PESHAWAR - Instead of focusing the natural sites of tourism, Pakistan Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has spent huge funds of 30.7 million rupees on only five festivals organized in different parts of the province showering blessings on government employees and their blue-eyed people.
As per information provided by Right to Information Commission, five festivals were organized in 2014 spending about 30.7 million rupees having no positive impact on tourism.
In the first festival held in February, near Khanpur the total cost was 15.4 million rupees, while another festival held in tehsil Gorgatri area on the name of art and craft charged 7.03 million rupees. The festival was aimed to protect the old skill of crafting. On 14 May another festival was held on the name of Jeshn-e-Hazara in district Haripur, where 0.5 million rupees were used. Later, Shandoor festival was held from June 19 to 21 in which total expenses were 12.7 million rupees.
In the month of August another festival was held in the name of Broghal in Chitral where total 0.8 million rupees were spent. As per the tourism department of Khyber Pakhtyunkhwa, the aim of these festivals was to attract foreign tourists to the country, however, no one was informed regarding these festivals. Due to lack of proper information, these festivals could not attract people as per the expectation of the government.
Instead of spending on these festivals, the government should focus the natural sites of Kalam and Swat which now present deserted look due to dthe ilapidated condition roads there. On one hand the tourism department is making tall claims for the promotion of tourism while on the other hand no work has started to reconstruct 36-kilometer road from Bahrain to Kalam.