CM aide prods authorities to boost tourism in KP

PESHAWAR: Advisor to Chief Minister on Culture and Tourism Zahid Chanzeb on Tuesday urged the authorities to play a proactive role to boost tourism in every nook and corner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Over 9.3 million tourists have visited the scenic spots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last three months, which is a testimony to the fact that all the tourism authorities have played an important role in promoting the tourism sector,” he said while presiding over a meeting here.

Secretary Culture and Tourism Bakhtiar Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) Director General Tashfeen Haider, DG Galiyat Development Authority Shahrukh Khan, DG Kaghan Development Authority Shabbir Khan, DG Special Purpose Kalash Development Authority Minhasuddin, DG Upper Swat Development Authority Shahzad Khan, DG Kumrat Valley Development Authority and others attended the meeting.

The participants discussed various matters related to tourism and the projects for the development and promotion of tourism in the province.The CM aide said that the department’s efforts had yielded positive results as over 9.3 million tourists had visited the KP tourist spots, which showed their trust on the government and the steps taken for the promotion of tourism.

He said that cultural programmes would be arranged at the Nishtar Hall, Peshawar, to promote cultural activities and provide an opportunity of enjoyment to the entertainment-starved Peshawarites.

He urged the tourism and development authorities to play their vital role for boosting the tourism sector in KP to earn foreign exchange for the province and create employment opportunities for the local populace.

He also asked the authorities to register adventure tourism assets, hotels, rent-A car service and other stakeholders with the Tourist Services Wing to streamline their activities in the best interest of tourists and visitors.

Zahid Chanzeb urged tourism authorities to take practical steps for implementing the Rest-houses and Tourism Properties (Development, Management and Regulation) Act 2020 and uploading all their data on KP Tourism website and mobile app to boost the tourism and facilitate the tourists.Earlier, the heads of tourism authorities briefed the advisor on the ongoing tourism projects in the province