World Tourism Day: Launched by PTDC and EyeBex Films
September 27, 2019
Managing Director PTDC, Syed Intikhab Alam Inaugurated the Launching Ceremony
The seminar took place at Postal College Auditorium, Islamabad which was attended by a large number of professionals from tourism sector, tour operators, travel agents, stakeholders and officers of public sector organizations connected with tourism promotion. Managing Director, PTDC Syed Intikhab Alam in his opening remarks highlighted the role of tourism in job creation as it holds 10% share of the total jobs in the global economy. He emphasized that the initiatives taken by the present government would help achieve the targets of creating more and more jobs especially for women and youth. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam Khan in his remarks highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism to cope with the challenges of global warming and climate change. He said that tourism and environment had strong linkages and close coordination could raise supplement efforts of both in raising awareness about Eco-tourism and sustainable tourism. Mr. Sheikh Siddique, Additional Secretary, Cabinet Division said that Pakistan is bestowed will all product of tourism but could not be tapped properly. He touched upon policy and current initiative of the Government in revitalization of the sector.
PTDC in collaboration with Islamabad Cycling Associations organized a cycling rally and awareness walk around Fatima Jinnah Park in which more than 500 participants, wearing beautifully designed World Tourism Day T-shirts and carrying flags of Pakistan and Kashmir, participated. A large number of local people along with their families witnessed the event and appreciated the efforts of PTDC to highlight the importance of sustainable tourism in Islamabad.
Similarly, PTDC in collaboration with Pakistan Adventure Club also organized a rock climbing activity at Lake View Point in which more than 300 students from different schools of Islamabad actively participated. The participating students thanked the organizers for holding such healthy touristic activities in the federal capital. The events also included a day trip of SOS Village’s students to the different tourist points of Islamabad, Pakistan Monument, Lok Virsa, Faisal Mosque, Lake View Park and Dam-e-Koh. which was full of recreations and infotainment.
Seminar on Theme of the Day
Tourism Gala Event at F9 Park, Islamabad
Welcome to Pakistan
From the mighty stretches of the Karakorams in the North to the vast alluvial delta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan remains a land of high adventure and nature. Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching, are a few activities, which entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan.
Pakistan is endowed with a rich and varied flora and fauna. High Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindukush ranges with their alpine meadows and permanent snow line, coniferous forests down the sub-mountain scrub, the vast Indus plain merging into the great desert, the coast line and wetlands, all offer a remarkably rich variety of vegetation and associated wildlife including avifauna, both endemic and migratory. Ten of 18 mammalian orders are represented in Pakistan with species ranging from the world's smallest surviving mammals, the Mediterranean Pigmy Shrew, to the largest mammal ever known; the blue whale.
NTCB
Tourism is a focused area of the present government. Several initiatives are being undertaken to garner the potential offered by the tourism industry. To develop and enhance coordination with provinces, federal ministries, and private actors, facilitate in the development of policies, strategies, framework, etc, to market and promote tourism potentials nationally and internationally; and capacity building for the provision of quality human resource, the Government has constituted the National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB). NTCB is mandated to:
- Coordinate with provincial, national and international organizations dealing with the tourism sector.
- Market and Promote tourism potential of Pakistan.
- Facilitate the provinces in developing a regulatory framework for quality standards in the Hospitality sector.
- Coordinate national participation in tourism related international expos and events.
- Develop synergies amongst provinces and regions.
- Provide Technical assistance to provinces to develop institutions in tourism sectors.
As a part of the strategy, the NTCB formulated following thematic working groups to develop strategies and action plans in their assigned specific areas:
- Cultural, Heritage & Archaeology Tourism Working Group
- ECO Tourism Working Group
- Tourism Branding & Marketing Working Group
- Regulatory & Policy Reforms Working Group
- Religious Tourism Working Group
- Investment Promotion Working Group
- Infrastructure & Facilitation Working Group
- Adventure Tourism Working Group
- Trans Himalayan Jeep Rally Working Group