By Azam Tariq

China’s use of spring blossoms to drive tourism and related economic activity is highlighting how Pakistan can turn its floral potential into a source of income, value addition and seasonal business opportunities.

China’s recent spring-consumption push shows how flowers can be developed into a broader economic ecosystem rather than remain a short-lived attraction. Xinhua News Agency reported that searches on Fliggy, a major Chinese online travel platform, for items such as “spring outing,” “flower viewing” and “spring travel” surged 380% month-on-month.

This model shows how floriculture can extend beyond seasonal tourism into a wider economic chain, an approach experts say Pakistan can adopt in a simpler and locally adapted form.

Speaking with Wealth Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Azher Nawaz, Associate Professor at the Department of Horticultural Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, said Pakistan can make better economic use of its blossom season by linking floriculture more closely with tourism and local business activity.

He said “the development of the essential oil industry, scents, and perfumes can be utilized as an option,” adding that flowers should be treated as part of a broader value chain rather than only as decorative crops.

Dr Nawaz also said the use of artificial flowers should be discouraged due to their plastic-based nature, while promoting natural flowers can help expand domestic demand and support related businesses. He added that such an approach could also improve tourism quality by creating cleaner and more authentic environments.

In China, cities such as Yuncheng and Nanjing have linked flowering landscapes with tourism routes, cultural sites and “flowers-plus” leisure activities, while a wider industrial chain has developed around seasonal food, tea, rural culture and gardening experiences.

Dr Nawaz said floriculture could also support Pakistan’s agricultural adjustment, particularly as the country faces water stress and changing cropping patterns.

He noted that flowers are high-value crops and said “the use of high-efficiency irrigation systems such as drip irrigation is a suitable option for growing flowers.” He added that this “may help reduce water use by up to 70% compared with flood irrigation systems used for other field crops.”

Beyond seasonal tourism, he said flower-based activities can provide broader livelihood opportunities for rural communities, allowing farmers to grow flowers throughout the year and supply local markets more consistently.

He added that roses can be used to prepare products such as Arq-e-Gulab, while some flowers have medicinal value and may support linkages with Unani, desi and homeopathic medicine producers.

China has promoted a “peony plus” model in which different parts of the flower are used for multiple products, including medicine, oil and tea, while related industries range from food items to skincare. More than 120 enterprises are engaged in peony-related production and exports, with over 260 varieties sold to more than 30 countries and regions.

Muhammad Azhar Javed, former Deputy Manager Horticulture at Fauji Fertilizer Company Plantsite Mirpur Mathelo, said Pakistan has strong potential in floriculture due to its climate diversity, soil conditions and water availability across regions.

However, he said this potential will remain underutilised without improvements in seed and bulb availability, farmer training, handling practices, storage and transportation systems.

Experts say Pakistan can draw practical lessons from China, where floral tourism, processing, infrastructure and policy have developed together to create wider economic value.

For Pakistan, the opportunity lies in linking floriculture with tourism, rural enterprise and value-added products to build a more organised and commercially viable sector.

Credit: INP-WealthPk