Promotion of tourism: Centre asked to set up resting areas on highways in KP

PESHAWAR: To boost tourism as per Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Vision, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sent a letter to the federal government to establish restaurants and service areas with all modern facilities on highways and roads leading to the tourist spots to facilitate visitors in the province.

The letter has also asked the federal government to install a proper monitoring system for the tourists on the national highways and entry routes to the scenic places to record the exact data of visitors.

It was told that the monitoring system installed at Modchi Darra in Nathiagali in the scenic Galiyat for recording entry of vehicles was functioning well, and that such system should also be fixed on entry points in the tourist sites.

The federal government has also been asked that non-objection certificates should not be granted to those petrol pumps and CNG stations, which were not providing the required facilities to the tourists and passengers.

The letter said that filling stations, restaurants and service areas should be established on national highways with all facilities, including washrooms, prayer and ablution places, canteen, tuck-shop and potable water.

The Tourism Department under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE) is installing 150 prefabricated washrooms on highways in Malakand and Hazara division to facilitate tourists.

It may be mentioned that scenic sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the destinations of attraction and millions of domestic and foreign tourists and visitors visit these places to enjoy natural beauty and sereneness.

A large number of tourists visit Galiyat, Naran, Kaghan Kumrat, Swat, Chitral and other scenic places in Malakand division.