By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: Managing Director, (MD) Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab Rana on Tuesday said that Pakistan among the luckiest countries in the world which offered adventure, cultural and religious tourism for International tourists.
Our three products are very strong, no country in the world has adventure tourism like Pakistan whether it is mountaineering, tracking, paragliding, river rafting or other winter sports, PTDC has to work in all these areas for betterment and its has a lot of potential, MD PTDC Aftab Rana stated. He said the second segment of Pakistani tourism is cultural tourism of archeological sites because Pakistan has a history of nine thousand years from mehar garh till to date and many of such sites can attract cultural tourism.
Third and most important segment of Pakistani tourism is defined as religious tourism which covers Budhism, Sikhism, Sufism, Christianity and Hinduism, in this regard, PTDC has started working, said MD Rana Aftab adding that the government is prioritizing the Budhism and Sikhism tourism to generate employment in far-flung areas and to promote religious harmony.
He further said that now is time to be more responsible tourist and PTDC has prepared guidelines for international tourists regarding their visits of tourists sites and how to protect the environment and culture of that particular area and above all how to deal with the locals in those areas.
To promote sustainable tourism, the tourists have to be responsible otherwise the areas would be destroyed so it is now the responsibility of tourists to act like a responsible tourists.
He said Pakistan’s domestic market of tourism is very strong and the country has immense sources to promote tourism.
He said approximately six million tourist visit different countries every year which helps generating economy of billions of rupees especially in the areas where there is no industries.
Tourism also plays a role of a bridge between people of different nationalities, ethnicity and backgrounds through which harmony is promoted, he said.
The hospitality of the people of Pakistan makes the country unique in the world which is acknowledged by the foreign tourists, he said.
