Staff Reporter
Peshawar
After boosting domestic tourism in the province through inclusiveness and concrete measures, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is making gradual progress in restoring the country’s status as tourist haven at global level and projecting the scenic beauty of its areas on social networking sites. ‘In present times, travel enthusiasts plan their trips to mesmerizing tourist resorts after strolling through the social media that is why some 20 international travel v-loggers have been hosted by the KP’s Tourism Ministry in 2019 for portraying the country’s true image abroad,’ a senior official in the ministry told on Tuesday.
The foreign visitors included Mark veins from Thailand, Drew Brinsky of the United States, Jordan’s Travel light, Trevor James from Canada, Khalid Al Ameri from the United Arab Emirates and others from many countries. He said the renowned social media influencers having reached to a big audience on the micro-blogging sites filmed the beauty of tourist gems of the province during their stay to highlight diverse tourism potential of Pakistan across the globe.
Apart from the foreign v-loggers, the officer said the ministry had also arranged trips of local bloggers, v-loggers and content producers to the well-known tourist resorts included Malam Jabba, Kalam, Nathiagali, Peshawer city, Maradan and many others. The tourism departments working under the ministry facilitated the lodging and boardings the visitors who came and stay in Pakistan to visit as a goodwill gesture. He said the tourism ministry in collaboration with the World Bank had been developing 7 v-logs to portray the beauty of the provincial tourist gems. Five out of the total had been released and two were in process, he added.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Local Government and Rural Development Kamran Bangash Tuesday said the provincial government was taking measures to make the provincial capital tourists’ hub. Talking to media here during his visit to Town-1, he said being the provincial capital and old city of the province, the government was spending resources and energies to attract tourists to enjoy historical sites and cultural heritage. He directed the department concerned to expedite work on Peshawar Sports Complex and acquire land for the project after completing paper work. He directed Town-1 officer to take strict action against encroachment to restore the natural beauty of the city.