ISLAMABAD
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture & Tourism Authority (KP-CTA) in collaboration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) held a conference in Islamabad on Thursday to attract national level investment in the province’s tourism sector.
An “Investment Readiness Conference for Khyber PakhtunKhwa (KP) Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs)” was organized to mobilize private sector investments and to promote responsible tourism, said a handout issued by the authority.
“The aim was to attract investment for the ITZs in Mankyal, Swat and Ganool, and Mansehra,” it added.
A number of investors from across the provinces attended the conference.
A huge number of national level investors. Presidents of ICICI, RCCI, representatives of PTDC, KP-BOIT and other trade associations were also present.
The ITZs is a maiden concept in Pakistan which aims to open new destination in KP to promote responsible tourism by suggesting diversity and quality in the tourism offering of these destinations and provide guidance for tourist planning and destination management activities.
ITZ feasibility and master plans were prepared by the KP’s Department of Tourism (DoT) through the World Bank sponsored KITE project with the support of international experts over a period of one year.
The provincial authorities and other speakers shared the opportunities for private sector investments with the participants.
As part of this exercise, customized plans for each destination have been prepared and will be used to invite investments from the private sector.
It is expected that this approach of destination management will lead to improved visitor experience, better regulation of sites and mobilization of resources from the private sector for the identified investments.
Director General KP CTA Muhammad Bakhtiar Khan in his keynote address stated “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is well positioned as a preferred tourism destination in Pakistan – it has a considerable competitive advantage due to the natural endowments and a culture of hospitality.
The KP government is not only focusing on creating employment opportunities by promoting tourism activities but also making efforts to conserve the natural and cultural assets by promoting responsible tourism in the province.
Ali Asghar, Chief Economist KP said on the occasion that the use of innovative approaches including, development planning for new and existing destinations, public-private partnerships, reduced carbon footprint and heritage preservation are at the center of project implementation.
“Government is contributing extensively towards tourist facilitation, building sector’s resilience against climate change and geophysical hazards and local economic development, ” he added.
Ms. Kiran Afzal, senior private sector specialist in World Bank (WB) congratulated the authority and KITE project on achieving this milestone and mentioned that ITZs can especially help the tourism sector of KP in attracting investments which will lead to economic and social uplift of local communities.
Chief Guest SardarYasir Ilyas, former President ICCI appreciated the KP government efforts in promoting sustainable tourism and urge the local investors to make investments in the tourism sector.
