CM calls for finalising comprehensive tourism promotional plan

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed to finalise a comprehensive tourism promotional design in coordination with the departments concerned indicating different tourism spots to attract tourists in the province.

“The promotion of tourism will stay at the top of his government’s priorities. It would be promoted as an industry with the capacity for mass scale job creation, economic development and overall prosperity of this province,” he added.

He was presiding over a meeting of the task force on tourism in the province at Chief Minister’s Secretariat, which also decided the induction of new members of the task force that included Additional Chief Secretary, Secretaries Finance, Home, Information, SMBR, IGP, DG Food and DG Rescue.

The meeting was attended by Senior Minister Muhammad Atif Khan, Provincial Ministers Shahram Tarakai, Akbar Ayub, Provincial Government’s Spokesperson MPA Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Additional Chief Secretary Shahzad Bangash, IGP Salahuddain Mahsud, SMBR Fakhre Alam and administrative secretaries.

The chief minister directed for a complete master plan for the promotion of tourism in the province. The plan should also indicate the targets with the time tag, the responsibilities of federal and provincial governments and the implementation of laws in this regard.

The provincial government can also make special laws for tourist’s spots. However, there should be short term, mid-term and long term planning, he added.

The meeting was briefed about the irritants in the promotion of tourism in the province and the chair directed the Sports, C&W, Environment, Law, Food Safety Authority and Rescue 1122 to sit together and find a solution to all these irritants. He directed for the preservation of forests in the tourists spots. “We want promotion of controlled tourism that includes eco-tourism,” he said.

He also directed for total estimates of different initiatives including raising police force, the future needs to be required for the promotion of tourism in the province. “The federal and provincial governments would take care of their responsibilities. Both the federal and provincial governments were on the same page for opening new tourists spots in the province,” he added.

The Chief Minister said the provincial government would include some of the infrastructure and road communication projects in the first go and the rest would be offered to the private sector for tourism promotion. The meeting was briefed about the 20 newly identified tourist spots in the province and the chief minister directed to accelerate work on these projects.