Pakistan to Host the World Tourism Forum in 2020

Pakistan is going to host the next edition of the World Tourism Forum in May 2020 in Islamabad. This was announced by the Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), Syed Intikhab Alam on Tuesday.

Alam, who was speaking to a foreign news outlet, said that the decision is aimed at reviving the country’s tourism department which was heavily struck by the militancy and violence post 9/11 attacks in the US.

He said that the decision to hold the international tourism summit was in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision.

Alam hoped that the tourism forum will help reintroduce the scenic landscapes and the natural beauty of Pakistan to the world.

“We are doing our best to pitch Pakistan as one of the best tourism places on earth to foreign tourists.”

Organizers of the forum are meeting at the ends of this month to finalize the details of this event, adding that the foreign delegates and professionals will attend the conference.

He said that the government had established an endowment fund with seed money of Rs. 1 billion to explore and develop new tourist spots for local travelers.

Alam mentioned that the new visa regime is getting extremely positive feedback and has attracted nearly 2.5 million foreign tourists over the last year.

We are planning on to double the number in the next three years.

He regretted that despite having enormous potential, the tourism sector only contributes one percent to the country’s GDP.

“We are struggling to increase the contribution of travel and tourism to our GDP, and for that, we are trying to explore all avenues, including religious tourism for Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists,” Alam added.

Via: Arab News