Pakistan is invariably blessed in every sense, more specifically when it comes to natural and scenic beauty. Ironically, this resource is never given importance or utilised to contribute towards the economic development of the country nor for improving recreational activities for our people.
In the past few years, with the onset of social media, tourism has gained impetus in the northern areas of the country. The importance of tourism cannot be underestimated in any way but the main question rests, why are we unable to cash it? The answer remains obvious; that the importance of facilities/infrastructure have never been on the priority list for developing countries and Pakistan is no exception to this.
However, the provision of infrastructure facilities is inevitable to develop a successful tourism destination that gives economic returns. Infrastructure is not the engine but the wheels of economic development.
A tourist expects facilities in their chosen destination to be comparable to what they enjoy at home. Consequently, a majestic valley scene with fountains and vegetation can be ruined if there is garbage scattered all around. Therefore, it is central to make tourist destinations attractive and worth visiting by providing services like adequate solid waste management.
Having a look at international scenario, according to the 2019 European Union Tourism Trends Report, five out of the top ten visited destinations in the world are located in the EU. The continent contributed 782 billion Euros in 2018 (before the pandemic) and some 14.4 million jobs were created. It is estimated that by 2025, Britain’s travel industry is set to be worth over 257 billion pounds. France comes out on top as the most popular tourist destination as it attracts 83 million tourists every year. This is a direct result of policies of the EU towards the tourism industry. They have provided their historic/scenic sites with excellent facilities and created an environment. Consequently, a traveller, whether international or local, is motivated by the facilities provided in addition to culture, history and scenic beauty. In fact, they are willing to pay more for facilities that make their visit comfortable and more enjoyable. Nevertheless, being a developing country, we can only draw inference and motivation from successful examples for utilising our natural resources and converting it into a value-added commodity that is highly saleable and has a price in the local as well as in the international market.
Though our government has time and again put tourism on top of the agenda of its economic development policy but overlooked the basic requisites i.e. the facilities. To make it workable, the institutional framework may call for the tiers of governments working simultaneously, horizontally and vertically across the board. Top tier governance may come forward for making funds available for the provision of infrastructure/facilities and the local administration can ensure the transfer of funds at the lowest level for adequate municipal service delivery and their operation and maintenance on a day-to-day basis.
This injection of money into infrastructure facilities would increase the overall demand to travel which would consequently trigger employment. Consequently, with better provision of facilities more turnover of tourists will increase the income of that area which will create economic opportunities.
Infrastructure is an indispensable pillar of overall economic development. These elements boost tourism by raising the attractiveness and competitiveness of a destination. We should come out of sharing beautiful images only and sense that it is time to put the economy of Pakistan in the right direction. Therefore, we must reconsider the policies related to tourism as it remains the biggest asset in the near future.
The writer is a Lahore-based urban planner. She can be reached at erumashfaq52
@yahoo.com.
We must reconsider the policies related to tourism as it remains the biggest asset in the near future.