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1. ExploitingKhyberPakhtunkhwa’sTourismPotential:GapsandRemedies
Introduction
Globally,travel andtourismmake upthe largestservice industryandaccountsformore than10.4
percentof the global Gross DomesticProduct(GDP).Accordingtothe World Travel and TourismCouncil
(WTTC) report,the sectorisworth US$7.6 trillionandemploys313millionpeople worldwide,which
meansthat one ineverytenjobsisdirectlylinkedtotourism.Itisaneffective tool todrive
infrastructure development,informurbanplanning,increase femalelabourforce participationand
promote artisansandintangible culture.Asaservice industry,tourismislabourintensiveandis
traditionallymade of small andmediumenterprises(SMEs).Itcultivatescollaborationbetweenfirms,
publicsectorandlocal communitieswhile buildingpeace andencouragingcross-bordertravel.Tounlock
the potential of thisindustry,the policymakersinseveralcountriesare supportingregulatoryreformsto
developtourismandassociatedvalue chains,includingfoodandbeverage,constructionandtransport.
Some countriesare benefittingalready.Forinstance,the RwandangovernmentandSri Lanka,where
the tourismindustryhascontributedsignificantlytowardscreationof inclusive jobsandsustainedpeace
building.Itisnowtime forPakistantoalsouse the country’sunique landscapeandcultural heritage by
transformingthese assetsintoenginesof jobcreation,image buildingandeconomicprosperity.With
the evolutionof technology,new possibilitiesare emergingforbothtravelersandservice providersin
publicandprivate domain.
Pakistanisa countryhavingfour seasons,mountains,lakes,desertsandagriculture setupcomprisingof
60 percentof the workforce involvedinit.InternallyPakistanhasatouristflow of about10 million
inside the countryduringsummerseason.Thisdomestictouristflowismainlyduringsummerseason
fromareas that are hotin summertomountainousareasinthe northwhere temperaturesare cool.The
domestictouristflowisvisiblylarge inwinterstoo,where peoplefromthe plainsandhotterareasvisit
snowboundareasto witnesssnowfall.
The socio-economicprospectsof tourisminPakistanappearpromising,providedthe governmentand
private stakeholdersprioritizetheirpolicywithcoordinatedeffortstoinduce drasticchangesinthe
industry.The figuresrecordedinthe travel andtourismsectorinPakistanare promisingasitisevident
by the rise intotal visitorexportswhichwas3.7 percentof total exportsin2017, that grew by4.7
percentin2018 and likelytogrowperannumby 6.4 percentfrom2018 to 2028. There will be a nearly
100 percentrise inmonetarytermsfromUS$ 936.4 millionworthof visitorexportstoUS$ 1,826.4
millioninthe comingdecade.Investmentintravel andtourismwas9.1 percentof the total investment
inthe countryin2017, whichstoodat US$ 3,893.4 million.Thisincreasedby5.2percentin2018 and it is
likelytorise by4.1 percentperannum overthe nextdecade to US$ 6,142.0 million.Moreover,the total
contributionof travel andtourismtoemployment(directlyandindirectly) wasalmost6.5percentof
total employment,whichmakesitto3,894,000 jobs.Thistrendgrew by 2.6 percentin2018 to a round
off figure of 4 millionjobsandisexpectedtorise by2.3 percentperannumto 5,017,000 jobsin2028
(6.5 percentof total).The total contributionof the travel andtourismtoGDP was US$ 22,286.3 million,
7.4 percentof GDP in 2017 andrise by 5.4 percentperannumto US$ 39,851.6 millionby2028.
However,Pakistanin2017, in comparisontoworldaverage of US$ 4.8 billion,receivedinvestmentof
US$ 3.9 billion,whichstandsrelativelylowerthanIndonesia,ThailandandMalaysia.Pakistan’svisitor
exportsstood at US$ 0.9 billion,whichislowerthanthe worldaverage of US$ 8.1 billionandSouth
Asianaverage of US$ 6.1 billioninthe same year.

2. The northernareas of Pakistanmostlycomprisingof KhyberPakhtunkhwa’sprovince isaheavenforany
tourist.Fromsnowcappedpeaksandfrozenlakestoserene valleys,interspersedwiththe ruinsof
ancientcivilizations,the provinceisfull of breathtakingviews.Moreover,the religioussitsof Hindus
and Buddhistsare a source of attraction forpilgrims.The potential tourismindustryof the province can
largelybe improvedprovidedthatcertainchallengesare addressed,opportunitiesare fullyutilizedanda
sustainedapproachisadopted.Followingisadetailedaccountof gapsand remediesfortourism
industryin KhyberPakhtunkhwa.
Gaps inKP’sTourismIndustry
KhyberPakhtunkhwahasclearattractionsforlocal and foreignersalike.Butterrorismandlackof
facilitieshadhamstrungtourisminthe province inthe past.Consequentgovernmentsinthe pasthas
not paidenoughattentionforboostingthispotentialindustry.Theyspentlittle efforttohighlightthe
positive image of the province andneglectedthe essentialstepsneededtoenhance the sector.
Foreignershesitatedtovisitthe province,consideringawarstricken,intolerant,andultraconservative
area.The province alsohasinsufficientlodgingfacilitiesandtouristresorts.The farflungtourist
destinationshasinadequateinfrastructure.Some gapsintourismindustryof the KPare givenasunder:
Absence of infrastructure
There isno adequate infrastructure developedbythe governmentwhichmighthave beenhelpfulfor
the tourists.Forinstance,inmanyareas there are no roads andat some placesroadsare in poor
condition.Similarly,landslidingblocksall the roadssometimesandthere isnoeffectivemeasure tolet
the people commute safely.Everyothertouroperatorwill letyouknow thattheyhave experienced
some seriousandperennial challengesdue tothe absence of adequate infrastructure.
Inadequate lodgingfacilities
There are hotelsandrestaurantsbutinverylimitednumber.The touristfacesseriousproblemsintop
seasonsdue torush of touristand unavailabilityof hotelsandrestaurants.Similarly,the foreigntourists
refrainfromvisitingthe serenetouristsitesdue toabsence of standardlodgingfacilities.Moreover,
there isno concrete policymechanismtohave acheck overthe hotelsandrestaurantstofix the prices,
hygiene andfares.
Sociological factors
Thisis somethingwe Pakistanisare notcomfortable totalkabout.There isa misperceptionabout
ourselvesthatwe’re extra-caringandhospitable people.Suchassertionshave some elementsof truth
but cannotbe treatedasa final word.Local people innorthernareasare generallygoodbutovertly
protective of theirownculture andhave some unrestrainedeconomicinterestswhichusuallyleadto
exploitationof the touristsif theyare notaccompaniedbya tour operator.The governmenthasnot
made any efforttomake local culture inclusive ortourist-friendly.Itisultimatelythe responsibilityof
the government(carriedoutthroughdistrictadministration) toprotectboththe localsandthe tourists.
FrequentNatural Calamities
The touristsitesinKhyberPakhtunkhwaoftenfacesextreme weathercursesduringsummerand
winters.The unexpectedandheavysnow fallsinwinteroftenleadtocomplete destructionof
communicationsystemandblockage of roads.The flashfloodsinhotsummerscause severedamagesto

3. roads andbuildingsbuiltfortouristfacilitation.The consequentgovernmentshave notpaidsubstantial
heedtoaddressthese challengesandconsequently,ithasdeterredlocal andforeignertouriststovisit
the serene touristsitesinpeakseasons.
RemediesforBoosting TourismPotential of KP
There isdire needof adoptingthe followingremediestopromote the tourismindustryof Khyber
Pakhtunkhwaandexploitingittoitsfull potential.
Infrastructure DevelopmentandImprovingPublicServices
One of the majorfactors that the governmentneedstoprioritizeisthe developmentof infrastructure
and publicservicestodifferenttouristattractionsacrossthe province.Buildingupof infrastructure will
allowgovernmenttopromote andattract international anddomestictouriststonew locations.
Similarly,developmentof differentmunicipal servicessuchaswaste managementservices,emergency
and healthservicesandsettingupof touristpolice departmentsacrossthe touristsiteswill alsoenable
infurtherreinforcingKP’stourismcredentials.Itappearsthatthese areasof improvementwillsoonbe
addressedasgovernmenthasprioritizeddevelopmentof tourismsector.Moreover,itisalsoworth
mentioningthatbilateral collaborationbetweenChinaandPakistanunderthe BeltandRoadInitiative
(BRI) inform of China– PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC) hasenabledPakistantoexpandnetworkof
road highwaysandpowergenerationplants.These notable developmentshave allowedPakistanto
reduce inter-citytravel distancesandalsotofavorite touristdestinationsinKhyberPakhtunkhwa.
Inclusive PrivateSectorandTourismSector
Traditionally,ineverysectorthe government’srole isasa facilitatorandenablesthe private sectorto
pitchitself inforprovisionof revenue generatingservices.The governmentneedstoprovide an
encouragingspace tohospitalityindustrytoflourish.Private hotelsandmarketscanbe allocatedspaces
at plannedareasinorderto overcome spacingissues.Local specializedcuisinescanserve toprovide an
additional reasonforattractingtouriststofavorite touristdestinations.Similarly,international
associationsincludingUnitedNationsWorldTourismOrganization,alongwithotherinternational
bodies,are notfullymobilizedtoimprove Pakistan’spositionamonginternational touristagenciesfor
bringingininternational touriststoPakistan.Government’sinclinationtopromote formalizationof
economywill enable privatesectortoconnectdifferenttouristlocationswithmodernbankingand
paymentsystems.
MountainTourisminNorthernKP
SceniclocationsinNorthernareasof KhyberPakhtunkhwa,serve asattractive touristdestinationfor
adventure seekers.LocationsforadventuretourisminNorthernpartsof the province have multiple
locationstohelpsatiate the appetite of thrill andadventure seekingtouristsinmountainousareas.
Moreover,the decisionbythe KhyberPakhtunkhwagovernmenttoidentify20new valleysfor
promotingtourismwill generate newtouristdestinationsandcreate additional businessopportunities
for travel operators,newbusinessestoflourishandnew opportunitiestoarise.
PromotingSpiritual andReligiousTourism
There isa greatpotential forpromotinginternational tourismathistorical Buddhistsitesin,Takhti Bahi
and Swat,whichcan bringinflowof foreigntouristsmostlyBuddhistvisitorsfromNorthandSouthEast

4. Asia.HindupilgrimsfromIndia,SoutheastAsia,andwesterncountriescanbe attractedforspiritual and
religioustourismtoreligiouslocationsof Hindureligion.
Promotionof InternationalTourism
Returnof normalcytoPakistan’ssocial andeconomicmilieuisone of the keyaccomplishmentsof
Pakistan’sfightagainstterrorism.The positiveoutcome of thisisvisible inthe KP’stourismsector as
well.Inpastfewyears,the province hasstartedgainingheightenedinterestbyinternational tourists.
Thisis evidentbythe numberof vlogsoverYouTube andothersocial mediaplatformsregardingKP’s
diverse culture,heritage,cuisines,adventuresportsanddiverse landscapes.Thispromotionenabled
generationof renewedinterestamonginternational touriststoexplore richcultural experience and
hospitalityof northernPakistan.
BrandingStrategy,AdvertisingandMarketing
In orderto attract tourismfromabroad, KhyberPakhtunkhwa’sgovernmenthastowork ona
synchronizedpromotionstrategy.Underthisstrategy,itwillneedtoadoptaninnovative,creative and
international brandingstrategy.Marketingcampaignsdesigned atpromotingtourisminthe province at
International Exposandadvertisingitininternationalmediawill enablestrategictargetingof potential
tourists.
EncouragingPrivate andInternational Investment
Pakistan’stourismsectorholdsthe potential of offeringaworldclassexperience tointernational
touristsandtravelers.The effortsbyNTCBand government’sBoardof Investment(BOI)are encouraging
for private andinternationalbusinessestomake theirinvestmentinPakistan.The governmentisalso
inclinedtoremove barriersforattractingmore international businesses.Since,the ongoingtrends
suggestthatthe tourismsectorwill yieldpromisingreturns;internationalbusinessesneedtocapitalize
uponthisopportunityanddirecttheirinvestments inPakistan’stourismsector.Investmentfrom
international businessintourismsectorwill reinforce andelevate the scale of international touriststo
Pakistan.
Facilitationsof ForeignTourists
Concrete measuresare requiredtofacilitate the international tourists,forexample,implementationof a
more flexible visapolicy(electronicvisasforselective nationalitiesinitially,similartowhatSri Lanka,
Turkeyand Egyptare doing) andincreasedfrequencyof flightstothe destinationsinKhyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
Managementof TouristDestinations
Both existingandemergingtouristsitesrequire destinationmanagementwhichcanhelpthe public-
sectorservice providerstoaddressthe challengesfacedbythe industrywhile preservingthe tourism
assetsand ecosystem.Thisisalreadyworkinprocessandrequiresdiligentplanningtoensure thatthe
elementsof environmental sustainability,inclusivenessandprotectionof local communitiesand
revenue mobilizationare factoredin.
Inclusionof the Local Bodies andCommunities

5. The role of local governmentbodiesisinstrumentalinthe overall site planningandmanagement,
otherwise,bothintangible andmonetarybenefitsgeneratedbytourismcannotbe retainedwithinthe
communitiesandlocal economy.
PromotingTourismEducation
It isimportantto reorientthe curriculumof national andprovincial universitiessothatthe youngmen
and womenare well equippedwithknowledge andskillsinarchaeology,hospitality,aviation,andfood
and beverage industry.Thiswillenhance the opportunitiesforyouthtolandinclusive jobsoroptfor
entrepreneurship,therebycreatingnewjobs;
Inclusionof Womeninthe Industry
The industryshouldbe encouragedtomake anall-outefforttooffertourismproductsandservicesfor
womentravelersandmore importantly,introduceaconducive workingenvironmentsothatmore
qualifiedwomenopttoworkinthissector.
Conclusion
KhyberPakhtunkhwahasthe potentialof becomingone of the mostfavorite touristdestinationsin
Pakistan.Coordinationbetweendifferentstakeholdersonkeyfactorsincludingbranding,marketing,
promotion,developmentof infrastructure,andpromotinginvestmentsfromprivate sectorcanattract
more international tourists,seekingtovisitthe province.Continuingthe upwardtrajectoryof
international tourismwill renewinterestof international businessestoinvestinKP’stourismindustry.
Comingupwithcomprehensive andnovel solutionstopromote diverseformsof tourismwillsoon
enable the province toconvertitspromisingtourismpotential intoareality.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayatalishaw/detail/recent-activity/posts/
Please visitthe above linkandcheckfor what youhave writtenandwhatis tourism