Imminent influx of tourists: District admins directed to facilitate visitors to scenic spots

PESHAWAR: The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) has issued an alert to the administration of relevant districts to make all-out efforts for providing every possible facility to the visiting tourists in the province.

“We have issued directives to the deputy commissioners, local government bodies and stakeholders of the relevant districts to take prompt steps for the cleanliness, devising proper traffic management plan, security and placing of dustbins in the tourist resorts to facilitate the visitors,” Junaid Khan, the managing director of TCKP, said on Tuesday. He said that owing to the ensuing tourist season, this year a record number of foreign and local tourists were expected to come and enjoy the natural beauty the scenic sites has to offer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The official said last year witnessed a large number of tourists in scenic valleys of the province owing to the facilitation of visitors by departments concerned. According to a report, a total of 4.5 million tourists had visited the scenic places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of the stringent security arrangements, lodging and boarding facilities in every nook and corner of the province.

Junaid Khan said that instructions to all relevant departments had been issued to take initiatives aimed not only at maximising the inflow of tourists but also to ensure that they were properly facilitated at every level. The official said the district administrations in collaboration with the local authorities and TMAs would ensure proper waste disposal and cleanliness in the touristic valleys of Galiyat, Naran, Kalam and Chitral so as to keep the local environment clean and green. He said that Health Department was also asked to ensure availability of doctors and medicines in all BHUs and RHCs along with the provision of mobile health facilities in the touristic valleys of Abbottabad, Mansehra, Swat and Chitral in the forthcoming summer. The deployment of police, he said, was expected to initiate from Eidul Fitr which would help ensure the safety of tourists and smooth flow of traffic in the scenic valleys of the province especially in Galiyat, Naran, Kalam and Chitral valleys.