Promoting

1/6/2021
tourism in
Pakistan:
Opportunities and
Challenges.

Muhammad Furqan Ali

Ck-20-110014
BSCS
  Introduction
 Types of tourism
 Subtypes of tourism
 Tourism products
 History of tourism in Pakistan
 Sights/areas for the attraction of tourists 
 Positive image of Pakistan by Bloggers/Vloggers on Social Media
 Northern Areas Guide by Blogger/Vlogger
 Advantages of tourism
 Disadvantages of tourism
 Difficulty in Issuance of Visa
 Lack of Capacity of Provincial Tourism Organizations
 Covid-19 Impact on tourism
 Strategies to improve tourism
 Opportunities of tourism
 Challenges of tourism
 Conclusion 

Tourism in Pakistan
People who travel are called tourists and places, where they stay, are called resorts. Tourism is
traveling for fun either it is for pleasure, fun or business. Tourism is travel for pleasure Tourism
is universally known to travel for fun, sightseeing or camping; also the theory and practice of
touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of
operating tours. Tourism may be international, or within the traveler's country. 

Types of Tourism
There are three basic types of tourism.
1. Domestic tourism
2. Inbound tourism
3. Outbound tourism

1. Domestic Tourism
As obvious from the name, when people take holidays, breaks and trips in their own country then
this type of tourism is known as domestic tourism. For example, the people of Pakistan visit the
northern areas of their own country.

2. Inbound Tourism
When a foreigner or non-resident of a country visits another particular country then it is known
as inbound tourism.

3. Outbound Tourism

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When a resident of a particular country visits countries outside the residential country then it is
known as outbound tourism.

Subtypes of Tourism
 Recreational tourism
The basic purpose of tourism is recreation. Recreational tourism is the movement of people in
their free time in the aims of rest required to restore the physical and mental strength of a person.
For many countries of the world, this type of tourism is the most common and massive. To make
out time for family and go on trips. That is why tour packages have become so popular.

 Environmental tourism
The affluent and opulent people usually visit those tourist places which are environment friendly.
“responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustains the well-being of the
local people, and involves interpretation and education”.

 Wildlife tourism
It is animal-friendly tourism.it means People watch wildlife animals living in their natural
habitats. Wildlife tourism refers to the observation and interaction with local animal and plant
life in their natural habitats. It encompasses segments such as eco-tourism, safari tours and
mountain tourism among others.

 Historical tourism
Historical or heritage tourism means traveling with the primary purpose of exploring
the history and heritage of a place. Tourists want to know where and how their forefathers lived.
They love to visit heritage locations, temples, churches, museums, forts, mosques and many
other historical places.

 Ethnic tourism
Ethnic tourism is motivated by tourists' search for exotic cultural experiences through interaction
with distinctive minority groups and the desire of those groups to use aspects of their culture to
create economic opportunities and refers to the people visiting other countries or regions to
observe their cultural values. For example; folk music, dress culture, etc.

 Adventurous tourism
This type of tourism usually belongs to the youth. Adventure tourism is defined as the movement
of the people from one to another place outside their comfort zone for exploration or travel to
remote areas, exotic and possibly hostile areas. Adventure tourism is a type of tourism in which
tourist do some adventures activities like as skydiving, hill climbing, scuba diving. They go for
trekking, climbing, river rafting, etc. Only people with strong nerves can go through.

 Agritourism

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Agritourism or farm tourism refers to an organization working on farm or agricultural plant made
for entertainment of tourists or visitors, thereby generating income for farm owners. This may
help the farmers to interact with the visitors, thereby benefiting the visitors to enrich their
knowledge regarding agritourism.

 Sport tourism
This type of tourism is basically for sports purposes. It involves tourists to participate or observe
rural sports. It teaches the local rural people how to get scope/chance in international game and
to compete with opponents. It enables the people of different cultural background to mix with
other people and exchange cultural activities between the parties and thereby they are culturally
rich.

Tourism Products:
 Accommodation- Hotels, Motels, guests houses, beds, breakfast, camps, etc.
 Hospitality- Food and beverage serving services
 Transport services- rail, road, water, air network services.
 Travel agencies- tour operators and destination management companies.

History of Tourism in Pakistan:

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the tourism industry was a flourishing industry. Countless Europeans,
Australians, Canadians used to visit Pakistan due to its beautiful sights and its diverse cultural
heritage.  PIA was amongst the top 10 airlines in the world. 

Tourists and mountaineers used to travel to visit the northern areas of Pakistan. Pakistan earned huge
revenue in this phase. In the 1980s Olympics were held in Karachi. Many honorable personalities
like Queen Elizabeth, boxer Muhammad Ali visited Pakistan. Cricket matches also took place in that
era. Many high profile people visited Pakistan in that era. All of those cannot be nominated here.

Sights/Areas of Attraction for Tourists: 

Pakistan has four provinces, all of which have beautiful scenic sights which attract tourists from all
over the world.

 Gilgit Baltistan
Gilgit Baltistan is actually home to mountain peaks. The world’s second-most highest peak K-2
is also situated in Pakistan including Nanga Parbat. Gilgit Baltistan's landscape includes
mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys. The province is also visited for its landmarks, culture,
history and people

 Punjab
The city of Multan is in the province of Punjab. It is an interesting mixture of ancient Sufism and
dynastic rule. It reportedly starting with Hindu occupation then witnessing Greek invasion and
after then finally witnessing a long era of Muslim Sufism. That is why it is known as the city of
saints.

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  Sindh:
Sindh is located in south-eastern Pakistan. The province is known for its religious heritage and
rapid urbanization and was home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Karachi is the
provincial capital of the province and largest city of Pakistan. It is home to the founder of the
nation Mohammad Ali Jinnah, whose tomb at Mazar-e-Quaid is the most iconic mausoleum in
Pakistan. The Port of Karachi is the country's largest post followed by the second largest, Port
Qasim. The city has a number of cultural sites including Mohatta Palace, National Museum of
Pakistan, Empress Market, Frere Hall, Jehangir Kothari Parade, Karachi Municipal Corporation
Building and the Hindu Gymkhana. There are several beaches within the city, some of the most
famous are Clifton Beach, French Beach, Sandspit Beach and Manora Island. Tharparkar desert
is included in Sindh. It consists of jumbles of towns and villages. In monsoon, the desert is
transformed into an oasis and visitors flock there.

 KPK
Pakistan is diverse in ethnicity. Kalash valley is an example of a beautiful culture. It is in the
province of KPK. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is located in the north-west region of Pakistan. It is known
as the tourist hotspot for adventurers and explorers. The province has a varied landscape ranging
from rugged mountains, valleys, hills and dense agricultural farms. The region is well known for its
ancestral roots. There are a number of Buddhist archaeological sites from the Gandhara
civilisation such as Takht Bhai and Pushkalavati. There are a number of other Buddhist and Hindu
archaeological sites including Bala Hisar Fort, Butkara Stupa, Kanishka stupa, Chakdara, Panjkora
Valley and Sehri Bahlol.
One of the most important cities in the province is Mansehra. The city is a major stop for tourists
setting out to the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir. The city is connected by the famous Karakoram
Highway which ends up in China. Along the route there are several stops including the Kaghan
Valley, Balakot, Naran, Shogran, Lake Saiful Mulook and Babusar Top. There are also several other
sites within the province which attract a large number of tourist every year
including Ayubia, Batkhela, Chakdara, Saidu Sharif, Kalam Valley and Hindu Kush mountain range
in Chitral.

Positive Image of Pakistan by Bloggers/Vloggers on Social Media

Pakistan has received an influx of travel vloggers, who showed the beauty of the country,
especially the northern areas Hunza and Skardu.The Government of Pakistan has recently
realized the potential of travel culture on social media. They are now investing in promoting
Pakistan through travel influencers and bloggers. Tourism has been a majorly neglected sector in
Pakistan, but not anymore.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s newest initiatives include a plan to bring back tourists. He also
held a first of its kind meet in January 2020, where bloggers, vloggers and other social media
celebrities were invited to talk about the positive image building of Pakistan via Social media
and Youtube. They effectively form the face of Pakistan on social media and other online
networks. In meeting Minister of Islamabad for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad suggested
that the top YouTubers of the country should be engaged to promote tourism instead of inviting
vloggers from abroad to tell the world what Pakistan has to offer.
Sajjad Hameed, General Manager Tourism Corporation KPK states that these initiatives have
brought more funding and an increase in development budget. KPK government was active in
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promoting tourism and cultural programs for the past few years. The results have started paying
off, with more people visiting these areas for holidays and explorations.“Tourism was kept on
30th position in priority list in public sectors departments and corporations in term of funding,
and now it has attained the 8th position.”
The government has been actively looking out for travel bloggers to visit these areas and
document their journey. One such vlogger, Umar Khan (Ukhano), was invited to visit KPK and
host a group of travel bloggers from around the world.

Northern Areas Guide by Blogger/Vlogger

Planning a trip up North is a very Pakistani thing to do. All of us have an ‘uncle/friend who lives
in Northern Areas’ who keeps raving about how amazing it is to visit Northern Areas. People
who have never visited KPK will listen to these stories, wide-eyed, but imagine it to the extent of
our own creativity. Travel Bloggers/Vloggers spend the time, money and resources to travel and
make mistakes so that you don’t have to. In the “Junejo’s Guide to Naran”(A Youtube Channel
by Irfan Junejo), you will find everything a traveler needs to know when packing for a Naran
trip. Now, your uncle might have told you about the ideal itinerary, but Irfan actually depicts the
whole travel for you to decode. Even Indians send him love.

Advantages of Tourism
 The tourism industry helps to boost up the economy.
 It brings opportunities to beat unemployment.
 Traveling freshers the mind of people.
 It is a source of employment for tourist guides, restaurants and local people in that area.
 It gives the opportunity to meet new people.
 Different cultural patterns can be seen.
 A well-developed infrastructure and facilities for tourist attraction sights, also play a great
role in growing tourism
 It promotes cultural awareness.

Disadvantages of Tourism
 It may create cultural variations.
 It causes seasonal fluctuations.
 Imbalanced funding is also the reason for tourism.
 Tourism puts stress on local land which further causes soil erosion.
 It can increase the population.
 It can result in natural habitat loss.

Difficulty in Issuance of Visa by Foreigners

Due to an uncertain security and volatile geopolitical situation, tourists do not easily get
Pakistani visas. The issue gets even more severe when entry into Pakistan is from India; which
restricts thousands of tourists from coming to Pakistan

Lack of Capacity of Provincial Tourism Organizations

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Management of Tourism at the Provincial Level is carried out by the Tourism Development
Corporation of Punjab (TDCP), Sind Tourism Development Corporation (STDC), and Tourism
Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP). Balochistan has no such corporation. In general,
there is lack of capacity and professionalism.

 Negative Image as a Tourism Destination

Pakistan's image in the world is negative due to the existence of security issues in the country.
The law and order issues do exist in some areas of Pakistan; however, the reality is much better
than the perception in the local and international media. Travel advisory reports are developed by
the diplomats who rely only on the media and have no exposure to ground realities. This
negative image becomes a strong barrier for the international tourists to travel to Pakistan and
also discourages the domestic tourists for travelling.

 Lack of Proper Marketing and Promotion

In spite of being blessed with very valuable tourist attractions, Pakistan has not been successful
in developing itself into a popular tourist destination in the world in past Governments.

 Multiplicity of Taxes
One of the bottlenecks in achieving the full potential of tourism sector in Pakistan is the high
rates and multiplicity of taxes by federal and provincial governments that has led to tourist
package being out priced in comparison with other destinations. There is urgent need to unified
and rationalized these taxes.
Covid-19 Impact on tourism
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has alerted that the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a
loss of $ 300-500 billion in tourism receipts globally. The tourist spots and public places (playgrounds,
cinemas, shopping malls) were closed in mid-March across the country.
The public and private sector need to collaborate to help the industry cope with the impact of
COVID-19 while preparing it for responsible tourism when the travel restrictions are lifted
Here are some suggestions: 

1. Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the workers, firms, and travelers;
2. Design and direct financial support towards the tourism value chains including the
microenterprises;
3. Guide and support players including restaurants, hotels, homestays, and transporters to
disinfect, upgrade facilities and train workers to adopt improved hygiene and safety
practices;
4. Use technology to introduce virtual tours of museums, heritage sites and ski resorts as a
substitute for actual visits; and
5. Plan and enforce on-site measures for better waste collection, plastics recycling, and
traffic management.

Strategies to Improve Tourism

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Security and Safety
From the past few decades, Pakistan is facing the terror war that has eventually had negative
impacts on tourism. The tourism sector is neglected by successive governments. So Pakistan
should improve security conditions in order to improve tourism.

Improving Infrastructure
The government should pay attention to improve the infrastructure of tourist attractions that are
providing more facilities, constructing routes, etc.

Emergency Evacuations
Emergency evacuation plans should be formed. If in case of any emergency, for example, fire,
storms, flooding that tourist attraction, tourists should know about the emergency exits. 

Easy Booking of Hotels

Online websites and apps are so that people from all over the world could easily access all the
information regarding booking.
Some more strategies are:
 Baggage handling should be ensured by the tour operator agencies.
 Our Airports suffer various drawbacks which should be improved.
 Personnel training should be provided from airport staff to the staff of resorts for the purpose
of better hospitality.

Opportunities of Tourism
Following are the opportunities for tourism in Pakistan
 Untouched natural beauty of Pakistan (Balochistan, Skardu, Hunza, Swat etc).
 Famous Historical places (Harapa, Begum Shahi Mosque, Mohenjo-Daro, Rohtas Fort,
Taxila, Wazir Khan Mosque, katas raj Temples, Lahore Fort, not Diji, Takhtbae).
 National Monuments (National Monument Shakaparia, Minar-e-Pakistan, Iqbal Tomb ,
Quaid Tomb)
 The world’ highest peaks (K2, Nanga parbat)
 Art and craft of the country.

Highest Peaks
 K2
K2 has a singular place in high-altitude mountaineering. It is the second highest peak in the
world. Though 784 feet lower than Mount Everest, it has long been known as the mountaineer’s
mountain. The sharp triangle of its silhouette and height above the surrounding terrain not only
define the archetypal image of a mountain but, as a practical matter, also make K2 far more
difficult and dangerous to climb.
 Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat is located in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and is the Western bastion of the
Himalaya. It is the nineth highest mountain in the world and the second highest in Pakistan

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after K2. Steeped in a history matched by few others in Asia it has staged some of the greatest
Himalayan ascents of all time.
Social opportunities
 Promoting a soft image of Pakistan
 Improving and exchanging culture with other great powers
 Enhancing literacy rate in the country
 Exchange of information and education

Political opportunities
 Strengthening government of Pakistan
 Developing ties with global powers
 Improving relation with its neighbors

Challenges in the Promotion

 Security challenges
 Social Challenges
 Boarding and loading problems
 NOC(No objection Certificate) required by foreigner visitors
 Negative travel advisory to international tourists
 Government Negligence to Tourist Places
 Negative Role of Pakistani Media

Conclusion
The tourism sector is the only sector that needs more and more exploration so the government
should take steps for exploring new tourist attractions. In order to bring in international tourists
to mesmerizing mountainous areas of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(AJK), the federal government has removed the restriction of Non-Objection Certificate
(NOC). Pakistan has also started engaging Western countries in order to revisit their travel
advisory for Pakistan, since the security situation has significantly improved due to successful
military and Intelligence-based operations against terrorist networks. Pakistan is blessed with
natural beauty including historical heritage which if exploited properly can boost up the
economy of Pakistan. It has improved after the mission Zarb-e-azb but more attention is needed. 

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