Pakistan Tourism

[Pakistani Shaheen]

Tourism in Pakistan has been stated by the Lonely Planet magazine as being the tourism industry's "next big thing". Pakistan, with its diverse cultures, people and landscapes attracted 1 million tourists in 2012

Pakistan's tourism industry was in its heyday during the 1970s when the country received unprecedented amounts of foreign tourists, thanks to the Hippie trail. The main destinations of choice for these tourists were the Khyber Pass, Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, Swat and Rawalpindi.

The country's attraction range from the ruin of civilisation such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila, to the Himalayan hill stations, which attract those interested in winter sports. Pakistan is home to several mountain peaks over 7000 m, which attracts adventurers and mountaineers from around the world, especially K2. The north part of Pakistan has many old fortresses, ancient architecture and the Hunza and Chitral valley, home to small pre-Islamic Animist Kalasha community claiming descent from Alexander the Great. The romance of the historic Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is timeless and legendary, Punjab province has the site of Alexander's battle on the Jhelum River and the historic city Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital, with many examples of Mughal architecture such as Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort. Before the Global economic crisis Pakistan received more than 500,000 tourists annually. However, this number has now come down to near zero figures since 2008 due to instability in the country and many countries declaring Pakistan as unsafe and dangerous to visit.

In October 2006, just one year after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, The Guardian released what it described as "The top five tourist sites in Pakistan" in order to help the country's tourism industry.[6] The five sites included Taxila, Lahore, The Karakoram Highway, Karimabad and Lake Saiful Muluk. To promote Pakistan's unique and various cultural heritage, the Prime Minister launched the "Visit Pakistan" marketing campaign in 2007.[7] This campaign involved various events throughout the year including fairs and religious festivals, regional sporting events, various arts and craft shows, folk festivals and several openings of historical museums.

In 2009, The World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Pakistan as one of the top 25% tourist destinations for its World Heritage sites. Ranging from mangroves in the South, to the 5,000-year-old cities of the Indus Valley Civilization which included Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

Pakistan is such a diverse region, it is the center of various religions and settlements long before the creation of the nation that exists today. Today, Pakistan is formed of four large provinces – Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and four territories – Islamabad Capital Territory, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The cultural and physical diversity of Pakistan has developed the country into a tourist hot spot for foreign travellers as well as adventurers.

Currently Pakistan has six major cultural sites that are categorised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include:

Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro of the Indus Valley Civilization.
1st Century Buddhist Ruins at Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol.
The ruins of Taxila from the Gandhara Civilization
The Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore.
Historic Monuments of the ancient city of Thatta.
The ancient fort of Rohtas.

During the period of 1993–2004, Pakistan was unable to submit information to UNESCO which delayed several sites to be categorised as potential World Heritage Sites. In 2004, the Ministry of Tourism was given funding to continue its research and ten sites were placed onto UNESCO Tentative List. In total, eighteen sites are awaiting to be categorised as of June 2010 which include:[10]
The 17th Century Mughal built Badshahi Mosque.
The 17th Century Mughal built Wazir Khan Mosque.
The 17th century Tombs of Jahangir, Asif Khan and Akbari Sarai.
Hiran Minar and Tank, built by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in commemoration of his favourite antelope in the city of Sheikhupura.
14th Century Tomb of Hazrat Rukn-e-Alam.
One of the world's largest forts in the world, Rani Kot Fort.
17th Century Mughal built Shah Jahan Mosque, located in the ancient city of Thatta.
15th and 18th century Chaukhandi Tombs of several Sindhi and Balochi tribes.
Neolithic archaeological Site of Mehrgarh.
Archaeological site of Rehman Dheri.
Archaeological site of Harappa.
Archaeological site of Ranigat.
Shahbazgarhi Rock Edicts.
Mansehra Rock Edicts.
Baltit Fort, an ancient Tibetan styled fort in the Hunza Valley.
Tomb of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim and Ustead and the Tomb and Mosque of Jalaluddin Bukhari in Uch Sharif.
Port of Banbhore.
Furthermore, there are several landmarks and structures that have not yet made the UNESCO Tentative List. Long before the creation of Pakistan in 1947, there were plenty of cultures and religions that existed before the Partition of India. Pakistan being the center of various wars led to several dynasties and tribes ruling its lands. They left various landmarks behind which some have become national icons whilst others needing the attention of concerned authorities. Some of these include:

Faisalabad Clock Tower and the Eight Bazaars
Altit Fort in Hunza Valley
17th and 18th century Tombs of Talpur Mirs
Faiz Mahal of the Talpur Mirs
Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
Mughal built tomb of Asaf Khan
Empress Market built during the rule of the British Empire
The tomb of Qutb-ud-din Aibak the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Slave dynasty.
Sikh built Mohatta Palace
18th century Omar Hayat Mahal
19th Century Italian chateau Noor Palace
Derawar Fort
Mughal-built Hiran Minar
One of the oldest salt mines in Asia, Khewra Salt Mines
The 3000BC built fort of Kot Diji and Faiz Mahal in Khairpur
16th century built fort at Skardu

Post-independence Pakistan retained its heritage by constructing various sites to commemorate its independence by blending various styles and influences from the past. Some of these include:

Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore.
Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.
The mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Bab-e-Pakistan a memorial site for the victims of the Partition of India.
Pakistan Monument in Islamabad.
The mausoleum of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

Top 5 tourist sites:

In October 2006, just one year after the dreadful 2005 Kashmir earthquake, The Guardian released what it described as "The top five tourist sites in Pakistan" in order to help the country's tourism industry.
Rank Location
1 Lahore
2 Taxila
3 The Karakoram Highway
4 Karimabad.
5 Lake Saiful Muluk

 

[krash]

Good read, although it is like dipping your finger into the ocean that is Pakistan.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

Tourism in Pakistan has been stated by the Lonely Planet magazine as being the tourism industry's "next big thing". Pakistan, with its diverse cultures, people and landscapes attracted 1 million tourists in 2012...........

That claim was made in 2010, nearly three years ago. Much has changed since then.

Now, this message shows up:

Introducing Pakistan
Travel Alert The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends against all travel to some areas and against all non-essential travel to others, please check with your relevant national government.

Read more: Pakistan - Travel Guide, Info & Bookings

Next big thing? Hardly.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

At least one international tour operator is still booking for trips to Pakistan:

Hinterland Travel

 

[krash]

That claim was made in 2010, nearly three years ago. Much has changed since then.

Now, this message shows up:

Introducing Pakistan
Travel Alert The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends against all travel to some areas and against all non-essential travel to others, please check with your relevant national government.

Read more: Pakistan - Travel Guide, Info & Bookings

Next big thing? Hardly.

The 1 million tourists has been quoted as of 2012. And the situation has actually gotten better since 2010. However, don't know how accurate those stats are. Moreover, when the Lonely Planet article came out others came out claiming Pakistan as the most dangerous country to visit. So, depends on what you read. Because with the right kind of encouragement, Afghanistan, Iraq, many South American countries and most of Africa can be forgotten or disregarded in a jiff.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

The 1 million tourists has been quoted as of 2012. And the situation has actually gotten better since 2010. However, don't know how accurate those stats are. Moreover, when the Lonely Planet article came out others came out claiming Pakistan as the most dangerous country to visit. So, depends on what you read. Because with the right kind of encouragement, Afghanistan, Iraq, many South American countries and most of Africa can be forgotten or disregarded in a jiff.

Those 1 million "tourists" are mostly expats on foreign passports traveling to visit family, not true tourists. Our tourism industry is just like our film industry: NON-EXISTENT.

 

[krash]

Those 1 million "tourists" are mostly expats on foreign passports traveling to visit family, not true tourists. Our tourism industry is just like our film industry: NON-EXISTENT.

Could very well be. However, our tourism industry surely is not non-existent. It's gotten specialized, a shadow of its former self and far far smaller than what it deserves to be. But, it is there and no tourism magazine, website or enthusiast is unaware of it. Their are certain types of tourists that never stopped coming and there are others who have actually grown in number. The casual tourists, yes, are almost all gone.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

Could very well be. However, our tourism industry surely is not non-existent. It's gotten specialized, a shadow of its former self and far far smaller than what it deserves to be. But, it is there and no tourism magazine, website or enthusiast is unaware of it. Their are certain types of tourists that never stopped coming and there are others who have actually grown in number. The casual tourists, yes, are almost all gone.

Yea, typical Pakistani story: Lots of potential, none of it realized.

 

[krash]

Yea, typical Pakistani story: Lots of potential, none of it realized.

Yeah but look at what we're going through. And on top of that, the kind of images and stories that are told about Pakistan internationally, I'm sure you're well aware of them. But the good thing is that some people are working towards it and those who come at times do try to let the world know that what is told is not how it is. But there's only so much we can do right now.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

Yeah but look at what we're going through. And on top of that, the kind of images and stories that are told about Pakistan internationally, I'm sure you're well aware of them. But the good thing is that some people are working towards it and those who come at times do try to let the world know that what is told is not how it is. But there's only so much we can do right now.

Of course we need to put our own house in order with basics first before we can start tapping any of the tourism or other potentials we might have. Basics first.

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan Tourism Industry

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

 

[Fu huajiao]

mark,read carefully in the evening

 

[ghazi52]