Hoteliers protest, demand resumption of tourism activities

MANSEHRA: The hoteliers and workers associated with the tourism industry took to the streets in Balakot town on Monday to demand to reopen of the tourist activities in the province and incentives to them to make up for the losses.

The protesters took out the rally in Tarhana area. They marched through Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road demanding the reopening of the tourism industry in the province. They were holding placards and raising slogans in support of their demands.

“The government has reopened all other businesses after issuing some sort of standard operating procedures but the tourism activities are yet to be restarted. Our children are virtually going without food as a result of the continued lockdown of this industry,” Ajaz Ahmad Khan, the president of hoteliers association, told reporters after the protest rally at Balakot.

Ajaz said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced to give tourism the status of the industry but the ongoing suspension of tourism activities in the entire country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had troubled hundreds and thousands of people linked with the industry.

Another speaker, Shabbir Khan, said the government should allow tourism activities resumption and announce interest-free loans and other incentives to them as well including waiver of taxes for the tourism industry. “If the government doesn’t meet our demands, we will come onto the streets with our children and commit sell-immolation in public,” he warned.