Staff Reporter Peshawar
The three years performance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government for promotion of tourism sector in the province where an Integrated tourism zones (ITZ) costing Rs17,000 million, camping pods and construction of new roads worth Rs12.51 billion to give an easy access to new tourists’ places have successfully been achieved.
Spokesman of Tourism, Sports and Archeology Department, Latifur Rehman told media on Friday that the first-ever KP Culture and Tourism Development Authority has been set up by the PTI led government to promote tourism in KP.
He said the Authority intends to open camping pod sites to tourists and the general public through the private sector in accordance with KP Government Rest Houses and Tourism Properties (Development, Management and Regularization) Act 2020.
The authority plans to lease out camping pods sites on ‘as is where is basis’ for a period of ten years to promote ecotourism in KP.
An integrated tourism zone has been established with an estimated cost of Rs17,000 million in KP.
The provincial government has developed a master plan for establishment of four integrated tourism zones at Mankial Swat, Thandyani Abbottabad, Ganol Mansehra and Madaklasht Lower Chitral.
Besides establishment of five camping pods sites, he said tourists’ facilitation and information centres have been set up for facilitation of tourists in the province.
To reduce tourists load on existing scenic sites including Kalam, Nathia Gali, Kumrat, Kaghan, Naran and other scenic places, the spokesman said new roads worth Rs12.51 billion have been constructed to make new tourism sites accessible especially in Malakand and Hazara divisions. He said a new tourism valley ‘Ganol’ with mesmerizing landscapes and natural beauty was being introduced.
