Peshawar: Pakistan's tourism industry is continuously on the rise, with the country being widely hailed as "tourism's next big thing" due to its diverse treasures.
Particularly, Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with its breathtaking landscapes, Ghandhara civilization, snowfall features and rich natural beauty, holds immense tourism potential, especially in its northern districts that needed Govt patronage for bolstering the rural economy and alleviation of poverty for the masses' benefits
Blessed with plenty of adventure tourism and snow sports opportunities, including being the home to stunning mountain peaks of Falak Sair, Elum, Trich Mir and its picturesque snow-clad valleys and Ghandhara civilizations, alongside regions such as Malakand and Hazara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was going to become a hub of winter tourism after launching of host tourism project.
However, the lack of affordable accommodation and poor connectivity remains a challenge that hinders tourism growth in KP.
Additionally, issues like the threat of terrorism, inadequate roads infrastructure, socio-cultural and language barriers continue to pose obstacles in way of the sustainable tourism.
Despite these challenges, KP's northern areas including Swat, Chitral, Dir, Mansehra and Abbottabad hold a unique potential, particularly for the promotion of snow sports, adventure, heritage and eco-tourism.
To capitalize on KP's tourism wealth and foster the region's socioeconomic growth, the provincial government is going to launch the Host Tourism Project (HTP) aims at financial empowerment of local communities by promoting community-based accommodations to tourists.
Saad Khan, spokesperson for the Culture and Tourism Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that under the landmark program, local residents in tourist areas will be provided loans of up to Rs 3 million from the Bank of Khyber for the construction or renovation of at least two rooms attached to their houses, specifically for hosting tourists.
"The government's focus areas for the project include scenic spots such as Kalam Swat, Kumrat Valley in Upper Dir, Laram Top in Lower Dir, Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Galiyat Abbottabad, and upper Kagan Mansehra. These locations, rich in natural beauty and mountain treasures, have been identified as ideal for tourism expansion," he said.
Saad Khan shared that beneficiaries of this Qarz e Hasna (interest-free loan) scheme should be permanent residents aged between 20 and 55 in these areas.
He said special encouragement is being given to women entrepreneurs and educated families. The government has also stipulated that the rooms constructed or renovated under the scheme must be used exclusively for tourism-related accommodation for a period of at least 10 years.
Professor Dr Zilakat Malik, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar said that the host tourism project was very important in terms of generation of jobs and revitalization of the rural economy.
He said that the travel and tourism market in Pakistan is growing due to prudent pro-tourism policies of the Govt and is likely to grow by 6.75% (2025-2029) resulting in a market volume of over US$5533 million in 2029.
Dr Zilakat said that SAARC countries were earning millions of dollars from tourism despite its limited tourism potential compared to Pakistan and suggested the use of digital media for tourism boost in the home of K2.
Besides the host tourism project, KP Culture and Tourism Authority spokesman said that new camping pods at Larum Top and Shahin Bin Shahi Lower Dir, Kumrat Dir Upper, Broghal and Sorlaspur at Chitral Upper, Shangla, Samana Haripur, Sulatharn Swat and Kalam would give upward push to promotion of winter sports in KP.
The KP government has planned construction of three new ski resorts in Kaghan, Chitral and Swat while the Battakundi-Lalazar chairlift and the proposed cable car project at Dir-Chitral on completion would make the region a tourism hub.
The development of waterfalls of Sajkot, Noori, Chajjian Haripur, Jarogo Swat, Lanchar Dir, Umbrella Abbottabad and four integrated tourism zones (ITZ) would increase Pakistan's tourism capital.
This key initiative is expected to create sustainable income opportunities for local families, promote ecotourism tourism, and play a pivotal role in alleviating poverty in rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.