Pakistan earns $306m from tourism: MD PTDC

Friday, September 14, 2012 - Islamabad—To promote Pakistan’s tourism products and create soft image of the country, PTDC participated in UNWTO Conference in World’s largest ITB Berlin Tourism Exhibition, World Islamic Tourism Mart in Malaysia, SAARC Tour Operators Conclave in India and SAARC Travel & Tourism Mart in Bangladesh. During 2010, Pakistan received 906,818 foreign tourists and earned US$ 306 million from tourism. Over 200,000 visitors to Pakistan were from South Asia Region forming 22.5% of the total arrivals. This was said by Managing Director PTDC Mir Shahjahan Khetran. He was talking to media at Ayubia on Thursday.

He further said that Pakistan has a variety of products to offer to visitors from the SAARC and rest of the World Region. Buddhist heritage sites of Gandhara, Sikh sacred shrines, Hindu holy temples, Indus valley civilization sites are best-suited for pilgrims, scholars and students. Cosmopolitan cities of Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi / Islamabad offer an attractive mix of culture, heritage, modernity and countless shopping opportunities.

While responding to a question the Managing Director said that there is a continuous need to introduce Pakistan’s culture and tourism on international level and since 1970 PTDC is working hard to promote and develop tourism in the far flung remote areas of Pakistan. PTDC promotes tourism in the areas where private sector is shy to invest and provides a platform to public and private sector tourism organizations to represent Pakistan on international and domestic level.

We hope that in future, PTDC will continue its efforts to promote tourism in the country in future. Every year, PTDC launches special discounted tour packages for students, groups and families in addition to operating air-conditioned coach service between Rawalpindi and Naran. We have also planned to run bus service to Swat next summer.—INP