DTS asked to upload travel agencies’ packages on website

PESHAWAR: After launching of a website, the Directorate of Tourist Services (DTS) has been directed to allow access of travel agents to upload necessary information about travel packages, hotels, restaurants and scenic resorts on the website to attract tourists to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in large number.

The directives were issued by Secretary Sports, Tourism, Archaeology, Museum, Culture and Youth Affairs Department Muhammad Tariq at a meeting held here on Friday.

Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) General Manager (Admin & Properties) Sajjad Hameed, DTS Director Muhammad Arabi, Manager Marketing Hassina Shaukat and other officials attended the meeting.

Briefing the meeting, Muhammad Arabi said that the DTS had until now registered 1411 hotels, 732 restaurants, 1554 travel agencies and all the vital data had been uploaded to the management information system on the website to facilitate tourists.

The official said that travel agents had also been asked to provide data of facilities and packages so the tourists could have easy access to the information online.

He said that the DTS had achieved the set target of Rs30 million in a just six months and performance was improving with the passage of time.

“The DTS should take steps to go online its data of hotels, restaurants rent-A car and travel agencies all over the province as soon as possible to facilitate tourists and visitors,” the secretary said.

He added it would help promote tourism in the province besides facilitating the tourists to get data of hotels, restaurants and travel agencies online.

The secretary said the initiative would also help an official of the DTS to locate a hotel, restaurant or a travel agency through Global Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) and obtained the required information.

Since upgrading of the Tourist Services Wing of the Tourism Department to a full-fledged Directorate of Tourist Services, the entity has been effectively controlling and supervising the hotel and travel industry and other businesses related to tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The directorate through regulations has now an effective control on the hotel and travel industry and makes sure the development of profession of travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and tourist guides to cater the best quality of services and facilities to the tourists visiting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Besides making arrangements for provision of quality services to tourists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and outside Pakistan through tour operators, the directorate also generates valuable revenue from the tourism industry for the provincial exchequer.