ISLAMABAD:In connection with the International Tourism Day, a three-day photography exhibition concluded at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).
A colorful prize distribution ceremony was held at the end of the exhibition, in which a total of six cash prizes were given to the winners of painting competition.
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) organized the exhibition in collaboration with Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan (STFP), UNESCO Islamabad, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), PNCA and Serena Hotels.
The exhibition of paintings and Heritage Crafts from Rohtas Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage Site was on .
Art works showcasing collection by as many as 13 talented artists from across the country were on exhibit experimented with oil, acrylic and watercolor mediums to promote sustainable and responsible tourism at the Rohtas Fort.
Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan (STFP) with support of AICS and technical assistance by UNESCO Islamabad in collaboration with the Directorate General of Archeology – Punjab carried out a series of interventions to engage the local community living around Rohtas Fort in safeguarding cultural heritage between 2020-2021.
This included training tour guides and establishing a social enterprise to create handmade souvenirs.
Following the successful conclusion of these interventions, STFP developed an innovative strategy to increase the sustainability of the social enterprise. 13 talented artists from across Pakistan were invited to a three-day painting trip at Rohtas Fort. The artists attended guided tours, taught basic painting techniques to local school children and created live paintings on-site. The artists also worked with STFP to promote sustainable and responsible tourism at the World Heritage Site.
The winners included Ilyas Allaah Buksh, Yawer Talib, Amjad Imdad Rashdi, Abdul Baqi, Altaf Noori, Zulfiqar Ali, Muzamil Hussain Toori, Asif Hussain and Shahbaz Ahmed.