Faiza Tehseen

Promotion of tourism in Pakistan’s remote areas is vital for boosting local development and providing a sustainable livelihood to the communities, said Mukhtar Ali, Manager of Tourism Facilitation Centers of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), while talking to WealthPK.

“Tourism can be considered a strong catalyst for economic transformation in the remote areas of Pakistan. In 2024, this sector contributed around 6.1% to the GDP. In future, it will play a crucial role in fostering sustainable development by empowering the local communities and preserving the cultural heritage,” he said.

He said responsible traveling is also a part of wonderful eco-tourism experience, and it is necessary to train the local communities in this regard. It will help establish clean-up drives and adopt supportable tourism practices in the region.

Mukhtar said, “To promote tourism in the remote areas, integration of digital tools is important to enhance tour experience and management. In this regard, it is important to design well-developed apps for tourism management so that tourists would be provided with real time information related to services, itineraries and nearby tourist spots.”

He said accessibility by all means is a necessity to ensure growth and perfect tourist experience in the remote areas. It includes seamless communication and road connectivity. He said Kohsar Tourism Expressway, which connects Rawalpindi to Muzaffarabad, had enhanced accessibility to the northern regions, promoting tourism and local economic growth.

Mukhtar said, “In the remote areas of Pakistan, tourism is more than an economic activity. It can be called a catalyst for social change and sustainable progress. By empowering the local communities, leveraging technology, and investing in infrastructure, the sector holds the potential to transform the remote regions into thriving, resilient, and culturally rich destinations.”

So, all the relevant stakeholders, including the federal and provincial government departments, must focus on a strong tourist framework. It will not only improve the number of tourist destinations across the country but help increase the tourist footfall as well, he added.

Talking exclusively to WealthPK about the importance of tourism as a tool to turn the fate of remote areas, Managing Director of Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) Feyaz Ali Shah said, “The remote areas of Pakistan, particularly those falling in the desert regions, are usually full of tourist attractions like landscape, geography, flora, fauna, cultural heritage, historical buildings or historical backgrounds.

But they are not popular among tourists due to the lack of accessibility, tourist facilitation, and promotion at both national and international levels.”Developing such areas as tourist attractions will not only bring socio-economic change there but also help increase tourist footfall and promote continuous development, he said. “We are working on it but it needs a wider focus with the involvement of all stakeholders at both government and private levels,” Feyaz added.

Discussing the importnace of tourism as a tool to power change in the country’s remote corners, Deputy Director of Tourism Baltistan Rahat Karim Baig said a good number of remote areas in Pakistan are poor but rich in tourist sites, and turning such places into tourist hubs can bring prosperity and fortune to the locals.

Credit: INP-WealthPk