KP govt to launch project to boost tourism

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is going to launch a homestay project “Maizban” on December 15 to promote tourism in the province.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Tourism Department at Chief Minister’s Secretariat with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair.

An official communique said that Advisor to Chief Minister for Tourism Zahid Chan Zeb, Secretary Tourism Bakhtiar Khan, DG KPCTA Tashfeen Haider and representatives of other relevant departments attended the meeting. The meeting thoroughly reviewed the various aspects of project implementation and made important decisions to this effect.

Initially, the communique said, the project would be launched at a cost of Rs 395 million, providing interest-free loans of up to Rs 3 million to local homeowners in tourist districts to offer quality accommodation facilities to tourists.

The meeting decided that local people interested in providing accommodation to tourists within their premises would either build at least two new rooms or renovate existing ones as per standard set by the department. These rooms would offer all essential facilities for tourists, including bathrooms and kitchens. It was decided that, initially, the project would be launched in Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Swat districts. The loans to be provided to local residents, would be distributed through the Bank of Khyber, with a repayment period of five years, starting from the second year after receiving the loan.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur highlighted the vast tourism potential in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The project will not only enhance the province’s revenue stream, but it will also create employment opportunities for locals,” he added.

He termed homestay tourism as an ideal project for promoting tourism and traditional hospitality of the province. He directed the relevant officials to ensure progress on the project as per stipulated timelines, as well as to implement plans for providing washrooms on the roads to tourist areas before commencement of next tourism season.

The chief minister also directed them to increase the number of Tourist Facilitation Centres in tourist regions, emphasizing that the incumbent provincial government is investing substantial resources to develop tourism as an industry in the province. He stressed that all ongoing projects should be completed in time, and new projects be launched without any delay. “All stakeholders would have to fulfill their responsibilities well in time for this purpose,” he added.