Pakistan's $20 Billion Tourism Industry is Booming

[RiazHaq]

http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/01/pakistans-20-billion-tourism-industry.html

Pakistan's tourism industry, currently estimated at $20 billion (6.9% of GDP in 2016), is booming, according to data available from multiple reliable sources. World Travel and Tourism (WTTC) forecasts it to grow to over $36 billion within a decade.

Economic Impact of Tourism:

Pakistan tourism industry generates $20 billion in revenue and supports 3.6 million jobs directly and indirectly, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Foreign visitors generate nearly a billion US$ in exports.


Economic Contribution of Pakistan Tourism. Source: WTTC

Tourism Growth:

Significantly improved security situation has helped boost annual tourist arrivals in Pakistan by 300% since 2013 to 1.75 million in 2016, while domestic travelers increased 30% to 38.3 million, according to the state-owned Pakistan Tourism Development Corp. Hotel bookings increased 80 percent in 2016, according to Jovago, Pakistan’s biggest hotel booking website.

By contrast, period, foreign tourist arrivals in the country’s larger neighbor, India, jumped from 6.97 million in 2013 to 8.8 million in 2016, according to Indian government figures. 88% of India's and 92% of Pakistan's tourism revenue is domestic. India's tourism industry is worth $209 billion (9.6% of of GDP in 2016), according to WTTC.

A story in the Financial Times, a British newspaper, quotes British tour operator Jonny Bealby as saying, “While I am sure this will raise some eyebrows, we are starting to see a marked increase in tourism to Pakistan". Bealby's company arranged 55% more clients to Pakistan in 2017 compared with 2016, and advance bookings are more than 100 per cent up on this point 12 months ago, according to the Financial Times.

Top Adventure Tourism Destination:

British Backpackers Society has recently ranked Pakistan as its top destination for adventure tourism. The Society describes Pakistan “one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination”.


Pakistan Tourism Promotion in Jakarata, Indonesia
Pakistan's northern areas are a top destination for adventure-seekers interested in mountain climbing, white water rafting, extreme kayaking and helicopter skiing.


Pakistan Brand Promotion on London Buses

Pakistan Tourism Promotion:

Pakistan government's tourism campaign — including covering buses in several major world cities with beautiful pictures of Pakistan's tourist attraction — have helped raise the country’s profile. Increased investments in roads, airports and other infrastructure have helped ease travel.




Pakistan government has announced its decision to provide 30 day tourist visa on arrival for visitors from 24 countries on three continents.

Summary:

Tourism industry in Pakistan is booming with 300% increase in foreign tourist arrivals since 2013. It contributed $20 billion (6.9% of GDP in 2016) and supported 3.6 million jobs in 2016. World Travel and Tourism (WTTC) forecasts it to grow to over $36 billion within a decade.

Here's a video about Pakistan narrated by an American Journalist Cynthia Ritchie:

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistan Travel and Tourism Boom

Extreme Kayak Adventures in Pakistan

Helicopter Skiing in Karakorams

Climbing K2: The Ultimate Challenge

Indian Visitors Share "Eye-Opening" Stories of Pakistan

American Tourist Picks Pakistan Among Top 10 Best Countries to Visit

Riaz Haq's YouTube Channel

PakAlumni Social Network

http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/01/pakistans-20-billion-tourism-industry.html

 

[艹艹艹]

The natural scenery of northern Pakistan (Kashmir) is really beautiful

 

[MultaniGuy]

The natural scenery of northern Pakistan (Kashmir) is really beautiful

Thank you my Chinese friend.

 

[Śakra]

We need to promote regional tourism between all SAARC nations except bengledesh.

 

[war&peace]

We need to promote regional tourism between all SAARC nations except bengledesh.

Why this discrimination with Bangladesh?

 

[Śakra]

Why this discrimination with Bangladesh?

Once they enter they never leave. Besides, we want tourists that have money to spend rather than having our states spend money trying to track them down. Our government hospitals (which treat people for free) are full of banglers. They're taking up beds and resources we need.

 

[war&peace]

Once they enter they never leave. Besides, we want tourists that have money to spend rather than having our states spend money trying to track them down. Our government hospitals (which treat people for free) are full of banglers. They're taking up beds and resources we need.

Well all types of people exist in every society. Bangladesh has a lot of well educated and reasonably rich people as well.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

The natural scenery of northern Pakistan (Kashmir) is really beautiful

The natural scenery of northern Pakistan (Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, KPK) is really beautiful.

 

[war&peace]

The natural scenery of northern Pakistan (Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, KPK) is really beautiful.

No doubt about it but Pakistan overall is a very beautiful country.

 

[Trango Towers]

Pakistan is amazing but I don't want foreigners to ruin the scenery with new hotels etc. Philippines is an example of this type of growth that has destroyed amazing islands

 

[Thanatos]

Its just a start . For a scenic country like Pakistan $ 20 Billion is nothing, only one billion revenue from foreign tourist is shameful. What can be done is to develop the tourist sites to facilitate tourist, that includes development of infra structure , tourist safety and arranging events that would attract foreigners. 92 % of tourists were domestic clearly stating the fact that people's purchasing power has increased over last 3 to 4 years.

Government needs to work on this. I hope that development of major tourist resorts along the coastal highway near Gwadar can also help earn large sum of money. They should arrange major events near the Himalayas attracting millions of mountain lovers from across the globe.

 

[RiazHaq]

#Pakistan keeps #terrorists on the run and #economy on a roll
Businesses' focus shifts from bombs and kidnappings to taxes and policy. #Taliban #TTP #terrorism #India #Karachi #Rangers

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Pakistan-keeps-ter...

KARACHI -- Terrorism, corruption, misrule: Negative perceptions have dogged Pakistan for years. But thanks to sweeping operations by the army and a powerful paramilitary force, those perceptions may be becoming outdated, and businesses are taking notice.



In Karachi, the country's largest city, motorcycles and elaborately decorated buses weave down dusty roads between colonial-era buildings. Less than a decade ago, these were truly mean streets. "Between 2010 and 2012, we saw one or two terrorist attacks every month and one or two targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom every day," recalled Army Maj. Gen. Mohammad Saeed. "There were 17 no-go areas which the police could not touch in Karachi."

At the time, even major hotels had occupancy rates of just 10% to 15%. Hundreds of shops and other businesses closed down.

Then the Rangers began to clean up.

The Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary law enforcement organization overseen by the military and the Interior Ministry, set out to tackle the violence head-on. In 2013, the Rangers Sindh -- which operate in Sindh Province, including Karachi -- mobilized 15,000 troops. The provincial legislature granted them broad powers to search homes and make arrests, enabling them to quickly turn the tide.

These guns were seized at a hideout in Miranshah -- the front line of Pakistan's anti-terrorism operations. (Photo by Go Yamada)

In 2017, there were zero bombings and only five kidnappings, according to Saeed, who serves as director general of the Rangers Sindh. This is no small feat in a city with a swelling population of 17 million -- perhaps even 20 million if migrants from rural areas are factored in. "We destroyed all of the terrorists' pockets," he said, adding that hotel occupancy rates are over 90%.

The story is similar in Pakistan's other major cities. And as the Rangers have made headway, business sentiment has improved and growth has picked up.

Mohammad Saeed, director general of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh

Pakistan's real gross domestic product grew 5.3% in the fiscal year through June 2017, the quickest pace in 10 years. The central bank projects the growth rate for this fiscal year will approach 6%. Inflation has stabilized and exports are brisk.

"Unfortunately, Pakistan is a victim of negative perception," said Arif Habib, who heads the conglomerate Arif Habib Group. "There is a lot of difference between perception and reality."

But the rest of the world seems to be catching on to the positive changes, too: Foreign direct investment is estimated to reach a record $5 billion or so in the current fiscal year, up from $3.43 billion last year.







This is not to say Pakistan's safety problems are a thing of the past. The budget for maintaining security is insufficient, and efforts to shore up the police are still a work in progress. Another major challenge is to prevent militants who have fled to neighboring Afghanistan from coming back.

Treacherous borderlands

Miranshah is a one-hour military flight away from Peshawar, in Pakistan's northwest. It is the main city in North Waziristan, one of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

This is the front line of Pakistan's anti-terrorism operations. The Afghan border is just 20km away




Around 2008, insurgents from al-Qaida and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan controlled some 30% of North Waziristan. But large numbers of militants have fled or been killed since the army began weeding them out in 2014.

More than 300 people died in terrorist attacks in the FATA in 2014, but the number was down to 113 in 2017.

"During the operation, 26,000 rifles, 13,000 submachine guns and explosives for more than 50,000 suicide bombs [were seized]," said Col. Wasi Uddin in a bunker at the heavily guarded headquarters of the army's 7th Infantry Division. Monitors on the wall showed real-time footage of the border with Afghanistan.


Now that the heavy fighting appears to be over, people are returning and efforts to rebuild houses and public facilities are in full swing. The army is spearheading a drive to reopen hospitals, schools and bazaars in the FATA. Residents have been given 130 sq. km of farmland as well as job training programs.

"Now we are building a 1,400km-long fence along the border to stop the cross-border terror," the colonel said. But sporadic attacks are still a threat in the mountainous border region. A young military officer and another person were killed in an ambush on the outskirts of Miranshah in mid-December.

Pakistan's national security adviser, retired Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua, blames the neighbor. There is "no border control in Afghanistan," said Janjua, who has sparred with the U.S. over security measures. "In 2016, out of 128 terrorist attacks in Pakistan, 125 were cross-border terror from Afghanistan."

There are 145 monitoring posts on the Afghan side of the border -- around one-eighth the number on the Pakistani side -- reflecting the capacity constraints of the Afghan military and police.

Police accountability

Over in Peshawar, at the base of the Khyber Pass on the Pakistani-Afghan border, a determined effort to bolster the police is bearing fruit.

The city is a key hub for trucks carrying goods to and from Afghanistan. Freshly slaughtered lamb, mutton and live peafowl can be found at the local bazaars. Men tend to carry rifles -- a symbol of masculinity -- but violence has decreased significantly, according to the police chief for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province.

"From 2007 to 2017, [the number of] dead and wounded in the province decreased to one-sixth," said Inspector General Salahuddin Khan. The police head count has surged to 82,000, from 34,000 in 2001, and the force receives training from the army.

A Karachi bazaar bustles with shoppers in December. (Photo by Go Yamada)

Khan and other police leaders are focusing on "depoliticization, digitization and confidence." They reject politicians' interference with recruiting, and have created a database of rented houses and vehicles terrorists might use.

"For security, cooperation from the local people is essential," Khan said. This includes holding the police themselves accountable: The government has established a Dispute Resolution Council, which includes third-party members appointed by a high court, to receive complaints against law enforcement.

Khan is not satisfied. "Support from the government is better than it used to be," he said. "But the budget is never enough. We are [making requests] all the time."

In Karachi, there is still a sense of unease despite the obvious improvement. Some government officials and foreign businesspeople still ride around in bulletproof vehicles with their own security details.

For now, the Rangers are keeping the pressure on. If police capabilities improve, Saeed said, "we will pull back."

 

[bananarepublic]

Gilgit-baltistan is the largest contributor of tourism in Pakistan and yet basic Right for GB are not to be seen .
Mark my words one day the frustrating will explode in GB .

 

[Fledgingwings]

Once they enter they never leave. Besides, we want tourists that have money to spend rather than having our states spend money trying to track them down. Our government hospitals (which treat people for free) are full of banglers. They're taking up beds and resources we need.

We,ve got 3.5 million afghans here for decades and are having the same trouble.So afghanistan is also pretty much out of the concept you are talking about.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

No doubt about it but Pakistan overall is a very beautiful country.

The point of my post was that Pakistan needs to start devolving Gilgit from Kashmir.