are issued after thorough investigations/considerations. "So, it was found quite illogical to impose this condition on those who are coming for tourism purposes."
Muhammad Arif, a traveler based in Lahore, thinks it’s the social media that informs people about the existing and potential tourism sites in the country and not government departments. "Once a tourist reaches a less frequented place he posts images with descriptions, making others inquisitive." Arif criticises the government for failing to develop tourism sites and depending on the natural ones cherished for their environment, weather, altitude, etc. "Why can’t the government market archaeological sites and Gandhara civilisation?" he questions.