ISLAMABAD - Following the footprints of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) is also planning to launch a national tourism promotion application to provide necessary and latest information to the local and foreign tourists about attractive recreational sites across the country.

For unlocking the true potential of country’s tourism, the government was focusing to embrace modern technologies which were vital to uplift this sector as per the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision, PTDC Chairman Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari told APP. 

“The tourism sector will flourish and if it takes technology as enabler, simplifying the travel for everyone,” he stated.

Appreciating the initiative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Corporation, he said that the Federal government would replicate this initiative at national level and share it with other provinces to boost tourist activities across the country.

He said that such platforms offered tourists an opportunity to plan their tours easily and help connect travel lovers across the country.

He also shared the PTDC plan of bringing all the provinces including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber PakhtunKhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir under one umbrella to promote Pakistan’s religious tourism abroad.

Soon, Prime Minister Imran Khan would launch the PTDC’s mega project of branding Pakistan abroad, he added.

Bukhari said that the government had earmarked Rs 160 million in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2019-20 for promotion of tourism at national and international level.

Reiterating the government’s resolve to make tourism more profitable sector, he said that this sector could bring valuable foreign exchange for the country.

Bukhari said that the tourism industry could be helpful in evoking fifth industrial revolution in Pakistan which needed serious efforts from every stakeholders.

He said that tourism was contributing around 10 per cent in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) globally but unfortunately, in Pakistan, only 2.9 percent was the contribution of this highly profitable industry in national economy.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said that the PTDC aimed to make it 10 per cent of GDP which would help the industry to add over Rs 20 billion in the national kitty.

Bukhari said that the government was striving to bring institutional reforms in every sector, reaffirming that the government would provide best possible facilities to the tourists.

Lauding the government‘s initiative of online visa regime, he said that the step was in the right direction as it was yielding positive results.