PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has finalized the Summer Plan 2021 for holding various activities including sports events and cultural festivals during the upcoming summer season to promote tourism.
This was stated at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to review the progress on various initiatives taken by the KP government to boost the tourism activities, said an official handout.
Besides Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Bukhari, the meeting was attended by Secretary Tourism Abid Majeed, Managing Director, PTDC, Intikhab Alam, Managing Director KP Tourism and Culture Authority Junaid Khan and other relevant officials.
The activities reflected in the Summer Plan include Dera Jaat Festival, Tour de Khyber Cycling Race, Mountain Bike Rally, Qaqlasht Festival, Chelum Jusht Festival, Kurram Festival, Hazara Musical Festival, Shandur Polo Festival, Naran Festival, 4x4 Trans Himalayan Rally and Kailash Ochau Festival.
The activities will be held between March and August this year for which the Tourism, Sports and Culture Department is giving final touches to arrangements and preparations.
These activities are expected to attract a large number of domestic and foreign tourists and necessary steps are being taken to ensure maximum facilitation to the tourists.
Briefing the meeting about progress on various initiatives/ projects for the promotion of tourism in the province, it was informed that geo-mapping and profiling of all tourist destinations in the province had been completed and put on Google maps for the convenience of domestic and foreign tourists.
Similarly, websites and mobile apps have been developed for providing online details of hotels, rest houses, camping pods, and other essential services and facilities in tourist destinations adding that now all types of tourist information are available to the tourists online.
Moreover, online booking and payment facilities for government rest houses has been extended to the tourists.
The participants of the meeting were informed that a Tourist Facilitation Hub with a 24/7 helpline has also been established for the convenience of tourists, and tourists can get any kind of help, service and information by using helpline number 1422, it was informed.
It was informed that progress on the task to identify and develop 10 potential tourist spots in the province was as per the given timelines, and added that In this regard a contract has been awarded for feasibility and master planning which would be completed by July this year.
Similarly, progress is being made to establish Integrated Tourism Zones in the province with the assistance of the World Bank, and Thandiani Abbottabad and Mankial Swat have been considered as priority projects for the establishment of Integrated Tourism Zones, adding that master plans for these two projects would be delivered by the end of May this year.
The meeting was informed that under the Federal Public Sector Development Programme, work is underway on the construction of tourist resorts at five different tourist destinations in the province.
The destinations are Takht e Sulaiman, Garam Chashma, Sheikh Badin, Sholozan and Takht Bhai.
The PC-1 of the project has been approved by the competent forum and administrative approval to this effect has also been issued.
It was further told that six different waterfalls have also been identified in the province to be developed into tourist spots, including Jaruga in Swat, Sajikot and Umbrella in Abbottabad, Nori and Chajian in Haripur and Lamchar Upper Dir. The work on the same is expected to be completed by the end of June this year.
Participants of the meeting were also briefed about the progress on Kumrat Cable Car, Mahodhand Lake, Hund Water Theme Park, Nowshera Motor Sports Arena, Ayubia Chairlift, Buddha Corridor, setting up camping pods in tourists destinations, provision of tourist facilities on dams and various other projects as well.
The chief minister directed the officials to take necessary steps to ensure timely completion of these projects. He directed the Tourism Department to include Kumrat and Bin Shahi festivals in the plan.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Zulfiqar Bukhari highly lauded the efforts of the provincial government to promote tourism and stressed the need to focus on Eco-Tourism and to preserve the natural beauty of tourist destinations in the province.
