Youth Hostel promoting tourism in unique way

Islamabad :It is time to promote Pakistan’s indigenous tourism and draw the world’s attention towards the treasure of natural beauty sprawling across the country. This was said by the National Secretary of the Pakistan Youth Hostel Association (PYHA) former ambassador Qazi Humayun during a ceremony in connection with the World Tourism Day organised at the Islamabad chapter of the PYHA here on Wednesday, says a press release.

This year’s UN’s theme of the World Tourism Day is ‘Sustainable Tourism: A tool for development.’

Ambassador Qazi Humayun who has served in Italy for five years and is now spearheading a nationwide network of 19 youth hostels to offer youths residential facilities on discounted rates and thus to promote tourism, hiking and mountaineering regretted that we could not make full use of the tourism opportunities and out of the $1.3 trillion earned through tourism industry, Pakistan’s share is not even a bare $1,000 million. The ceremony was also addressed by tourism expert and well-known exponent of the industry, Aftabur Rehman Rana. Principal of Margalla College for Women Prof Saleha Jabeen had also participated in the programme by sending the promising students and faculty of her college. One could see a large number of youth too, concerned over the deteriorating situation of our forests, prominent tourism spots and increasing pollution on the peaks of hills and mountains.

Ambassador Qazi Humayun was of the view that in the present day world tourism industry has become a major contributor to the countries’ economy and our neighbouring country India alone earns a handsome annual amount of $19,700 million annually. Even Maldives and Nepal earn from their tourism industries $2,696 million and $487millioni but Pakistan where relics of the oldest civilizations of the world exist in forms of Gandhara, Mohenjodaro and Kelash Valley the figure hovers around $282 million. Giving a brief background of the youth hostels, he said first youth hostel was established back in 1953 in Bhurban and then slowly but steadily the hostels kept emerging in the far and wide of the country and now we have our hostels in Taxila, Khanaspur, Naran, Lahore, Karachi and in short across the country. Pakistan Youth Hostel Association is member of the International Youth Hostels Association and we actively participate in the activities that support and promote youth and their healthy pursuits, he said. Even on Sunday one could see over 150 youths from Balochistan living in Islamabad’s youth hostel and enjoying its hospitality. Earlier, Aftabur Rehman said Pakistan though a home to old civilizations and historic places needed to do a lot more to promote and support its tourism industry. 

We’ve rich forest, old historical fortresses, long unending seashores, unique wildlife, mountain peaks and valleys, rivers and glaciers. However, we need to learn to cash on our treasures he said. At the end of the ceremony, Mr Aftab presented his book to Ambassador Humayun commending his services for promotion of youth hostelling.