GDA set to meet revenue target

ISLAMABAD: Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), a state-run tourism institution, is all set to meet the revenue target of Rs450 million set for year 2020/21, its official said on Monday.

“In order to achieve this revenue target of Rs0.45 billion, we will outsource and lease different GDA properties, rest houses, hotels, parks, markets, food streets and huts owned by the institution,” GDA Director General Raza Ali Habib said.

Habib told APP that the GDA could not achieve the set target of Rs400 million in 2019/20 and it generate revenue of Rs360 million because of the challenging situation of COVID-19 pandemic.

“GDA is committed to introduce the model of integrated tourism zone (ITZ) at Thandiani Galliyat with modern one window operation facility to integrate all services at one place for attracting more tourism in the region,” he said.

The ITZs is a new concept of modern tourism, which was followed by the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for launching the modern idea of one window operation and one stop, he said. The provincial tourism department of KPK has acquired the 642 acres land bought from GDA, worth Rs70 million to establish the centre of tourism.

Thandyani Galliyet, the ITZ, would consist of state of the art hotels, shopping plazas, malls, parks, markets and other places for other commercial activities to provide modern faculties to the tourists in the region.

“The ITZ would be completed in coming two and half years and also start its operation for any commercial and tourism activity in Galiyat,” he said. An allied connectivity road link of 7.5km would also be built to provide connectivity for the ITZ with the major city of Abbottabad and a road infrastructure project of great importance to be completed in next 20 months.

“We want to establish four star hotels in Nathiagali and bidding in this regard would start in the coming month to ensure transparency,” he said. The GDA has plans to initiate two tourism facilities projects in the main Balakote region. The idea of Adventure Theme Parks in Ayubia and food street in Nathiagali is also in pipe line and would start in coming years to provide facilities to the tourist according to the modern trends.