Staff Reporter
Islamabad
As the government has closed down all the educational institutions across the country in the wake of second wave of coronavirus, the hoteliers of Galyat and Murree are expecting more tourists would turn to the hilly areas to enjoy chilly weather with their families.
“As of now, Murree is not receiving the tourists at par with its true potential, but there are clear chances that the people will flock the area with their families in the backdrop of schools’ closure and recent snowfall,” said Muhammad Rafique- General Manager of Al-Azeen Hotel at Murree.
Talking to APP, he said the number of visitors to the Murree had increased significantly on this weekend, but it was not the same as it received in the pre-COVID-19 times. He said the hoteliers were trying their level best to ensure implementation of Standard Operating Procedures, issued by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation after lifting of restrictions from the sector. Another hotelier from Nathia Gali, Arshad Khan said Galyat had become center of attraction for tourists after the second spell of snowfall at the snowy resort of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came to a halt on last Thursday.
He said tourists had swarmed the Galyat on this weekend after it received around two feet of snow and there was no forecast of further snowfall till second week of December. Galyat Development Authority (GDA) Spokesman Ahsan Hameed said all the resources were being utilized to facilitate the tourists, coming to visit the scenic valleys of Galyat from various parts of the country.
He said the GDA had issued a travel advisory to inform the tourists and locals for travelling on slippery roads. He urged the tourists to travel in daylight and use chains to tread on snow.
Ahsan said it was imperative for tourists to mechanically examine their vehicles prior to embarking on the Galyat’s route. He advised tourists to fill their fuel tanks during trip to Galyat.
The spokesman said the GDA director general had directed all the officials to remain in field to facilitate the tourists and locals in the area.
The tourism experts have pleaded for grant of soft loans and cash assistance to the tourism businesses and low-paid workers under government’s loan and emergency cash schemes for ensuring sector’s survival next year’.
“Anticipating global recession due to the second and third waves of coronavirus pandemic, low-paid workers and small and medium enterprises should be included in Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme and Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Programme to provide the required support to the ravaged sector,” said Aftab Rana- President of Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan in an exclusive chat with media.
“Cash grants to the daily wagers associated with tourism, relief package for travel and hotel industry, and concessionary loans for SMEs are the need of the hour to protect the sector to fight against the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said, urging the government to focus the domestic tourism which in his opinion was a sole option to achieve the sector’s rebound in the coming years.
Aftab Rana, who is also member of National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB), said though the government had introduced some loan schemes for the sector but their criteria was not accommodative for a large number of unregistered entrepreneurs.
“There is no need to take short-term measures for foreign tourism as it dipped by 90 per cent in the country due to worldwide travel restrictions,” he said, adding that less than 100,000 foreigners had visited Pakistan during this season.
In pre-covid times, the country usually received 700,000 to 800,000 foreign tourists per season, he added.
