Managing Director, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Ch. Abdul Ghafoor Khan met High Commissioner for Mauritius in Pakistan, Soobadar Rashidally on Friday to fasten the bilateral relations on tourism cooperation between the two countries.
He said that the combination of snow-capped mountain ranges of Pakistan, lakes, valleys, rivers, deserts, history and culture make Pakistan the most unique tourist destination of the world, an example of which is the Skardu where one can enjoy mountains, river, forest and desert at the same time and the flight lands between the sand dunes.
He told that after assuming the charge of Managing Director PTDC, I have segregated the different sectors of tourism that include Religious, Sports & Adventure and Medical Tourism etc.
He informed that he visited Thailand and met their Tourism Police Chief in order to learn from their experience and launch a same force in Pakistan too. He added that the Prime Minister’s vision for development of Pakistan as modern and prosperous country resulted into launch of CPEC project which is starting from GB. CPEC is the future of Pakistan which will create millions of jobs not only for the country but also for the region by playing a pivotal role in launching these billions of dollars economic activities for Pakistan.
In past tourism was a neglected sector but the present Government is committed to develop Pakistan into an International Hub for business and tourism setting an example for rest of the world. We are presently focusing on Gilgit Baltistan and soon a Ski resort will be developed at Nalter Valley in addition to a 5-star hotel at Gilgit by the River. We are offering our 25 acres of land at Islamabad for development of a tourist resort as well as PTDC ongoing projects are also available for joint ventures.
Ch. Ghafoor said that tourism is the only industry through which we can spread message of peace in the country and counter the terrorism. There are lots of common tourism features between Pakistan and Mauritius which include cultural and archaeological heritage as well as beach tourism which can be jointly publicized and benefits can be reaped. He added that Pakistan Coastal Belt spreads over 1000 kms where countless opportunities for investments are available.
High Commissioner for Mauritius in Pakistan, Soobadar Rashidally said that there are countless opportunities of tourism in Pakistan, including ancient historical and cultural heritage. There are numerous beaches in Mauritius where many European Tourists come annually. Pakistan also needs to develop beach resorts. Due to lack of information available in Mauritius, tourists low to Pakistan is very low. Mauritius has four pillars of economy, of which tourism is the most significant pillar. Every week more than 20 thousand tourists come to Mauritius for the very reason of political stability and peace. There is no military in Mauritius, and education is free from basic education to PhD level, due to which literacy rate is 100%. The High Commissioner said that if promoted abroad, tourism sites in Pakistan may receive large number of tourists from around the world.
