Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Tourism Wasi Shah Wednesday on ‘World Tourism Day’ announced that the ministry would soon launch a ‘tourism app’ for the convenience of the public to provide one-click information related to tourism destinations and focus on promoting medical tourism in the country.
In an exclusive talk, the minister said that the caretaker government would promote eco-tourism under a private-public partnership in areas abundant in tourist attractions.
“Tourists visiting Pakistan will very soon have an official application providing authentic information and access to the state tourism department,” he added.
He said, “The app will be made available on the Google Play Store for Android users, adding, the app will have all information pertaining to tourist spots, means of transport, and other services.”
Replying to a question, he said, “Governments will create a favorable environment for the growth of the medical tourism industry through the implementation of various policies.”
He said, “These long-term policies can directly or indirectly impact the attractiveness of a destination for international patients, adding, that we will engage public-private partnerships with healthcare organizations to jointly develop and promote medical tourism initiatives.”
“Our plan is to make tourism an engine of economic growth and employment generation for the youngsters in coming years,” he added.
To another question, he said, “Pakistan has different climatic zones and numerous untapped tourist spots which can be promoted and projected to the world.” He said, “His government is focused on eco-tourism to ensure environmental conservation while managing tourist spots.”
The minister further said that media should play an active role in promoting tourism sites, adding, that filmmakers and play writers should focus on exploring more tourist destinations.”
He said all stakeholders should not only run awareness campaigns regarding cleanliness but also ensure effective cleaning arrangements at the tourist spots on a daily basis.
He also hailed the work of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation in the promotion of tourism in the country.
“We are pushing green initiatives to promote responsible tourism in the country and the ministry has various plans to ensure small businesses have the resources for green investments and to create local jobs,” he added.—APP
