ISLAMABAD – Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis,Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari on Sunday said, the federal government wasplanning to set up an endowment fund with the collaboration of all theprovinces to market their tourist attractions.The special assistant who also holds the office of Chairman NationalTourism Coordination Board (NTCB) said, all the stakeholders were unanimousover the idea of retaining foreign tourists’ confidence through destinationbranding.
The decision was taken during the first meeting of the board conducted toformulate a permanent policy required to enable sustainable growth oftourism sector, the chairman NTCB said in an exclusive talk with APP.
NTCB was recently constituted by the federal government with an aim topromote the pluralistic image of country across the globe and synchronizeall the regional tourism departments since the tourism was a provincialsubject after 18th amendment.
“Effective branding, building the country’s soft image and strongprovincial coordination are vital to flourish the tourism industry,”Zulfikar Bukhari remarked while highlighting the multi-pronged strategy ofthe board to address challenges being faced by this sector.
Outlining the board’s short and long term plans, he said first and foremostpriority of the NTCB was to bolster the domestic tourism by engaging thelocals in this development process.Secondly, the branding of tourist destination would also be launched,adding, “This is the crucial component of NTCB’s strategy to lure theforeign tourists”.
He said the NTCB would also work out various initiatives to createtourist-friendly environment in the country and ensure provision of qualityservices to the travelers and tourists.The Law Enforcement Agencies would also be taken on board to provide thetourists foolproof security during their stay here.
The development of infrastructure was also imperative to increase touristactivities in the country and the board would only facilitate the provincesin this regard, Zulfikar Bukhari added.To a query, he said protection of environment, culture and heritage wouldalso be ensured as the provincial authorities had been asked to strictlyfollow government’s guideline in this regard.
The chairman said the board had decided in its recent meeting to devise astrategy which could help convince other countries to review their traveladvisories, previously issued for the tourists intending to tour Pakistan.
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The marketing task force, set up under NTCB, was also asked to projectattractive and scenic sites in the targeted countries through promotionalcampaigns on social media, Zulfikar Bukhari informed.
He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government had changed the country’svisa policy and eased the restrictions for visitors to reconnect it withthe world. Potentially restarting of tourism industry was the corner stoneof his government’s policy, he reiterated.
The chairman hoped that the extension in visa on arrival facility to 155countries, which was limited to only 24 countries in the past, had given aclear message to the world that the country had opened up to the investors,businessmen and tourists, he added.
Zulfikar Bukhari said the International organizations would also be madethe part of tourism task force to foster a strong relationship with themwhich would also help build the country’s positive image abroad, he added.
Terming the Overseas Pakistanis trueambassador of Pakistan, he said, his ministry would also involve them forlaunching an awareness campaign to promote the tourism in various countries.
