Is Pakistan ready to host tourists

[Samurai_assassin]

Is Pakistan ready for tourism has played on my mind ever since an upsurge of independent YouTube vloggers from the west have trickled forward to explore Pakistan. Their journeys usually start from Lahore to Islamabad and then to the beautiful region of Gilgit. Pakistan is increasingly becoming a tourist place for many with its breathtaking landscape, culture, food and unmatchable hospitality. However we should be aware and concerned it can only take one unfortunate incident to plunge the tourism industry back into chaos such as the incident a few years ago when an unkown group gunned down several mountaineers in the North of Pak. (Jut as how sports suffered immensely with the Sri Lankan bus atack a decade ago. Pak is still struggling to host international matches). The recent brutal murders of 2 female Scandinavian backpackers in Moroccos mountainous region has pushed many to cancel their holiday plans there and another recent tragic event the rape and murder of a Young British female traveller to New Zealand forced the New Zealand PM to openly apologise to the victims family of their loss. Neighbouring India welcomes thousands of tourists every year and there have been an upsurge of sexual assaults and rapes of tourists by locals. Pakistan is relatively new in welcoming tourists back after decades of turmoil and instability but are the police and law enforcement agencies able to protect the tourists? Are plans put in place incase of emergencies? If Pakistan welcomes tourists with open arms it should also have security measures put in place for their safety and protection. Just my thought.

 

[war&peace]

You have raised good questions. Pakistan was never a very popular tourist destination because govt never developed this industry due to some inexplicable reasons. However, except for the recent law and order situation that started around 2005, with Pakistan joining US war of terror in Afghanistan, Pakistan has been pretty safe country for the foreign visitors and a lot of tourists visited it every year without any risk or incident. Overall people are a lot more friendlier and respectful than Indians.

Right now the law and order situation has become much better after multiple operations against terrorists and I see it only getting better and better with time since the govt is taking more serious initiatives like fencing the border with Afghanistan (which is almost complete), strengthening police force and implementing laws and structural changes like merger of FATA into KPK and granting GB the provincial status etc.
But the growth in tourism requires many other elements in place like quick and easy visa application (preferrably fully online system or visa on arrival at least for some countries), infrastructure (tourist info centres, apps, hotels/motels, quality restaurants, and tourist attractions like parks), efficient transport, emergency services etc. Then overall development and improved hygiene and cleaner environment and cities with proper waste-management etc will go a long way in developing the tourism.

Friends you can also contribute with your valuable knowledge @django @Slav Defence
@PakSword

 

[PakSword]

You have raised good questions. Pakistan was never a very popular tourist destination because govt never developed this industry due to some inexplicable reasons. However, except for the recent law and order situation that started around 2005, with Pakistan joining US war of terror in Afghanistan, Pakistan has been pretty safe country for the foreign visitors and a lot of tourists visited it every year without any risk or incident. Overall people are a lot more friendlier and respectful than Indians.

Right now the law and order situation has become much better after multiple operations against terrorists and I see it only getting better and better with time since the govt is taking more serious initiatives like fencing the border with Afghanistan (which is almost complete), strengthening police force and implementing laws and structural changes like merger of FATA into KPK and granting GB the provincial status etc.
But the growth in tourism requires many other elements in place like quick and easy visa application (preferrably fully online system or visa on arrival at least for some countries), infrastructure (tourist info centres, apps, hotels/motels, quality restaurants, and tourist attractions like parks), efficient transport, emergency services etc. Then overall development and improved hygiene and cleaner environment and cities with proper waste-management etc will go a long way in developing the tourism.

Friends you can also contribute with your valuable knowledge @django @Slav Defence @PakSword

There should be universities in those areas which can teach hotel management, tourism, culinary arts of different continents, customer service and popular languages such as English, Arabic and French..

Once the population knows that they could earn money by simply providing best services to the tourists, they will themselves turn these areas into tourist spots.. They will not let anyone cut any trees, they will fight with terrorist mindset, they will keep the areas clean like any other European country..

The more I think about our nation's current condition, the more I realize that it's all because of lack of education..

 

[Trango Towers]

i travel a lot in Pakistan and its amazing.

one point. hotels are crap. totally crap.

 

[war&peace]

one point. hotels are crap. totally crap.

Not really, depends on what kind of hotels you can afford.

 

[Trango Towers]

Not really, depends on what kind of hotels you can afford.

lol....bro
if you have travelled at all you will know.
hotels in Pakistan are over priced and poor quality. example Naran doesnt have a 5 star hotel. go there at peak season they wont even give you clean sheets. we have to call a spade a spade. no point pretending and brushing the problem under the sheets. even 5 start hotels are way over priced for what they are.

 

[war&peace]

lol....bro
if you have travelled at all you will know.
hotels in Pakistan are over priced and poor quality. example Naran doesnt have a 5 star hotel. go there at peak season they wont even give you clean sheets. we have to call a spade a spade. no point pretending and brushing the problem under the sheets. even 5 start hotels are way over priced for what they are.

Bro, I have travelled extensively both in Pakistan and rest of the world but I think hotels are pretty good except they are quite expensive especially for Pakistan which I don't understand that why hotels are so expensive and charging the rates similar to Scandinavia while benefitting from overall much lower costs in Pakistan like wages, prices of food and services etc

 

[Menace2Society]

Pakistan needs 2 things:

More hotels and restaurants in Gilgit.

Beachside resorts on the coast with an airport. Follow Dominican Republic model of secured area with resorts.

 

[Trango Towers]

Bro, I have travelled extensively both in Pakistan and rest of the world but I think hotels are pretty good except they are quite expensive especially for Pakistan which I don't understand that why hotels are so expensive and charging the rates similar to Scandinavia while benefitting from overall much lower costs in Pakistan like wages, prices of food and services etc

exactly....hygiene and poor standards and extortionate prices and poor service.
anyone can start a hotel or a school or a hospital for that matter. no checks and balances.

 

[Imran Khan]

not yet we need few things
arrange and inspect hotels
tourism police
visa free and on arrival visas for 100 + countries
making some places where westerners and free country people can gather .
clean and arrange tourist places

 

[war&peace]

exactly....hygiene and poor standards and extortionate prices and poor service.
anyone can start a hotel or a school or a hospital for that matter. no checks and balances.

Exactly what? ... I didn't say that.. I only said that they charge a lot more which is disproportionately higher than the costs so it means they have pretty hefty profit margins or perhaps they have to feed some corrupt officials. However, wherever I stayed, the hygiene was good and quality of food was good but a bit expensive. As I said, it all depends on what kind of hotel you can afford. But definitely we need more and better hotels and restaurants.

 

[jupiter2007]

Government & private’s venture needs be created to build more resorts, cabins, hotels and motels in KPK and GB to attract more tourists.

 

[Trango Towers]

Exactly what? ... I didn't say that.. I only said that they charge a lot more which is disproportionately higher than the costs so it means they have pretty hefty profit margins or perhaps they have to feed some corrupt officials. However, wherever I stayed, the hygiene was good and quality of food was good but a bit expensive. As I said, it all depends on what kind of hotel you can afford. But definitely we need more and better hotels and restaurants.

I think u and i have differing standards then...
I have stayed at PC , marriots and govenment run PDTC motels as well as private . And if you think they are par with the west or the far east then good for you. But know this tourist once start publishing photos and writeup. Then those places will be kne hit wonders. Sad as pakistan has so muchto offer but greed is greed.
I know one thing. I pakistan i am much happier in my own tent. My tent at Concordia

 

[KAMDEV]

it's better if pak gets some traffic .

 

[war&peace]

I think u and i have differing standards then...
I have stayed at PC , marriots and govenment run PDTC motels as well as private . And if you think they are par with the west or the far east then good for you. But know this tourist once start publishing photos and writeup. Then those places will be kne hit wonders. Sad as pakistan has so muchto offer but greed is greed.
I know one thing. I pakistan i am much happier in my own tent. My tent at Concordia View attachment 528274

I mostly stayed govt's rest houses thanks to the connections but I have stayed in PC Bhurban (multiple times), Avari Lahore, Holiday in Islamabad but just for a night, Serena (Faisalabad, Gilgit, Shiger Fort, Hunza) , PC Malam Jabba (~2006). PTDC Rama, and I was pretty okay... except Malam Jabba was not at its best but it was really off season and still the service was good.