ABBOTTABAD
\nArrived with baggage of cooked food, fruits and tents for camping at the picturesque Thandyani, Qaiser Khan\u2019s family, a former Wapda employee, was rejoiced after visiting their dream tourists\u2019 resort to enjoy snow games, mountaineering and trekking amid rainy weather since last night.
\nEnjoying national and cultural songs of Sohni Dharti and Monga da Khyber Zalmi\u2019 national songs along with his children and other family members on his music system, Qaisar\u2019s sons Zershan and Ehtisham were busy in hammering and fixing tents\u2019 bolts at a suitable place of Thandyani to enjoy the rainy weather on weekened without any charge.
\nAmid disappearing sun behind clouds hovering over Thandyani hills amid blossom of seasonal flowers, Qaiser\u2019s wife who belonged to Wapda Town Nowshera, was seen preparing green tea on gas stove after warming up the Peshawari\u2019s famous Chappli Kabab, Paye and Polao rice dishes they brought along and making it ready on \u2018Dastarkhwans\u2019 to serve her family members on Saturday.
\n\u201cGaliyat is my favorite tourists place. I have planned Galiyat\u2019s tour few years ago but postponed it due to travel restrictions owing to COVID-19 pandemic and today dream of my family to see its mesmerising natural beauty with soothing environment came true,\u201d Qaiser told APP. \u201cI was stunned to see the nearby black clouds, natural beauty and cool fresh air of Thandyani and advised families to come here in large numbers due to its better road connectivity.\u201d
\nWearing traditional Peshawari Chappal, the 59-year-old tourist said that he had brought tents and other stuff along as the hotel room and food cost was very high for a common man at Galiyat.
\n\u201cThe rent of a normal two-bedroom per night in Thandyani and Nathiyagali is approximately Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 that was beyond of hiring capacity of middle class.\u201d
\nHe said that he had selected Thandiyani as first camping site as the tourists can see the snow-covered Pir Panjal mountain range of Kashmir and lush green terrains of Kaghan and Kohistan besides snow-clad ranges of Swat and Chitral from Thandyani top having 2,750 meters height of the above sea level, which are taking nature lovers and adventure sports enthusiasts over the moon.
\nLike Qaiser Khan, hundreds of thousand families and tourists arrived at northern Khyber Pakthunkhwa especially Malakand and Hazara divisions including Galiyat and Thandyani to explore its waterfalls, gushing rivers, Saiful Malook, Ansoo, Dudipath and Mahoodhand lakes and colonial era tracks besides enjoying the expansive trout fish and water boating in River Kunhar at Kaghan and Khanpur dam at Haripur.
\n\u201cDespite torrential rains in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Punjab provinces, the response of tourists, adventurers and adventure sportsmen in Malakand and Hazara during Eid holidays was impressive,\u201d Saad Khan, the spokesman of Cultural and Tourism Authority told APP on Saturday.
\nHe said thossnds of tourists and adventure sports enthusiasts visited Malakand and Hazara divisions during last three days\u2019 vacation of Eid exploring its breathtaking beauty.
\nDir Upper, Malam Jabba Swat, Galiyat including Thandyani and Nathiagali, Chitral Lower including Kaslah valley and Kaghan and Naran including Saiful Malook and Ansoo lakes in Manshera distric were the most visited destinations during Eidul Fitr holidays.
\nIsrar Ahmad, Sales and Marketing Manager, Swat\u2019s Seerna hotel said domestic tourists\u2019 response to Swat during eid days was higher than last year due to enhanced roads infrastructure and Swat Expressway.
\nHe said that tourists families from other cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore have visited Swat in large numbers during Eid days due to better roads connectivity and enjoyed trout fish besides water rafting and paragliding in Kalam.
\nTourism will not grow with full potential unless we promote sustainable and planned tourism as per international practice, Saad Khan said.
\nTo promote sustainable tourism, he said four Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZ) would be developed at Mankiyal Swat, Thandyani Abbottabad, Ganol Manshera and Madaklasht Lower Chitral.
\nThese ITZs would be constructed with a loan grant of USD 70 million of the World Bank, and that its feasibility studies and master planning was in advance stages and practical work would launch soon after completion of all codel formalities.
\nHe said ITZs Thandyani and Mankiyal would be connected with Swat and Hazara motorways through link roads that would open up entire Malakand and Hazara for tourists and make Pakistan a hub of international tourism.
\nKP government signed 44 memorandum of understanding worth USD 8 billion with international firms during Dubai Expo 2022.
\nTo promote skiing sports, Saad Khan said the government has taken a principle decision to establish ski resorts at Kaghan, Chitral and Swat.
\nFour new hill stations including one each in Chitral and Abbottabad besides two in Kaghan would be developed.
\nThe spokesman said construction of four colonial era tracks between Thandyani-Nathiagali having 8,200 feet height, Thandyani-Biringali track, Dagri Bangal-Meera Jan-Nathiagali track and Kaghan-Mahmnoor trak starting from Singkayari to Kund Bangla and onward to Shaheed Pani Nadai Bangla to Musa Ka Musllaha were in pipeline.
\nHe said internationally waterfalls was a big source of attraction of tourists and the government has decided to develop Lamchar, Sajkot, Noori, Chajjan Haripur, Jarogo Swat, Lanchar Dir and Umbrella Abbottabad waterfall on modern lines to bolster ecotourism.
\nJarogo Abshar, Sulatar Swat, Lashkargas Broghal and Surlaspur Shandur in Upper Chitral, Kumrat Dir Upper, Kalam, Lilowani and Alpuri Shangla, Samani top Hangu\/Orakzai , Laram top and Bin Shahi in Lower Dir were selected for establishment of new camping pods.
\nBesides construction of the theme park at Hundi Swabi, he said federal and KP government policies have helped improve Pakistan\u2019s international place from 89 to 83 in the international travel and tourism development index, which was a great honour for the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ABBOTTABAD Arrived with baggage of cooked food, fruits and tents for camping at the picturesque Thandyani, Qaiser Khan\u2019s family, a former Wapda employee, was rejoiced after visiting their dream tourists\u2019 resort to enjoy snow games, mountaineering and trekking amid rainy weather since last night. Enjoying national and cultural songs of Sohni Dharti and Monga da […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":399930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-399910","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n