Tourism promotion as industry a priority: KP CM

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that tourism should be promoted as an industry in the province.

"We are working to make tourism sites accessible for local and foreigner tourists. A total of 20 new sites have already been identified," he said while talking to a five-member delegation of investors led by Member Provincial Assembly Nazir Abbasi at the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

Provincial Minister for Information Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, CM's principal secretary Mohammad Israr, Secretary Finance Shakil Qadir, tourism secretary and others were also present on the occasion, said an official handout.

The head of delegation Henri (Hans) WR Kennedie, president and Chief Executive Officer of Swiss International Hotels & Resorts, revealed that they were already working on establishing luxury hotels in different cities of the province.

In the first phase, hotels would be established in Peshawar and Swat while Mardan, Chitral and Malakand were included in the second phase of the plan. The investors expressed a keen interest in investment in the development of tourism spots. The delegation was told that 20 new sites of tourism were also located in Chitral, Malakand and Hazara and reconstruction and rehabilitation of access roads to the sites were in progress.

The meeting was informed that the establishment of ski resorts at different tourist spots had already been discussed with Pakistan Air Force. A comprehensive policy was formulated for the speedy promotion of tourism in the province. The chief minister, at the request of investors, directed the quarters concerned to facilitate them for the acquisition of land for establishing hotels in Peshawar and Swat. He also asked officials to arrange a meeting with investors about the development of different tourist sites in the province.