‘25,000 foreign tourists visit GB in 2024’

Document states only 2,300 tourists obtained official mountaineering and trekking permits after paying royalty fees

By Shabbir Mir

April 28, 2025

Foreign tourists and porters rest at a camping site above Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram range of Pakistan’s mountain northern Gilgit region. — AFP/File

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) received nearly 25,000 foreign tourists in 2024, making up around half of all international visitors to Pakistan, according to an official document released on Sunday.

The figures come as the region gains recognition as a leading global destination, with major outlets like CNN, BBC, and the Financial Times listing it among the top places to visit in 2025.

The document stated that only 2,300 tourists obtained official mountaineering and trekking permits after paying royalty fees. The remaining 22,000 were allowed to travel across designated areas without permits or payments.

A Tourism Department official told The News that new routes had been opened this year to encourage more visitors, many of which do not require permits.

This season, around 700 foreign tourists have applied for mountaineering and trekking visas through the Pakistani government. However, only two have so far sought permits from Gilgit-Baltistan authorities, which are usually issued within two to three days.

Permit issuance was temporarily halted recently after the Pakistan Tour Operators Association (PATO) challenged a recent fee hike in GB’s Chief Court. The court, however, suspended the process pending a final decision.

The Tourism Department confirmed it will resume issuing permits once the court rules on the case.