Imran Yaqub Dhillon
Washington Dc
In its endeavor to highlight the tourism potential of Pakistan in the US tourism industry, Pakistan embassy Washington DC has initiated first of its kind Webcast Series consisting of virtual tours through Pakistan. In this regard, the first event was held today.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development, Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari in his key note address highlighted the drastic transformative shift viz-a-viz the tourism sector in Pakistan, as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government embarks on a well thought out, forward-looking and fully inclusive approach to encourage tourism – from liberalizing visa regime to investing in infrastructure, it is seen and felt. Hence there is a plethora of opportunities not just for those who are keen to travel to discover the world but also for those who are on the lookout for investment possibilities that offer promising returns. He added that government has prioritized infrastructure related development in the tourism sector which includes construction of 35 fully equipped hotels with modern amenities as well as 5 new sky resorts etc.
Ambassador Dr Asad Majeed Khan in his remarks emphasized on the unspoilt beauty of Pakistan. He said Pakistan was a tourist paradise with beautiful mountains, rivers and lakes including the lovely Hunza Valley the object of a recent major Japanese movie. He said that Pakistan had a rich heritage with major historical and cultural sites, sights and cities, such as Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, Taxila, Harappa and Mohenjodaro. He urged the Americans to visit and explore the unspoilt beauty of Pakistan, to experience the warmth and friendliness of the Pakistan people, along with the rich cuisine.
US journalist, Anchor influencer and an Emmy Award Winning American television personality, Beth Troutman shared her documentary along with her mesmerizing travel stories of Pakistan. She narrated her experiences of the love and warmth emitting Pakistani people and how she found Pakistan as a peace-loving country with rich history, treasured heritage, beautiful landscapes and unique cultural diversity as contrary to the general notion prevalent in international media.
A German Vlogger, Christian Betzmann shared his experiences on Sights and Sounds of Pakistan. He highlighted food in Karachi, culture in Lahore, modernity in Islamabad, serenity and raw beauty in North, architecture in Multan and ancient bazaar in Peshawar.
Fatima Ali, the cuisine expert from “Pots n Curries’ has actively been promoting Pakistani traditional cuisines since last five years within and across borders. She introduced Pakistan cuisine to the audience.
Important stakeholders from US tourism industry participated in the event which was also live streamed on the official Facebook page of the embassy. The Webinar was also attended by a large number of attendees from across United States as well as Pakistan.
