Govt to launch national tourism promotion App: Zulfiqar Bukhari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) would launch a national tourism promotion application to provide necessary and latest information to the local and foreign tourists about attractive recreational sites across the country,  its Chairman Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari said Wednesday.

He announced this at a launching ceremony of Khyber PakhtunKhwa Tourism Corporation’s mobile application and official logo in Peshawar,  a statement said here.

“The Khyber PakhtunKhwa government again takes lead in carrying forward Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision about tourism, who has been strong proponent of tourism promotion in Pakistan.

“The tourism sector will flourish and if it takes technology as enabler, simplifying the travel for everyone,” he remarked.

The federal government would replicate this initiative at national level and share it with other provinces to uplift this sector which would eventually strengthen the country’s economy.

He said this initiative was the first of its kind which would provide tourists an opportunity to plan their tours easily and help connect travel lovers across the country.

He also shared the PTDC plan of bringing all the provinces including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber PakhtunKhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad and Jammu Kashmir under one umbrella to promote Pakistan’s religious tourism abroad.

Soon, Prime Minister Imran Khan would launch the PTDC's mega project of branding Pakistan abroad, he added.

He reiterated the government’s resolve to boost tourist activities across the country by embracing modern technology. This sector could bring valuable foreign exchange for the country, he added.

Bukhari said the tourism industry could be helpful in evoking fifth industrial revolution in Pakistan which needed serious efforts from every stake-holders.

He said the tourism was contributing around 10 per cent in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) globally but unfortunately, in Pakistan, only 2.9 percent was the contribution of this highly profitable industry in national economy.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said, the PTDC aimed to make it 10 per cent of GDP which would help the industry to add over 20 billion rupee in the national kitty.

Bukhari said the government was striving to bring institutional reforms in the every sector, reaffirming that the government would provide best possible facilities to the tourists.

Lauding the government ‘s initiative of online visa regime, he said the step was in the right direction as it was yielding positive results.