LAHORE: Adviser to Chief Minister on Tourism Asif Mehmood Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the three-year progress of the Tourism Department.
Secretary Tourism Capt (retd) Mushtaq Ahmed, Additional Secretary Kalsoom Saqib, DG Archaeology Ilyas Gill, MD TDCP Tanveer Jabbar, Deputy Secretary Planning Waqas Ahmed attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the managing director Tourism Development Corporation Punjab (TDCP) and DG Archaeology gave briefing about the important steps taken for development of tourism in Punjab.
The DG Archaeology said that Archaeological Directorate had completed 13 schemes in three years. He said these schemes including protection/ restoration and upgrading of Taxila, Hiran Minar, museum galleries, mausoleums etc., had been pending for 10 years.
The adviser was briefed about Punjab’s first tourism policy, establishment of Tourism Department and formation of tourism squad in Punjab. He was informed that the online portal of Department of Tourist Services (DTS) had been activated and Punjab Tourism Application had been made operational.
Regarding provision of facilities for tourists, the adviser was informed about steps to promote religious tourism in Taxila, along with restoration of Bhai Karam Singh Gurdwara, Afghana mosque, Rohtas Fort, Suri Gallery and others.
The officers briefed the adviser about completion of work on projects at Tilla Joggiyan, Nandana Fort, Malot Temple, Khewra Salt Mines, Takht-e-Babri and Kallar Kahar.
The TDCP official briefed him about new routes of sightseeing bus, which were launched in Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur. Apart from that, the department had also initiated training programme of 3, 000 students for tourism marketing, the official said.
The adviser directed the departments to fully maintain the archaeological and tourist sites so that tourists may be facilitated properly.