ISLAMABAD
\nThe Senate was informed on Friday that the federal government has taken multiple measures\u2014prior to and following devolution\u2014to support the promotion of tourism in Chitral, though the primary responsibility now rests with the provinces.
\nResponding to a question raised by Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the House that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, tourism was devolved to provincial governments, making the development and promotion of tourist destinations the mandate of the respective provinces.
\nThe minister said the federal cabinet had approved the restructuring of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) in May 2019, after which\u2014effective July 2020\u2014all PTDC properties were handed over to the provinces, including those located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
\nBefore restructuring, PTDC had been operating five lodging facilities in Chitral Valley, situated in Chitral city, Bumburet, Mastuj, Booni and Birmoglasht, aimed at providing affordable accommodation for travellers.
\nPTDC had also been running a Tourist Facilitation Centre in Chitral to assist both domestic and foreign visitors. Dr Chaudhry said that in order to ensure continued promotion of the region, PTDC had highlighted Chitral Valley at major international tourism exhibitions including World Travel Mart (WTM) London, ITB Berlin, and the Travel & Adventure Show in New York, in collaboration with provincial tourism departments and tour operators.
\nHe added that PTDC, in partnership with the Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan (STFP), had developed dedicated tourism websites\u2014www.tourism.gov.pk and www.visitchitralvalley.com\u2014to assist visitors. The platforms provide essential information such as travel routes, accommodation options, tourist attractions, local cuisine, handicrafts, and details of regional fairs and festivals.
\n\u201cThe federal government continues to support efforts to promote Chitral as a premier tourist destination, while operational responsibilities now lie with the provincial authorities,\u201d the minister said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The Senate was informed on Friday that the federal government has taken multiple measures\u2014prior to and following devolution\u2014to support the promotion of tourism in Chitral, though the primary responsibility now rests with the provinces. Responding to a question raised by Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-517297","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n