PESHAWAR, Jan 12 (APP): Experts have invited the private sector to invest in Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to boost tourism and strengthen the provincial economy.
Immense investment prospects are available in the Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) that have been approved by the provincial government, says a senior official of KP Tourism and Culture Authority (KPT&CA) while speaking at an awareness seminar held in the office of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Thursday.
The sensitization seminar was organized by SCCI in joint collaboration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) and Planning and Development Department (P&D), Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Shahid Hussain, senior vice president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry who chaired the session said in his opening remarks that the role of the tourism sector in economic development is vital across the world.
Senior office bearers said incalculable investment opportunities in the tourism sector are available in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular and nationwide generally.
Hussain emphasized the need for pragmatic steps for infrastructure improvement at tourists’ attraction sites, besides the provision of better facilities to tourists and arrangements to attract more investors and tourists toward the tourism sector. He assured the officials that SCCI will play its due role to attract private investment in ITZs.
Apart from Director General KPT&CA Bakhtiyar Khan, General Manager Umer Khan Khattak, Public Private Partnership Analyst, P&D Deptt Shehryar Khan, the SCCI vice president Ejaz Khan Afridi, former president Faiz Muhammad, former vice presidents Abidullah Yousafzai, Faiz Rasool, executive members Haji Ghulam Hussain, Laal Badshah, Ms Qurtul Ain, Naeem Qasmi, Zahoor Khan, Fazl e Wahid, Malik Tariq Awan, a large number of traders, investors and representatives of relevant department were present in the seminar.
DG KPC&TA Bakhtiyar Khan during the session enlightened the participants about initiatives taken by his department for the uplift of the tourism sector, especially Integrated Tourism Zones and urged the SCCI members and private investors to make investments in the ITZs.
He also invited the business community to ensure their participation in the upcoming roadshow organized by KPCTA in Islamabad, which is scheduled to be held on Jan 19.
On the occasion, Umer Khattak, a senior official briefed the participants about ITZs in detail through his multimedia presentation and stated that initiatives have been taken for the promotion of eco-tourism in KP where vast opportunities were available to promote digital tourism in the country.
The tourism sector contributes 3 percent to Pakistan’s GDP, which is growing gradually, the senior official said, adding that the sector has generated 3.6 million jobs.
Essentially, he said the KP government has prioritized the tourism sector and made an increase by 600 percent in the budget for the uplift of the sector.
