News Desk
ISLAMABAD: The speakers at a tourism conference on Thursday said that after the successful completion of Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will become a hub for tourism investment.
They said that all three KP government’s ITZs, Ganool, Mankiyal, and Madaklasht were crucial projects of the provincial government, which would bring revolutionary changes in the tourism of the province.
An Investment Readiness Conference for Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was held at a private hotel here in Islamabad on Thursday to facilitate private sector investments and to promote and encourage responsible tourism
The event was graced by a huge number of national-level investors comprising leaders from Islamabad and Rawalpindi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and representatives from PTDC, KP-BOIT, and other representatives from trade associations.
The participant speakers said that after the successful completion of all three ITZs, there was possibility of adding about $10 billion to the provincial economy.
KP as Hub of Tourism
Director General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KP CTA) Muhammad Bakhtiar Khan remarked that the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is well placed as a preferred tourism destination in Pakistan. It has a considerable competitive advantage because of its natural legacies and a culture of hospitality.
The KP government is not only focusing on producing employment opportunities by promoting tourism activities but also initiating efforts to conserve natural and cultural assets by enhancing responsible tourism in the province.
Former president of ICCI and the chief guest Sardar Yasir Ilyas, hailed the Government of KP efforts in promoting sustainable tourism and advised the local investors to go for investments in the tourism sector.
It is worth noting that Upper Swat, Dir and Mansehra were hit by the recent devastating floods and there is thus a necessary case for disaster mitigation to preserve nature, and safeguard tourism assets and livelihoods of masses that rely on tourism receipts.
Ali Asghar, Chief Economist Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in his remarks, briefed on sustainable tourism initiatives undertaken by the government, “The use of innovative approaches comprising, development planning for the new and existing destinations, public-private partnerships, reduced carbon footprint and heritage conservation are at the center of project implementation.”
Senior Private Sector Specialist, World Bank Kiran Afzal in her remarks congratulated and appreciated the Department of Tourism and team members of the KITE project on securing this milestone and added that ITZs can particularly help the tourism sector of the province in attracting investments which will lead to economic and social development of local masses.
Amid in exclusive debate on the title ‘Real-estate and Tourism, A Public Private Partnership approach’ was also a key part of the conference.
The speakers shed light on various aspects of sustainable tourism and opportunities for promotion of the local economy.
The panelists hailed the tiring efforts of DoT, CTA and KITE projects and recommended practical ways for the prompt implementation of the said plans.
It is worth noting that the ITZs is a maiden concept in the country which aims to usher new destinations in the KP province to promote a responsible tourism by suggesting diversity and quality in the field of tourism offering of these destinations and provide a guideline for tourist planning and destination management activities.
Meanwhile, The ITZ feasibility and master plans were prepared by the Tourism Department KP through the World Bank-sponsored KP Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project with the assistance of international experts over a period of one year.
As part of the said exercise, customized plans for each of the destinations have also been prepared and will be utilized to invite investments from the private sector.
