Meeting told Measures being taken to make tourism as industry

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is taking concrete measures to establish tourism as an industry in the province for which the tendering of Integrated Tourism Zones at four different locations of the province would be soon completed, officials said on Tuesday.

They officials said a road show/investor conference would be held in Karachi this month, followed by road shows in Lahore and Islamabad to attract investment in the tourism sector.

An official handout said this was disclosed in a progress review meeting of the Tourism Department with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

The meeting was briefed about the ongoing reforms in the department, development projects in the tourism sector and the progress on the decisions made during the last meeting.

The participants were informed that the feasibility study had been completed for Boyun Ski Resorts and Hund Park under the public-private partnership mode, while the master plan for Hund Park had been finalized. The meeting was told that 329 informational sign boards had been installed at various spots in the province for the convenience of tourists. The participants in the meeting were apprised that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had secured first position in the Lok Virsa festival held in Islamabad recently.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said the provincial government was working to promote the tourism sector with the aim to create employment opportunities for people and strengthen the economy of the province.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had tremendous potential for tourism, which can be used to overcome unemployment.

The chief minister said the government was working to improve the existing tourist spots besides developing new tourist spots to attract local and international tourists.

Mahmood Khan said a number of projects had been initiated for construction of approach roads to tourist destinations.

He said that tourism police had been deployed for the security and safety of local and foreign tourists.

Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Tourism Tahir Orakzai, Director General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority and others attended the meeting.