Tourism Dept, WB join hands to boost tourism in KP

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department and the World Bank (WB) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the joint venture to develop new tourist sites and tourism integrated zones to facilitate tourists and visitors in the province.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Secretary Economic Affairs Division Noor Ahmad, Secretary Sports, Tourism, Museums, Archaeology, Culture and Youth Affairs Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Kamran Rehman, World Bank Country Director Illango, World Bank private-sector Senior Specialist Kiran Afzal, KITE Project Director Tausif Khalid and other officials attended the signing ceremony.

Several uplift schemes to be completed under the “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Integrated Zones Development” project would boost tourism and facilitate tourists in every nook and corner of the province.

According to the MoU, the World Bank would provide 70 million dollars for the KITE under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Integrated Zones Development project to develop new tourist spots and rehabilitate the existing tourism attractions in the province.

Under the project, steps would also be taken to promote ecotourism to pave the way for environment-friendly projects in the tourism sector.

Development of new tourism zones, beautification and infrastructure development through investment projects in KP, widening and rehabilitation of roads, institutional uplift through sustainable tourism development, increasing tourism assets, planning public-private partnership, evolving strategy for environmental protection with the help of all stakeholders, preservation and protection of historic and heritage sites and other tasks are part of the MoU.

Moreover, a number of other initiatives, including strengthening environmental system, framing rules and regulations for existing and new tourist sites, encouraging private sector, evolving a system for granting licence to organisations working in tourism sector, designing and detail studies of basic and topographic surveys and municipal planning, would be taken to facilitate tourists.

Extending the cooperation in preservation and protection of archaeological and heritage sites, including religious worship places, promoting products and services in financial discipline system, business skills and marketing techniques, infrastructure development, roads and tracks construction, water and electricity supply, waste disposal and waste recycling categorisation and other various development and reconstruction projects in tourism sector are also part of the mega project.