Of miseries of tourists and KP govt’s responsibilities

ABBOTTABAD: Though a large number of tourists from various parts of the country visited the tourist destinations in Hazara division during Eid holidays, many suffered owing to the apathy of the officials concerned.
Thousands of vehicles - stuck in massive traffic jams and having hundreds of thousands of tourists with little or no food or water and literally no idea as to where to go and stay - really painted a sorry picture since the beginning.
Unlike Punjab government and Murree administration, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government or Galiyat Development Authority or administration of district Mansehra were neither prepared to face nor act proactively to ward off any situation that tourists or local administration might face during the Eid holiday season.
The Punjab government, through Murree police, had launched a big public awareness campaign for the motorists intending to travel to Murree or Galiyat. They were comprehensively advised to adhere to specific routes to avoid traffic jams.
On the contrary, the Tourism Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was relishing the decision of the government that made it owner and custodian of a dozen-plus official rest houses and was caught napping.
The provincial government and its relevant departments failed to anticipate what kind of vehicular jam they could face in Galiyat and Kaghan valleys of Hazara. According to a source in the National Highway Authority (NHA), more than 200,000 vehicles passed through Shahihya point near Hassanabdal to Hazara between the midnight of Friday-Saturday (July17 and 18) through mid-Monday (20 July).
Hats off to the Abbottabad and Mansehra police - both traffic and regular one - deputed in Galiyat, Mansehra and Kaghan valley. They did tremendously well to regulate traffic and help tourists who were facing various kinds of self-created hardships.
The services rendered by the police must be commended at the highest level of their department as they sacrificed their Eid holidays to facilitate those visiting assigned areas of their duty.
Tourism and influx of tourists in certain regions in certain weathers across the globe is something the authorities concerned of different countries are used to. They get well-prepared and perform duties and facilitate the tourists to the fullest of their capabilities and with smiles on their faces. At the end both parties - tourists and authorities that facilitate them - make these events memorable for times to come.
On the contrary, we as tourists and aligned departments fail. Tourists disregard the travel advice (if any) and are faced with incessant traffic jams and resultant shortage of edibles and fuel shortage. Tourists (read motorists) are also confronted with other motorists breaking one-lane rule, which ultimately results in traffic jam.
Heavy tourism influx is nothing less than a blessing for the locals of tourists-dependent areas. At the same time, this blessing becomes nuisance for all concerned. Tourism should and could be promoted if all stakeholders are taken onboard by imparting those basics of traffic rules, road sense, weather conditions of a particular area and above all their good and helping attitude towards each other, through training workshops and aggressive media campaigns. Otherwise we would continue to bicker about the lack of facilities and shortcomings instead of making our outings memorable ones.