Staff Reporter
Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government is going to launch Rs 2.3 billion small and mega projects for development and promotion of tourism in merged areas under Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) to generate employment opportunities for tribal youth and explore the hidden tourism potential before world.
Latifur Rehman, Spokesperson Sports, Tourism, Archeology and Youth Affairs Department KP told media on Sunday that a Special Tourism Wing (STW) has been established to ensure speedy completion of these projects in merged areas aimed at to bolster tourism, generate employment opportunities for youth, alleviate poverty and expedite pace of economic development. The Spokesperson while highlighting the last year performance of his department said state-of-art tourism centres were being established at scenic Tirah valley in Khyber, Michani, Bajaur, Mohmand, Kurrum, Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan tribal districts at a cost of Rs 3 billion to explore its mesmerizing natural beauty before domestic and foreign tourists.
Similarly, a tourist centre at Sheikh Badin located on confluence of Koh-e-Suleman mountains range, Bannu and DI Khan districts was in priority list of the PTI Government. The government has started work on construction of mega road project worth Rs 3.4 billion to link Sheikh Badin tourists resorts with Southern Districts of KP.
Establishment of autonomous authority for tourism and culture, special tourism authorities for Kalam, Komrat and Kalash and a state-of-the art Tourism Complex at Peshawar were achieved in 2020. Initiation of work on Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE) with assistance of World Bank worth Rs 17 billion, handing over of 169 Government rest houses to private sector on lease, recreational parks on agriculture dams, tourism facilitation centres and residential huts were started. Holding of Tourism Mela at Broghal in Chitral, enhancement of performance of TDS, compilation of Marketing Mix new policies, approval of Tourism Police and Rs2 billion for devolopment and provision of facilities at tourism destinations were achieved.
He said environment friendly camping pods were established in different tourists areas and that work on a project has been launched to establish more tourism pods in scenic areas of the province to provide accommodation facilities to tourists on affordable prices . Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has decided to establish Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZ) under which international standards tourists centres was being established at scenic Mankyal in Swat, Madagust in Chitral, Thandyani in Abbottabad and Mansehra.
Likewise, work on four different projects were initiated under which tourism centres would be established at Kumrat in Dir Upper, Bin Shahi at Dir Lower, Skyland, Larumtop, Allai Batagram and Shangla districts. Under 1,000 provision of sports facilities project in KP, provision of 204 facilities and construction of sports grounds for 60 games and 20 squash courts were completed in the province.
