National News

ISLAMABAD, Sep 29 (APP): Pakistan’s tourism industry is
starting to thrive with annual arrivals more than tripling since
2013.
A report aired by a private news channel, tourists are now
returning to areas such as the Swat Valley, a northern region
known as the Switzerland of Pakistan.
As security improves, annual tourist arrivals to Pakistan
have more than tripled since 2013 to 1.75 million last year, while
domestic travelers rose 30 percent to 38.3 million, according to
the state-owned Pakistan Tourism Development Corp.
The World Travel and Tourism Council puts the total
contribution of tourism to Pakistan’s economy at $19.4 billion
last year or 6.9 percent of gross domestic product. In a decade,
the WTTC expects that to rise to $36.1 billion.
The managing director of Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel
Ltd., a London-based operator Jonny Bealby said that has run trips
to Pakistan for two decades, said his tours to the South Asian
nation are up 60 percent from last year.
Bealby said the main improvement in Pakistan has been
infrastructure. The roads have improved immeasurably reducing
journey times.
Keen to shed the image that it’s unsafe for visitors,
Pakistan has begun a nascent tourism drive and this summer placed
adverts across the sides of London’s iconic red buses. Road
infrastructure has also been boosted across key holiday regions.
Hotel bookings also increased 80 percent last year,
according to Jovago, Pakistan’s biggest accommodation booking
website.
Meanwhile, resort spots like the northern town of Naran are
buzzing with construction work, while hotels and restaurants enjoy
a healthy trade from Pakistani holiday makers.