(November 03, 2017)
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said Pakistan is blessed with everything needed to boost tourism industry but its share in global tourism industry remains dismal.
Pakistan can make its presence felt in the eight trillion dollars global tourism trade as it is blessed with everything to become a major tourism destination, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that Pakistan is home to stunning Himalayan peaks, magnificent valleys, Arabian Sea, deserts, Indus valley, ancient Buddha’s civilisation carved in its mountains and historic forts. With all this, it is supposed to be one of the world’s greatest tourist destinations for which the attention of the policymakers is required.
He said that government should consider establishing a federal tourism development board and frame a new tourism policy matching the ground realities.
Moreover, issues like the image of the country, law and order problem, development of tourism infrastructure and visa matters should also be considered with the consultation of Pakistan Hotels Association to attract tourists, he said.
The business leader said that economic corridor is to boost tourism creating jobs and pushing up the GDP for which needed steps should be taken a Pakistani, Chinese and businessmen of other countries have already started establishing hotels and guest houses but a shortage of five and four-star hotels can be felt.
The travel, tourism and hospitality business has been estimated to be twelve billion dollars in Pakistan which has been projected to jump to eighteen billion dollars by 2026.
Moreover, travelling has been estimated to be two billion dollars which will see a significant rise if problems of the industry are resolved, he said.
