Rs15 bn allocated for tourism promotion, KP Assembly told

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told on Tuesday that about Rs15 billion had been allocated for promotion of tourism in the province during the current fiscal year mostly to construct roads and identify new tourist spots.

Senior Minister Mohammad Atif Khan, who holds the portfolios of Tourism, Culture, Sports and Youths Affairs, in response to a question told the House that the provincial government had allocated about Rs5 billion for promotion of tourism in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the current financial year.

He said the World Bank had also approved about 70 million dollars for tourism promotion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "Most of the funds would be spent on construction of roads and infrastructure to the tourist spots, towns and valleys in the province," the minister said.

He added that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had directed release of the funds for early completion of the projects.

The question was raised by Awami National Party (ANP) parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak regarding new tourist spots and zones in the province. Mohammad Atif Khan said that about 25 new tourist spots had been identified, mostly in Malakand and Hazara divisions for which some Rs22 billion were required for development.

"This year four new places in Abbottabad, Chitral, Swat and Dir districts would be established as tourist spots," he said. He added that the scenic valleys of Kumrat in Upper Dir and Kalam in Swat would be linked by road.

The minister informed the House that tourism zones would be established for promotion of tourism and the investors provided facilities under one-window operation. He said that besides the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had also shown interest to invest in the promotion of tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to its great potential.

He added that new tourism spots would be identified and developed in the merged districts of the province.