Zulfi Bukhari breaks ground for five-star hotel in Chitral

CHITRAL: National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB) Chairman Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari on Wednesday performed the ground-breaking of a five-star hotel in Chitral to ensure provision of quality accommodation and dining facilities to tourists.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, he said the facility is being set up in collaboration with the private sector. He said concerted efforts are being made to encourage the private sector for its active participation in the promotion of tourism in Pakistan.

The NTCB chairman said the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), the premier tourism body, is gearing up to launch several pending initiatives, delayed due to the closure of the sector in the wake of coronavirus.

The PTDC, he said, had developed "Brand Pakistan" with the help of international experts and would launch it soon to introduce the country as a tourism brand across the world. Brand Pakistan has three main components: brand identity development, musical score creation and an interactive e-portal, he said.

Bukhari said an exclusive e-portal would soon be launched to provide world-class exposure to Pakistan's tourist attractions through one click. "The portal will consist of a user-friendly interface for prospective tourists to interact with and will provide them online connectivity to view Pakistan's tourist sites through virtual galleries, videos and documentaries."

The 80-bed hotel, with two restaurants and a hall with 500-person sitting capacity, is being constructed by overseas Pakistani Anwar Aman, who announced an investment of Rs5 billion in Pakistan's tourism sector.

Bukhari, who also holds the portfolio of the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, extended his gratitude to the Pakistani diaspora for contributing to national development. He said his government had a comprehensive plan to promote the country across the globe.