tourism contribution to gdp in pakistan 2022

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Pakistan tourism industry expects to earn 4b USD in next 4 years: PTDC MD

ISLAMABAD-Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Department Corporation (PTDC) Aftab ur Rehman Rana, Tuesday said that Pakistan’s tourism industry, currently estimated at USD 2.5 billion which will go up to USD 4 billion in next four years. Tourism was not just about attractive destinations and leisure activities, but had emerged as one of the fundamental pillars of economic development and had one of the highest job-creating potentials across all sectors of the country, he said.  The government was doing all to promote tourism and generate more employment opportunities for youth in Pakistan, he said, adding, currently over 300,000 jobs were created through tourism industry which would be further increased to 500,000  in coming years. “The promotion of tourism will not only create economic activity in the local areas, but will also have a positive impact on the national economy,” he said adding, the contribution rate of the tourism industry to Pakistan’s GDP was 5%, which would exceed to 7%. The tourism ministry was taking a keen interest in promoting the culture, adventure and religious tourism in the country and adopting measures to revamp the infrastructure and ensure all the required facilities for the tourists, he added. With public-private partnership, more destinations were being identified and developed, historic and religious places were being refurbished and preserved, roads and motorways leading to tourist destinations were being built, and new hotels and accommodations were being set up, he mentioned. He said that government was facilitating private tour operators, adding, private tour operators from next year would participate in five major tourism expose to further promote soft image of Pakistan on international forums.  He also stressed for bringing improvement in aviation policy which would control high rate fares of airlines, adding, there was dire need to allow neighbour countries’ airlines in the country in which we would earn double revenue and it would give a new competition between airlines.  He said Pakistan was among the top few countries which were facing the highest risk of disasters due to impacts of global warming and climate change, adding that many heritage sites had faced serious damages and many natural landscapes of tourist areas had been eroded. To another question, he said Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) had held a two-day conference in Islamabad to mark the World Tourism Day, which was celebrated every year on 27th September.  Experts from tourism industry had participated in five panel discussions to discuss topics including restoration of tourism after floods and widespread rains, removing bottlenecks to promote foreign tourism in Pakistan, issues and challenges of mountaineering and trekking tourism in the country, he added.

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Daily Times

Your right to know Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Pakistan improves by 20 ranks on WEF’s travel, tourism development Index 2024

May 22, 2024

The WEF report ranks Pakistan 101st globally, showing an improvement of 20 ranks as compared to 2019, with a score of 3.41, reflecting a 3.6 percent improvement since 2019 and, a 14% improvement on its 2019 rankings.

Pakistan has significantly improved its global rankings of the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI).

Keeping the base year 2019, Pakistan has improved 20 ranks and scored at 101 on the TTDI in 2024, said a press release issued here on Tuesday. Pakistan is classified as a lower-middle-income economy and part of the Asia-Pacific regional group in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024. The top countries on the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) in 2024 are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy, and Switzerland.

These countries have been recognized for their favorable business environments, open travel policies, well-developed transport, tourism, and ICT infrastructure, as well as rich natural, cultural, and non-leisure attractions. They collectively accounted for over 75% of the Travel & Tourism industry GDP in 2022 and 70% of GDP growth between 2020 and 2022

Within the Asia-Pacific region, Pakistan shows potential, especially in natural resources and cultural assets.

However, challenges remain, particularly in air transport infrastructure and tourist services. Pakistan’s efforts to enhance its tourism sector are evident, with various initiatives to improve ICT readiness and cultural resources.

Speaking on the occasion, Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer of Mishal Pakistan and the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum said, “Pakistan’s scores identify the struggling efforts done by the institutional efforts in the country. Institutions like the Pakistan Tourism Development Authority and its team have made significant efforts in making Pakistan a more attractive and affordable tourism destination”. He further said, “The efforts of the World Bank have been pivotal in supporting integrated tourism in the country”. Jahangir said that the collective efforts put in by PTDC and other institutions along with the World Bank have brought the stakeholders on a single platform and successfully created public policy dialogues. This is enabling the provinces to learn best practices from each other”.

The initiatives under PTDC on the National Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (NTTCI) have enabled a structure of institutional learning.

This is impacting the improvement of Pakistan’s rankings manifold. The data from the National Index can further improve rankings if the international travel and tourism data are reflected in the national and provincial strategies.

A more competitive environment between the provinces can also improve the competitiveness propositions offered by the tourism industry across the nation, ultimately expanding choices for the citizens and attracting international tourists for unique tourism experiences.

Pakistan’s positive performance on the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) between 2019 and 2024 is part of a broader trend where low to middle-income economies have shown significant enhancement in performance on the TTDI, with these economies accounting for much of the above-average improvements in scores in various regions. Pakistan’s advancement on the index signifies a positive trajectory in its tourism sector, indicating potential growth and readiness for future opportunities in the travel and tourism market.

Comparatively, Pakistan’s TTDI score places it above countries like Nepal, and Bangladesh in South Asia. However, it trails behind higher-ranked countries in the region such as India, and Srilanka, which have higher scores across most TTDI pillars.

Pakistan’s high seasonality of international tourist arrivals reflects the country’s appeal as a travel destination, but infrastructure and enabling conditions for tourism development remain areas needing improvement. The government’s prioritization of tourism and ongoing efforts to enhance safety, security, and health and hygiene standards are crucial for advancing Pakistan’s tourism industry.

Mishal Pakistan is Pakistan’s leading strategic communication and design company. It is a multi-year award winning strategic planning company and the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum.

Mishal generates primary data on more than 200 indicators measuring Pakistan’s growth and competitiveness and the foremost domain of activity is behavior change communication, strategic communication with a spotlight on media and perception management.

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Promoting Responsible Tourism in Pakistan’s North

Pakistan’s tourist attractions are diverse

World Bank Pakistan

Growing up, Muhammad Numan saw a cleaner, more natural environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tourist destinations. But as time passed and tourism surged, the local landscape he once knew began to change. The influx of tourists resulted in a growing pile of litter across the otherwise scenic sites in the north.

The travel and tourism sector’s total contribution to Pakistan’s GDP was 5.9 percent in 2022 and 4.2 million jobs.  This is sub-optimal considering the diverse tourist sites located across the country. Pakistan attracted ~US$ 16 billion in visitor spending in 2022 which is projected to touch ~US$ 30 billion in 2033.

Pakistan experienced an unprecedented surge in domestic tourism immediately after the Covid induced travel restrictions were lifted: For instance, in 2021 and 2022, over 1.2 million domestic and international tourists visited the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone .

To manage this increasing all-season footfall of visitors while harnessing its understated economic potential, the local authorities, communities, and private sector require resources, equipment and training without losing focus on green and inclusive tourism.

Determined to make a change, Numan, who now works as a manager at a local hotel in Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sought ways to mitigate the negative impact of the tourism industry on the ecosystem. That is when he came across the “Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Eco-tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” (TREK) initiative – a partnership between the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, World Bank (WB) and Nestlé Pakistan to promote and support responsible tourism initiatives.

TREK complements the ongoing activities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE) project for heritage preservation and tourism infrastructure development. Since 2020, it has completed awareness campaigns for tourists, and training of local communities and hospitality businesses on waste management. TREK has trained over 650 participants from more than 150 hotels and restaurants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tourist areas. The beneficiaries also included local communities, local authorities and academia of Peshawar, Nathiagali, Abbottabad, Swat , Naran and Chitral districts.

These trainings concentrated on solid waste minimization, segregation, management, and recycling techniques. Public service messages on responsible tourism were also launched through social media and radio campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and cities of Islamabad and Lahore. Most country’s domestic tourists are concentrated in these geographies and were thus able to receive communication on tourist helplines on the importance of keeping the sites litter-free.

10,000 reusable bags were distributed to tourists and the hotel association in tourist hotspots aiming to encourage their use and minimize littering. In parallel, the IDA-financed KITE project provided waste bins, garbage collection and compacting machinery to the local authorities in Nathiagali, Naran, Chitral and Kumrat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and a few locations in Punjab province, and installed 50 tourist information signboards to complement the awareness campaigns.

Tourist information sign boards in Galiyat, Pakistan

TREK Awareness Workshop for Community and Local Government Participants

Incorporating the knowledge from these sessions, like several other participants, Numan introduced eco-friendly practices at his hotel. He also spearheads a community-funded clean-up initiative in his hometown of Mardan district. This initiative has transformed into a community-driven effort, with residents actively participating in regular clean-up drives. Such sustainable transformations encapsulate the very essence of what TREK envisions for communities throughout the province and beyond.

TREK has propelled its partners towards impactful activities by encouraging collaboration with the private sector. Its partner in the initiative, Nestlé Pakistan, is taking concrete actions to create circular systems that make it easier to collect, recycle and reuse products that use plastic. It is committed to designing 100 percent of its plastic packaging for recycling and expects to achieve a 95 percent target by 2025.

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has allocated resources and supports its teams to ensure green and inclusive destination management in partnership with the private sector.

The project has also provided machinery for snow removal and solid waste management to local authorities to improve accessibility, traffic flow and promote sustainable tourism in the province.

TREK's inclusivity stands out, inviting participants from diverse backgrounds, including women, youth, and the transgender community.  Zareen Akhtar, a social worker, and human rights activist who underwent TREK training, testified to the program's transformative impact. She acknowledged the newfound knowledge she gained, eager to share it with others. She emphasized that she’s one of the many women in this region who have had the opportunity to attend these trainings. “Inclusion of women not only has a wider social impact but also a major mindset shift in the region, allowing for a cohesive awareness within the social fabric of the community.”

Initiatives like TREK have the power to transform the tourism landscape in some of Pakistan's most pristine destinations and ensure that future generations continue to enjoy these in years to come. In its next phase, TREK will integrate additional players from the private and financial sectors of the country to launch activities that support community empowerment and investment mobilization for job creation.

By Kiran Afzal , Senior Private Sector Specialist, World Bank Pakistan,  Touseef Khalid , Project Director, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) Project, and  Sheikh Waqar Ahmad , Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Nestlé Pakistan.

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Pakistan attracted $16bn in visitor spending in 2022: World Bank

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan attracted $16 billion in visitor spending in 2022 which is projected to touch $30 billion in 2033, says the World Bank.

The bank on its website stated that the travel and tourism sector’s total contribution to Pakistan’s GDP was 5.9 percent in 2022 and 4.2 million jobs. This is sub-optimal considering the diverse tourist sites located across the country.

Pakistan experienced an unprecedented surge in domestic tourism immediately after the Covid-induced travel restrictions were lifted: In 2021 and 2022, over 1.2 million domestic and international tourists visited the country’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province alone.

$209m EDEIP: World Bank rates implementation progress as moderately satisfactory

To manage this increasing all-season footfall of visitors while harnessing its understated economic potential, the local authorities, communities, and private sector require resources, equipment and training without losing focus on green and inclusive tourism.

Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Eco-tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TREK) initiative – a partnership between the Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the World Bank (WB), and Nestlé Pakistan to promote and support responsible tourism initiatives, complements the ongoing activities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE) project for heritage preservation and tourism infrastructure development.

Since 2020, it has completed awareness campaigns for tourists, and training of local communities and hospitality businesses on waste management.

TREK has trained over 650 participants from more than 150 hotels and restaurants in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s tourist areas. The beneficiaries also included local communities, local authorities and academia of Peshawar, Nathiagali, Abbottabad, Swat, Naran, and Chitral districts.

These trainings concentrated on solid waste minimisation, segregation, management, and recycling techniques. Public service messages on responsible tourism were also launched through social media and radio campaigns in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and cities of Islamabad and Lahore.

Most country’s domestic tourists are concentrated in these geographies and were thus, able to receive communication on tourist helplines on the importance of keeping the sites litter-free.

10,000 reusable bags were distributed to tourists and the hotel association in tourist hotspots aiming to encourage their use and minimise littering. In parallel, the IDA-financed KITE project provided waste bins, garbage collection and compacting machinery to the local authorities in Nathiagali, Naran, Chitral, and Kumrat districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and a few locations in Punjab province, and installed 50 tourist information signboards to complement the awareness campaigns.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

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On the 9th of December, the once sleepy hill-town of Murree was declared a calamity hit after thousands of cars were stranded out on the roads because of an influx of tourists coming into the area. Before rescue operations could be launched, at least 23 people including children had perished in the night. 

The outrage that followed the tragedy has been as impassioned as it has been unfocused. While blame was naturally ascribed to the inefficient response of the local and provincial governments, a lot of the backlash focused on the fact that local hotels began charging exorbitant rates from stranded visitors and there also began a widespread call to boycott Murree as a tourist location. 

However, there is a much more critical lesson that needs to be taken from the tragedy at Murree. Only a few days before the incident, information minister Fawad Chahudhry had bragged that the arrival of more than 100,000 cars in Murree was an indicator of economic prosperity and showed that people were not under any great financial stress. The statement did not age well (to put it mildly) but it tells us something – the government approach towards tourism in the country has focused simply on getting people both local and foreign to travel and experience Pakistan without much care as to how these tourists should be managed. 

Tourism is a complicated subject that takes a lot of thought and planning. The number of tourist destinations in Pakistan have increased over the past decade, especially with greater road access along the Karakoram highway. But other than connectivity and access it is worth looking at what plans have been put in place in terms of sanitation, real estate development, energy, traffic management, resources, and public awareness. 

Tourism in Pakistan 

Pakistan’s tourism potential has long been known for a long time. Dogged by security issues and political instability, it has been unable to attract a significant amount of foreign tourists even though it has received a lot of media attention as a hidden gem. Different governments over time have been drawn to this idea of turning Pakistan into a tourist hub and some steps have been taken in terms of connectivity and accessibility of remote areas, particularly in the northern regions of the country. 

Tapping Pakistan’s tourism potential has in particular been a pet project of incumbent Prime Minister Imran Khan. His government came in with the aim of building four tourist resorts a year to reach a total of 20 by the end of their tenure. All to promote tourism in the country. According to the 2021 report of the World Travel & Tourism Council, travel and tourism contributed $8.8 billion, approximately 2.9% of total GDP of Pakistan, in 2017. By 2019, the total GDP contribution of tourism to Pakistan was $15 billion which accounts for 5.7% of the total GDP. However, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this growth fell significantly in 2020 by nearly 25%, falling to $11.6 billion, or 4.4% of GDP. Similarly, jobs in the tourism industry fell 11.1% from 3.45 million in 2019 to 3.63 million in 2020. Most significant to these figures, however, is that the major contributor in this is Pakistan’s domestic tourists. In fact, domestic spending on tourism accounts for 91% of total spending, and foreign tourists bring in a mere 9% of the revenue of the tourism and travel industry in Pakistan. Of this, 93% is leisure spending on travel and tourism and only 7% is for business. 

This then means that the majority of the demand for tourism in the country comes from within. Nearly five million domestic tourists travel each year across Pakistan. But for all of the natural potential that Pakistan has, it lags behind in some very specific areas. According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index developed by the World Economic Forum, Pakistan lags in all key sub-indicators with the exception of price competitiveness, which is only the result of the depreciation in the rupee. 

Out of a list of 141 countries, Pakistan is 130th at having an Enabling Environment, 138th on Safety and Security index, 102nd on the Health and Hygiene index, 138th on the Human Resource and Labour Market index, 123rd on Travel and Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions, 120th on Prioritisation of Travel and Tourism by the Government, 107th on Tourism Infrastructure, and 141st out of 141 countries on the Environmental Sustainability index. 

What happened in Murree? 

The problems that have been described above have plagued Pakistan’s domestic tourism industry forever. There is very little care for environmental sustainability, sanitation is not taken care of, real estate development on the outskirts of places like Murree is rampant with complete disregard for utility provision like sewage and power. The influx of tourists can go in the hundreds of thousands in peak season and finding rooms can be increasingly difficult. 

Murree is still Pakistan’s most visited and well known tourist destination in the public imagination. What happened in Murree shows the same problems that have been described by the different indicators in which Pakistan ranks badly. In an article for Dawn, Dr Omer Mukhtar Khan, author of the recently published ‘Once Upon A Time in Murree’ argues that “part of the reason is our collective apathy when it comes to strong urban governance and sustainable environmental practises. Murree has been our top most visited resort since independence and while the elite may have found other places to spend their vacations, the majority of Pakistanis did not have many options and stuck to this beautiful colonial hill town for their brief holidays.”

‘Murree continues to be run from Lahore with very weak local government as elsewhere in the country, limited building regulations leading to monstrous hotels and apartments cropping up, poor waste management systems with trash everywhere, smelly sewage flowing all around and an unregulated and predatory hospitality industry doing the rest in destroying this only mainstream tourist resort for Pakistanis. There is also limited focus on traffic management as well as an effective communications system to inform the public at large about any weather warnings,” he went on to write. 

This is where our original point comes back in – tourism is not an easy sector to develop. requires development of infrastructure like power, telecommunication, water supply, roads, sewage and sanitation and some associated sectors like travel items, sports equipment, medicines, and cosmetics. 

Take simply the issue of sewage and solid waste management as an example to try and understand the level of detail that needs to go into developing tourism. Every single industry has a particular wasteful by-product. In the case of the tourism industry, that by-product is solid waste and sewage. A 2018 joint study by the National University of Civil Engineering in Vietnam and Okayama University of Japan, found that on average in tourist hotspots the amount of waste produced per day by a single guest was 2.28 KG. The study, which looked at 120 hotels in tourist hotspots, sampled waste produced from all departments of the hotels such as from the rooms, garden, restaurants, kitchen, laundry, offices, stores, repairing stores, and from other services. Vietnam, which has over the past few years been developing as a tourist destination, has had a fraught history with managing the waste from their tourists. A different study published in ‘The Journal for a Sustainable Economy’ shows that the tourist destination of Hoi An City, which gets more than 3 million visitors a year, generated around 15080 KG of waste daily. 

The amount of waste that can accumulate when a tourist destination’s population swells during peak season is one of the top problems in managing the growth of the tourism industry. If hundreds of thousands of people are visiting an area like Murree at a time, the size of the solid waste problem has to be measured in the tonnes. Going by the earlier mentioned study, if a single guest is producing just 2Kg in solid waste and sewage per day,and you have 100,000 visitors in Murree, that is 220 tonnes per day of waste. That translates to 6600 tonnes of waste per month in peak seasons. 

The impact can be an urban management disaster as well as an environmental hazard. In 2017, environmentalists raised concerns after hundreds of fish were found dying in Rawal lake because of contamination. The main reason for the contamination was the flow of sewage in the streams of Murree and its adjoining areas into the Korang River which discharges into Rawal Lake. A Dawn report on the issue said that “the Punjab government has yet to take action for stopping sewage from Murree and its adjoining areas from ending up in the lake as it wanted the federal government to install a treatment plant, claiming that the 12 kilometre area around the lake fell in the limits of the CDA. Though billions of rupees are being spent on the development of the hill station, no steps have been taken for installing a sewage treatment plant in or around Murree.” 

In a 2015 report by the government, the system of sewage in Murree was “non-existent. “At present no system exists for the drainage of domestic/commercial sewage and storm water in the Murree City area. Sewage is disposed of through lined / unlined drains constructed by local bodies and these drains either disposed of on the hills directly or terminated in the natural hill torrents around the inter periphery of the city. The sewage either seeps down in the crest of hills or contaminates the water bodies in the hill torrents. Especially at the western side of Murree sewage flows upto the Haro River and contaminates its water. Seeping down sewage and storm water in the hill causes frequent landslides and contaminating hill torrents,” read the report. 

The infrastructure for tourism thus includes basic infrastructure components like airports, railways, roads, waterways, electricity, water supply, drainage, sewerage, solid waste disposal systems and services. Moreover, facilities like accommodation, restaurants, recreational facilities, and shopping facilities also come under the ambit of Tourism Infrastructure. Planning for sustainable development of Tourism Infrastructure, therefore, involves the integrated development of basic infrastructure and amenities along with all the tourism facilities in a balanced manner. It needs thoughtful planning and dedicated execution. 

In the case of Murree, the development of the hill-town has come with not just colonial baggage but the disadvantage of being administered remotely from Lahore as part of the Punjab. While Murree is the largest tourist destination in Pakistan in terms of inflow (particularly domestic inflow) it is worth looking at how other tourist destinations are being developed in Pakistan, such as Gilgit-Baltistan, which has seen more interest after accessibility to the region has increased through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Karakoram Highway. 

The Gilgit-Baltistan example

In April 2021, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the historic five-year development package worth Rs370 billion for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) during his visit to Gilgit. After the inauguration of some projects of the Special Communication Organization (SCO) in Gilgit, the prime minister said that the government was starting with a package of Rs370 billion to be spent over five years and that never before had such an amount been spent in the area.

The Rs370 billion development plan includes PSDP funding of Rs275 billion in three years with an average Rs55 billion per year. At least 18 new PSDP projects are included in the package with the cost of Rs130 billion. Whereas 11 ongoing projects of PSDP of Rs31.2 billion are also included in the package. Besides, at least 2,114 ongoing projects of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of GB worth Rs113 billion are also included in the development package.

The major focus of the package and the projects is supposed to be developing infrastructure in Gilgit-Baltistan to make it an attractive location for tourism. 

For tourism in particular, skills development and training related to tourism, Rs6 billion have been allocated, while Rs17 billion will be spent on projects relating to health and education initiatives. However, other than health and education, the allocation of the money is supposed to be in the general interest developing tourism in the area. As part of the package, there are five road projects worth Rs35 billion, two big water projects of Rs8.5 billion including a water supply scheme for GB and a sewage and sanitation scheme for Skardu. There are also various projects such as incubation centres for promoting business and entrepreneurship, flood protection structures, enhancement of biodiversity and aqua systems, network expansion of 3G and 4G services in the pipeline. 

All of these projects from sanitation to mobile connectivity are critical to any sort of tourism economy developing in the region. According to data gathered in the last three years, the flow of domestic tourists in Gilgit-Baltistan is 86% while the rest is foreign tourists. Back in 2012, the government of Gilgit-Baltistan had tried to identify some of the problems that were resulting in poor inflows into the area for tourism. 

In a presentation given by Imran Sikandar Baloch, then Secretary Tourism, the problems started from the condition of the Karakoram Highway, which was in poor condition with no alternative road available. If the highway was choked or if there was a particularly bad landslide, there would then be the issue of long pileups in an environmentally volatile and harsh area. 

And the infrastructural issues did not end there. Unpredictable flight scheduling and the woes of PIA bookings means that by-road is the only sensible way to approach the issue. The centralised issuance of permits and conduct of briefing and debriefing in Islamabad is also an issue in addition to the lack of tourist facilities at the tourist attractions and lack of skilled manpower despite a reasonable literacy rate. 

The presentation also highlighted how there is a lack of authentic tourism related data or any baseline study by reputed parties, a lack of online information, reluctance of major travel insurance companies to insure foreign tourists, the absence of a tourism policy, mushrooming growth of civil structures due to absence of zoning laws, and no tangible investment policy. 

Since then, a lot has changed. For starters, the Karakoram Highway as part of CPEC has been cleaned up and made accessibility to the region much easier. In terms of getting there, the Skardu airport has also improved. Only recently, in December 2021, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Skardu International Airport and Jaglot-Skardu road during a day-long visit to the region. The airport in Skardu was previously only operational for domestic flights, and the Prime Minister promised that if Switzerland could generate $70 billion from tourism then “we can make at least $30-$40 billion from tourism just in GB”. Meanwhile, through the Rs 370 billion package that was mentioned earlier, the government wants to address the issue of a dedicated workforce through skills development programmes. 

Progress has clearly been made and the number of tourists coming into the region has increased over the past few years, especially since the paving of the Karakoram Highway. Two major communication projects included in the package, including Astore-AJK Shuntar Road (connecting GB with Punjab via AJK) and Gilgit-Chitral Road (via Shandoor) Road (connecting Gilgit with KPK and Rawalpindi/Islamabad) would play the major role in tourism development in GB and adjoining areas. These roads are in addition to the existing highway. 

In May 2021, during the peak summer months, Skardu and Gilgit airports on Tuesday saw a massive rise in flight operations, at par with major cities of Pakistan, when nearly 16 PIA flights operated to and from both the cities daily. The airports saw a hustle bustle with flights continuously arriving and departing at the same time.

Getting to GB for tourism has become easier for sure. But is the region equipped to handle such a large and rising load of visitors? Have arrangements been made to first discourage the use of single-use items like plastic wrappers, or safe and sustainable disposal of the sewage that such a large number of visitors will bring? Already pristine parts of the region, like Deosai, are littered with plastic waste. What will happen millions of people start visiting the region over one season? Zoning laws are not clearly implemented, power coverage in the region continues to be low, sewerage and sanitation treatment and disposal is virtually non existent, and other than getting there the tourism process has not become significantly easier in terms of having facilities like accommodation, restaurants, recreational facilities, and shopping facilities. 

Case study – Malaysia 

The example of Malaysia could be one that Pakistan could look to learn from. 

There are, of course, structural differences that make things easier for Malaysia and are important in developing any kind of tourism anywhere. For starters, they have a stable political system unlike in Pakistan. Malaysia also has developed and modernised infrastructure including roads and highways linking different cities, renovated and new airports, international standard car rental system, high-speed trains, reconstructed public transport system (trams, buses, taxis etc.), public internet facilities.

In addition to connectivity, they have also focused on developing shopping centres, tax exemptions on luxury goods and exchange rate management. There is great emphasis on the  maintenance of tourist sites, conservation of archaeological sites, renovation and the development of urban areas. The government has also given the private sector representation in policy making and reduced obstacles for international and local investors in Malaysian entities. 

Like Pakistan, travel to Malaysia is also cheap and there is a very favourable exchange rate for travellers from developed countries. However, for domestic tourists, there are also strict policy measures for crime prevention, especially in tourist areas and developed outstanding health care systems for tourists. Malaysia has also been successful in promoting education for the development of skilled resources, professionalism, and innovation in the tourism industry – which as mentioned is what is being attempted in Gilgit-Baltistan and other regions as well. 

The government of Malaysia partnering with private agencies for production of telegraphic imagery including movies, documentaries, adverts etc. for the branding of Malaysian tourism outside of international borders including channels such as National geographic and discovery channels. The entire “Malaysia Truly Asia” campaign in 1999 and “Visit Malaysia (VMY) 2014” were both incredibly popular and successful marketing campaigns that brought serious tourist attention towards the island nation. 

They have also encouraged tourism activities such as amusement parks, casinos, races such as the  grand prix and formula one — essentially, it is not enough to be just scenic. There need to be things to do. 

What are the lessons Pakistan can take out of this? That the government should focus on encouraging more activities related to tourism and focus on creative tools for tourism development based on local resources, such as arts and culture, local wisdom, history, and archaeological sites. Another critical factor would be developing rapid public transportation between tourist areas and cosmopolitan cities for better linkage and accessibility. In Pakistan in particular, there is a dire need to Increase patrolling and crime prevention techniques for more security. It will be vital for the government to show more concern about low-carbon tourism, and they should show more concern about law enforcement to preserve the natural environment and to increase awareness about eco-tourism in the society. 

Conclusion 

The tragic events in Murree must never be allowed to happen again. Over the years, our tourism infrastructure has failed us. There has been a complete disregard for planning, no focus on developing areas and spaces for domestic and international tourism, and very little attention given to risk mitigation and disaster management. With the government banking on tourism being a big money-puller for Pakistan, there will be the need for some serious introspection after the incident. And this introspection must not simply be limited to the incident at Murree, but making sure we learn from our mistakes and treat the areas we have poised to be tourist hotspots with the respect and care that they deserve.

Sure by developing its Infrastructure Pakistan can do that.

While Pakistan has always extended support to the region at micro and macro issues, the incidents of 1971 left a scar on image of the country. Through exclusive interviews of eye witnesses, authors, politicians, war veterans and rare archival footage, the documentary series traces in-depth and first account narratives outlining the reasons as well as events leading up to the Indian sponsored rebellion in East Pakistan, with the eventual creation of an independent state of Bangladesh.

WATCH THE TEASER 2 JHAUR | WAR OF 1971 | DOCUMENTARY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jw0B6IxTy4

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Tourism: economic development without increasing CO2 emissions in Pakistan

• Published: 30 June 2021
• Volume 24 , pages 4000–4023, ( 2022 )

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• Sahib Oad 1 ,
• Qu Jinliang 2 ,
• Syed Babar Hussain Shah 3 &
• Shafique-ul-Rehman Memon 4  

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Globally , the national and cultural resources of a country are major sources of attraction for tourism. Pakistan is gifted with abundant natural and cultural resources that can promote tourism. Tourism, in general, contributes to a country's economy and creates job opportunities for local communities. However, previous studies have shown that tourism can adversely affect the environment by increasing CO 2 emissions generated by touristic activities. In the present study, we used data from the World Bank (1995–2014) to analyze the environmental effects of tourism in Pakistan. The parameters used in the present study were the number of tourist arrival, energy use, gross domestic product and CO 2 emissions. The data was analyzed using Vector Error Correction Model, and Granger Causality Test. The results of the study showed that no parameters have a significant effect on CO 2 emissions in the long-term. The number of tourist arrival has declined in recent years due to socio-political conditions in the country. However, if the political conditions improve, promoting tourism can generate employment and improve economic conditions which can be further invested in education, infrastructure, art and recreation activities. Therefore, we conclude that tourism can be a viable source of economic growth for Pakistan without harming the environment.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) for funding his Ph.D. program. He is also thankful to the Department of Cultural Industry Management for providing academic services to him. The research was supported by China’s National Social Science Fund Top Project “Research on the Systemic Theory of China's Maritime Culture” (Approval No.: 12 and ZD113).

The researcher ensured that the supervisor team is transparent about their involvement and high engagement in the research with all the details highlighted for the research funding that supports the study.

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Qu Jinliang

Department Fisheries Economics & Management, College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

Syed Babar Hussain Shah

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Oad, S., Jinliang, Q., Shah, S.B.H. et al. Tourism: economic development without increasing CO2 emissions in Pakistan. Environ Dev Sustain 24 , 4000–4023 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01601-y

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Received : 15 February 2020

Accepted : 14 June 2021

Published : 30 June 2021

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01601-y

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Pakistan’s Tourism Sector Soars with a 115% Increase in 2023

ISLAMABAD – The year 2023 marked a significant milestone for Pakistan’s tourism sector. The Minister of State for Tourism, Wasi Shah, announced a staggering 115% increase in foreign tourism. This surge has bolstered the country’s economy, contributing $1.3 billion in foreign exchange revenue.

In an exclusive interview, Shah revealed that according to the ‘World Tourism Barometer’ published by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. According to this barometer Pakistan made an impressive recovery to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. The country experienced a 115% surge in tourist arrivals compared to the previous year, indicating a 92% recovery rate.

A Powerhouse in the Tourism Sector

Shah expressed optimism for 2024, anticipating further growth in the tourist travel landscape. He envisions Pakistan transforming into a powerhouse in the tourism sector.

Pakistan is actively promoting tourism and plans to identify more unexplored destinations in Sindh and Balochistan. These areas offer a diverse range of tourism opportunities, including adventure, religious, nature, weekend, rural, and tribal tourism.

Unspoiled Beauty and Untapped Potential

“Our country is enriched by beaches, cliffs, forests, hills, valleys, and rivers. The beauty of the natural landscapes that you find all around the world, but it has them in one gorgeous, beautiful place,” Shah added.

These mostly unspoiled and undiscovered places are where the newly elected government needs to focus. By showcasing Pakistan’s tourism opportunities at global market shows like the World Travel Market (WTM), the country hopes to attract more tourists.

Making Waves at the World Travel Market

Through participation in the World Travel Market, the Pakistan pavilion attracted a large number of travel enthusiasts, representatives of international travel companies, and social media influencers. The World Travel Market in London is one of the world’s largest travel shows. It connects global travel buyers with over 5,000 of the most renowned destinations and brands worldwide.

A Gift for the Nation

In response to a question, Shah described it as a gift for the nation that Pakistan has been declared the best tourism destination in the world. The government is simplifying procedures and encouraging the involvement of the private sector to further boost this sector.

With these promising developments, Pakistan’s tourism sector is poised for a bright future, offering a unique blend of culture, adventure, and natural beauty.

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Pakistan Tourism Revenue

• Pakistan's Tourism Revenue reached 765 USD mn in Dec 2020, compared with 992 USD mn in the previous year
• Pakistan's Tourism Revenue data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1995 to Dec 2020
• The data reached an all-time high of 1,127 USD mn in Dec 2011 and a record low of 492 USD mn in Dec 1999

View Pakistan's Tourism Revenue from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:

What was Pakistan's Tourism Revenue in 2020?

Pakistan's Tourism Revenue reached 765 USD mn in Dec 2020, compared with 992 USD mn in the previous year See the table below for more data.

Tourism Revenue by Country Comparison

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

• Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033

The impact of COVID-19 on global travel and tourism

International tourist arrivals still lagged pre-pandemic levels, share of travel and tourism's total contribution to gdp worldwide in 2019 and 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033.

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2019 and 2022

figures are in constant 2022 prices and exchange rates as of March 2023

The total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP reflects GDP generated directly by the travel and tourism sector plus its indirect and induced impacts.

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Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024

1. About the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024

The index provides a strategic benchmarking tool for business, governments, international organizations and others to develop the travel & tourism sector..

First introduced in 2022, the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) benchmarks and measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the Travel & Tourism (T&T) sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country. The index is a direct evolution of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which has been published biennially since 2007. By allowing cross-country comparison and by benchmarking countries’ progress on the drivers of T&T development, the index informs policies and investment decisions related to the development of T&T businesses and the sector as a whole. It also offers unique insights into the strengths and areas for improvement of each country to support their efforts to enhance the long-term growth of their T&T sector in a sustainable and resilient manner. In particular, the TTDI provides a strategic and holistic overview of the tourism economy, including internal and external enablers of T&T development and their interdependent nature. Furthermore, it provides a valuable platform for multistakeholder dialogue, enabling stakeholders to formulate appropriate policies and actions at local, national, regional and global levels.

The 2024 edition of the TTDI was produced in collaboration with the University of Surrey. As the index knowledge partner, the university provided valuable technical and strategic support for the TTDI and related content. This edition of the index also includes several improvements that are designed to take advantage of newly available data such as the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)’s recently developed indicators on the environmental and social impact of T&T, to make the index more T&T-specific, concise and consistent in its country coverage.

Please note that the changes made to the index limit its comparability to the previously published TTDI 2021. Therefore, this release of the index includes recalculated 2019 and 2021 results, using new adjustments. TTDI 2024 results reflect the latest available data at the time of collection (end of 2023) .

Many of the improvements made to the index are based on stakeholder feedback and input from the TTDI Advisory Group, which includes representatives from Bloom Consulting, the European Travel Commission (ETC), the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, Mastercard, New York University, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Trip.com Group, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), the University of Surrey, Visa, the World Bank and WTTC.

In addition, the index relies on close collaboration with the following data partners: AirDNA, Bloom Consulting, CoStar, Euromonitor International, GlobalPetrolPrices.com, IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), MMGY TCI Research, Tripadvisor, UN Tourism and WTTC.

For more detailed information on the TTDI methodology and the new framework, country peer and income-group classification, indicator details and partner information, and to explore the index results through interactive data visualizations, please visit the index website or see the Technical notes and methodology section of the report.

1.1 Index overview

The index is comprised of five dimensions, 17 pillars and 102 individual indicators, distributed among the different pillars. However, the five dimensions are not factored into the calculation of the index and are used only for presentation and categorization purposes.

Figure 1: TTDI framework

The Enabling Environment dimension captures the general conditions necessary for operating and investing in a country and consists of five pillars:

• Business Environment : This pillar captures the extent to which a country’s policy environment is conducive to companies doing business and investing.
• Safety and Security : This pillar measures the extent to which a country exposes locals, tourists and businesses to security risks.
• Health and Hygiene : This pillar measures healthcare infrastructure and accessibility and health security.
• Human Resources and Labour Market : This pillar measures the availability of quality employees and the dynamism, resilience and equality of the labour market, as well as the level of protection for workers. It consists of the Qualification of the Labour Force, Labour Market Dynamics and Labour Market Resilience and Equality subpillars.
• ICT Readiness : This pillar measures the availability and use of information and communication technology infrastructure and digital services.

The T&T Policy and Enabling Conditions dimension captures specific policies or strategic aspects that affect the T&T sector more directly and consists of three pillars:

• Prioritization of T&T : This pillar measures the extent to which the government actively promotes, tracks and invests in the development of the T&T sector.
• Openness to T&T : This pillar measures how open a country is to visitors and facilitating cross-border travel.
• Price Competitiveness : This pillar measures how costly it is to travel or operate in a country.

The Infrastructure and Services dimension captures the availability and quality of physical infrastructure and tourism services and consists of three pillars:

• Air Transport Infrastructure : This pillar measures the extent to which a country’s infrastructure offers sufficient air connectivity and access for travellers domestically and internationally.
• Ground and Port Infrastructure : This pillar measures the availability of efficient and accessible ground and port transportation services and infrastructure.
• Tourist Services and Infrastructure : This pillar measures investment in, and the availability and productivity of, tourist services and infrastructure.

The Travel & Tourism Resources dimension captures the principal “reasons to travel” to a destination and consists of three pillars:

• Natural Resources : This pillar measures the available natural capital as well as the development of outdoor tourism activities. Natural capital is defined in terms of landscape, natural parks and the richness of the fauna. To an extent, this pillar captures how natural resources are promoted rather than the actual existing natural heritage of a country.
• Cultural Resources : This pillar measures the availability of cultural resources such as archaeological sites and entertainment facilities. To an extent, this pillar captures how cultural resources are promoted and developed rather than the actual existing cultural heritage of a country.
• Non-Leisure Resources : This pillar measures the extent and attractiveness of factors that drive business and other non-leisure travel, including the presence of global cities, major corporations and leading universities.

The Travel & Tourism Sustainability dimension captures the current or potential sustainability challenges and risks facing T&T and consists of three pillars:

• Environmental Sustainability : This pillar measures the travel and tourism sector’s energy sustainability and the general sustainability of an economy’s natural environment and the protection of natural resources. It consists of the T&T Energy Sustainability, Pollution and Environmental Conditions, and Preservation of Nature subpillars.
• T&T Socioeconomic Impact : This pillar measures the economic and social impact of T&T, including induced economic contribution, the provision of high-wage jobs and workforce gender equality.
• T&T Demand Sustainability : This pillar measures factors that may indicate the existence of, or risk related to, overcrowding, demand volatility and other potentially unsustainable demand trends.

1.2 Data and methodology

Most of the dataset for the TTDI is statistical data from international organizations, with the remainder based on survey data from the World Economic Forum’s annual Executive Opinion Survey, which is used to measure concepts that are qualitative in nature or for which internationally comparable statistics are not available for enough countries.

The sources of statistical data include, but are not limited to, AirDNA, Bloom Consulting, Euromonitor International, IATA, ICAO, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the IUCN, CoStar, Tripadvisor, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN Statistics Division, UN Tourism, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the CIA World Factbook, the World Trade Organization (WTO), WTTC and the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA).

The overall TTDI score is computed through successive aggregations of scores, from the indicator level (e.g. the lowest, most disaggregated level) through the pillar levels, using a simple average (i.e. the arithmetic mean) to combine the components. Scores on each indicator are first normalized and rated on a common scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being the worst and 7 being the best outcome.

1.3 Economy coverage

The TTDI covers 119 economies. Economies that were covered in the TTDI 2021 but are not covered in the TTDI 2024 are Cape Verde, Chad, Hong Kong SAR, Lesotho and Yemen. Economies added to the 2024 TTDI are Algeria, Barbados, Iran, Jamaica, Oman, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe.