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Pakistan PM Imran Khan vows to unlock untapped tourism potential of mountains

Islamabad, Pakistan - Khan launches new initiative to promote tourism - especially eco-tourism.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said with Pakistan having the most beautiful and undiscovered tourist sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Northern Areas, there was a need to explore and promote the huge untapped tourism potential, including mountain tourism, skiing et cetera.

Switzerland, which is half of KP in terms of area, is earning $80 billion (Dh294 billion) per annum through skiing alone, whereas Pakistan’s annual exports are around $25 billion (Dh92 billion), he added.

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The prime minister was addressing the launching and partnership signing ceremony of ‘Travel Responsibility for Experiencing Eco Tourism (TREK)’ here between the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, World Bank and Nestle Pakistan.

The TREK initiative includes collaboration for awareness campaigns on responsible tourism, waste collection, management and recycling activities. The initiative is aimed at promoting Eco Tourism whereby environmental protection of tourism sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be ensured.

Khan, while congratulating KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan for taking the lead on the issue, said the promotion of tourism - especially eco-tourism - would not only help the country achieve enhanced economic development but also would create more employment opportunities for local population.

He said unfortunately the country’s tourist sites, including those of Naran and Nathiagali, were damaged due to unplanned tourism and constructions.

The prime minister, however, believed that the TREK initiative, under byelaws for environmental protection, would help protect beautiful tourist sites like Kumrat Valley, which, he feared, would also be devastated due to unplanned tourism and constructions.

The installation of a cable car at Kumrat Valley would not only add to the beauty of area but would also help attract more tourists, he added.

Khan said unlike Pakistan, where permanent concrete structures were built at beautiful tourist locations, moveable structures were made at various tourist resorts in the world, including Kenya Safari Park, to protect the environment.

The prime minister said the initiatives like TREK would also encourage local people to take care of the tourist areas in terms of cleanliness and protection of natural beauty from pollution.

He referred to the government’s initiative of protecting the wildlife habitat, including ibex in Chitral, and said due to the government’s efforts the preservation of ibex had been ensured for the protection of wildlife habitat as well as for the benefit of local community.

The prime minister said owing to the government’s policy of promoting tourism, there was a historic increase in tourism, especially local tourism and a large number of people were seen rushing to the KP and Norther Areas in summer and winter seasons alike.

He said mobile phones were contributing a lot in promoting tourism in the country, as tourists often use social media, including Facebook, to post their pictures at beautiful, scenic and tourism sites.

The prime minister said that, while constructing roads, hotels or any other buildings in the country’s tourist sites and areas was important, the protection of the environment should be a top priority.