Government is fully backing and encouraging the private sector for the promotion of tourism and provision of different facilities to the tourists and various steps were being taken in this connection under the private-public partnership programme.
This was stated by Provincial Minister for Tourism, Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal, while addressing the inaugural function of "Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management" (ITHM) held under the arrangement of Tourism Development Corporation Punjab here in a local hotel.
Secretary Tourism Punjab Hassan Nawaz Tarar, Managing Director TDCP Irfan Ali, Director Academics (ITHM) Mian Naveed Asghar, Programme Director Mrs Qurrat-ul-Ain, large number of students, educationists and people belonging to different walks of life were also present.
The minister said that besides the provision of facilities for tour operating like tourists transportation and hotelling etc, the arrangements of professional training in different related fields had also been made in collaboration with the private sector so that the availability of highly-trained manpower in these sectors could be ensured.
Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal said that there were many important places in Pakistan with historic & cultural background which could be turned into tourist attractions by providing the required facilities to the tourism-lovers.
He said that even in Punjab province there was need to make important historic buildings and places the point of foreign travellers' attention by providing them necessary facilities & back-up and the Punjab government was taking several steps of far-reaching importance in that regard.
He however pointed out the need for the private sector to come forward for the promotion of tourism and said that this would not only result in generation of job opportunities for the young men related with the tourism & hotelling industry but would also earn valuable foreign exchange for the country besides propelling a cycle of economic activity.
Secretary Tourism Punjab, Hassan Nawaz Tarar said that now tourism had got the status of an industry and for the promotion of tourism, Pakistan had developed ties with many foreign countries.
He said that it was a pressing need of the hour to divert the attention of foreign travellers towards the places of historic, cultural and recreational importance in Pakistan.
Ideal service standards should be provided to them so that the tourists who once come to Pakistan should not only come back here again & again but also motivate others to visit Pakistan as tourists.
Tarar said that Faisalabad was a fast growing and developing city and the setting up of ITHM here was a good & timely decision.
He said that the training of different aspects and affairs relating to the tourism & hotel management would be imparted in this organisation to the interested persons in a very professional manner due to which the tourism sector & hotelling industry would get a regular supply of trained young professionals full of zeal, energy & necessary know-how.
Programme Director, ITHM Mrs Qurrat-ul-Ain, while shedding a detailed light over the objectives of setting up the organisation at Faisalabad, said that the training would be imparted in ITHM about the field of tourism and hotelling along the most modern pattern & trends.
Mian Naveed Asghar said that the tourism was a fast-growing industry, which played a very vital role in strengthening the economy of a country.
He said that during the last year about 710 million travellers had travelled to various tourist spots in different countries around the globe, while only 250,000 travellers came to Pakistan during the period.
He said that there is a strong need to attract maximum number of travellers to Pakistan by providing different needed facilities to them.
This way Pakistan could get its reasonable share in international tourists business, which would be of great value & importance for the promotion of national economy.
Earlier, the minister visited the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management in Madina Town and inspected its different sections. Punjab Secretary Tourism Hassan Nawaz Tarar, MD TDCP Irfan Ali & others concerned also accompanied the minister during the inspection.