Rawalpindi - Leading European adventure tour operators should send mountaineering and trekking groups to Pakistan as the country is a safe tourism destination. This was stated by Chaudhry Kabir Ahmad Khan, Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) while attending the panelists in the meeting “Tourism, Terrorism and Totalitarianism: Traveling to High Risk Countries and Authoritarian Regimes” organised by M/s Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit (FNF), in 49thInternational Tourism Exchange (ITB) held at Berlin, Germany, informed PTDC spokesman here on Thursday.
He said that all the tourist destinations in Pakistan are safe and trouble-free for tourists. Therefore, Pakistan cannot be considered as high risk area for tourists. He added that tourist groups arriving in Pakistan are being provided with foolproof security arrangements all the way throughout the country during their stay in Pakistan by means of security escort and accommodation security.
Pakistan has been blessed with great tourist attractions and enormous potential for the development of tourism. There are numerous types of tourism Pakistan offers that include nature, adventure, culture, heritage and religious tourism. People of Pakistan are very peaceful, hospitable, and friendly towards the foreign tourists. Ch. Kabir Khan briefed that through this forum, the main tourist generating countries are being requested to amend their negative travel advisories for Pakistan as it is safe for tourists along the major touristic routes / places in Pakistan. Pakistan also welcomes investments in tourist sector and the Government of Pakistan provides a number of incentives for investors like group tourist visa on arrival, tax relief upto 75% and only 5% import duty imposed for plant, machinery and equipment. Chartered flights are also allowed on point to point basis from different cities of Pakistan.
By the sideline of ITB Berlin, Ch. Kabir Khan will also attend a number of UNWTO Conferences and Seminars that include 5th U NWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Meeting on Strengthening Cooperation through Transnational Route Development, 4th Silk Road Tour Operators’ Forum: Unlocking the Silk Road’s Adventure Travel Potential, Meeting on Community Empowerment through Creative Industries and 30th Meeting of The World Tourism Network on Child Protection. More than 100 ministers of tourism and state secretaries from around the world - increase in international buyers and business deals - attendance at the ITB Berlin Convention and eTravel World grew by 25 per cent.