‘Tourism police being raised in KP’

PESHAWAR: Senior Minister for Tourism and Culture Muhammad Atif Khan has said that tourism police is being raised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the promotion of tourism in the province.

Speaking at a meeting with a delegation of Tourism Police of Thailand here on Thursday, he said that tourism police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would also get training in Thailand.

Secretary Tourism Department Rashid Mehmood, Additional Secretary Babar Khan, Additional Inspector General of Police, Managing Director Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, and World Bank officials were also present at the meeting. The delegation briefed the participants of the meeting about the role of tourism police in Thailand.

The meeting was informed that Thailand had established Tourism Police 20 years ago that had contributed to the tourism industry in their country. The participants were told that the tourism police was tasked to protect and facilitate the tourists in Thailand. They told the meeting that tourists get the best facilities in Thailand.

Atif Khan said that tourism police was being raised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that soon after recruitment of competent cops they would be sent to Thailand for training.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had started work on rehabilitation of the tourist spots and was identifying new places for the promotion of the industry.

The senior minister added that more than 20 new tourist destinations would be developed and facilities would be provided to the existing resorts.

He said that his government wanted uplift of the tourism industry in the province to attract domestic and international tourists. After the briefing, the delegation visited Heritage Trail, Gor Khatri and Sethi House.