Tourism sector stakeholders trained in corona SOPs

PESHAWAR: A senior official said on Monday that hotels, restaurants travel agents and other stakeholders were playing a vital role in the promotion of tourism in the province.

Speaking as chief guest at the concluding ceremony of special training on implementing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) against the coronavirus and raising awareness about the viral infection here, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Additional Secretary Sports, Tourism, Culture, Archaeology, Museums and Youth Affairs Department Tashfeen Haider said that they had waived off annual fees of the tourism stakeholders owing to the Covid-19 pandemic to facilitate them in their activities.

“Beside other walks of life, the coronavirus has also badly affected the tourism industry in our province,” he added.

The official said that the SOPs training for the stakeholders had yielded positive results in stemming the coronavirus epidemic at tourist places.

The Directorate of Tourist Services (DTS) - a wing of the Tourism Department - and the World Bank-funded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism (KITE) project, had jointly arranged the training.

Director General Directorate of Tourist Services, Ghulam Saeed, said that all must play their role in raising awareness about safety measures and vaccination against the viral infection

so all could return to normal life.

He said that steps were being taken to promote the tourism sector through supporting the stakeholders related to the industry.

On the special directives of secretary Tourism Department, sessions of special training on implementing the SOPs and safety measures against coronavirus and raising awareness about the viral disease were arranged at Kalam Valley in Swat district and Nathiagali, Naran, Peshawar and Abbottabad districts.

The crash course for the hotels’ staff members and officials of the respective district administration at the tourist spots of the province was organised.

Over 600 hotels’ staff, officials of the district administration, Galiyat Development Authority, Rescue 1122, travel and tour operators and others were imparted training on adopting SOPs and other safety steps against coronavirus.

All the departments, affiliated organisations and private stakeholders participated in the training to raise awareness about adopting SOPs to save precious lives from the fatal virus while visiting tourist destinations or serving tourists and visitors.

The training was aimed at further promoting the cause of provincial and federal governments to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The department is also taking tangible measures to implement the SOPs in letter and spirit to ensure “safe tourism from coronavirus” in the province.