Comment by Riaz Haq on January 29, 2020 at 8:03am

#Tourism can Save #Pakistan's #Economy. #CPEC to give impetus to maritime tourism potential of Pakistan and #Gwadar port in particular. #Maritime and #coastal tourism would grow at a global rate of 3.5 percent annually by 2030. #China https://intpolicydigest.org/2020/01/29/tourism-can-save-pakistan-s-... via @intpolicydigest

-------------------

The coastline of Pakistan extends to 1050 km along the Arabian Sea, of which Sindh province shares 350 km and Balochistan segments 700 km. The coastal region of Balochistan in particular has a number of sand beaches with “shifting sand dunes.” Biological diversity, adds to the beauty and importance of the coastal belt, where migratory birds can be seen at Pasni, Jiwani and Miani Hor. Astola Island, the country’s first marine protected area (MPA), is a known nesting ground for endangered green turtles which can perhaps be developed into a sustainable tourist attraction. The Balochistan government, in view of the above potential, has announced to build tourist resorts to cater to the needs of local and foreign tourists at an allocated cost of $2.1 million at Kund Malir, Gadani, Ormara, Jīwani, and Khor Kalmat. Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, is the coastal city that remains a popular destination among national tourists. The Clifton beach is a famous place to visit where camel and buggy rides are offered for families on picnic. Hawke’s Bay is another of the beach for leisure seekers who usually rent a hut to spend their weekends. The Indus Delta and the mangroves at the Sindh provincial coast also offers a potential tourism resource.
-----------------------

The government of Pakistan has sought the attention of tourists by relaxing its visa policy. It is now offering e-visas on arrival to enthusiastic leisure seekers from across the world. International hotel chains have also shown interest in expanding their services in coastal areas, including Gwadar. Forbes dubbed Pakistan to be “one of the coolest places to visit” in 2019. The British Backpacker Society ranked Pakistan as its “best adventure travel destination” and “one of the friendliest countries on earth that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.” Conde Nast Traveler has recently ranked Pakistan as the number one holiday destination in 2020. These developments will prove beneficial for maritime tourism. However, the government requires sustained efforts to build sustainable and viable sea-based tourist industry.

Pakistan has all the vital constituents for a flourishing maritime tourism sector. A beautiful coastline along the Arabian Sea, enriched with God-gifted marvels including beaches, lagoons, cliffs, and headlands; which are a dream come true for tourists. In the wake of CPEC, maritime tourism needs to be prioritized as an important sector that can generate viable revenues for the state. Collaborative efforts need to be made by federal and provincial governments to steer in the right direction. A public-private partnership is also suggested for the various ventures to build the required infrastructure and meet the international standards for tourists. Such actions will promote CPEC as the ‘catalyst for regional growth’ and will provide an “appealing image” of the project to dissuade all the negative propaganda, to attract the attention of international tourists and investors.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 18, 2020 at 5:17pm

#UK's Princess Beatrice's extreme pre-wedding venture for helicopter #skiing in #Pakistan along with ex PM Jose Maria Aznar of #Spain and PM Matteo Ranzi of #Italy. #tourism https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/princess-beatrice-extreme-sport-he...


"It reflects the trust of foreign tourists over tourist potential in Pakistan and that's why such a large delegation has come to Pakistan to enjoy skiing," the president said, via his official Twitter account.

"With the world increasingly acknowledging Pakistan's natural beauty, Pakistan is destined to emerge as the tourist hub of the region and beyond.

-------------------

Princess Beatrice is getting married in three months' time but she's taking part in an extreme sport most brides would steer clear of.

The Princess of York travelled to Pakistan for a heli-skiing expedition, known as one of the most adrenaline-fueled sport adventure-lovers can do.

Skiers, or snowboarders, are flown to the top of a mountain by helicopter where they are left to explore the slopes.

It's not your ordinary winter sport and is a favourite among the world's elite.

With her wedding due to take place on May 29 at St James's Chapel and Buckingham Palace, we do wonder what measures Princess Beatrice put in place to prevent herself from having an accident.

After all, a bride wearing a cast is never a good look. However, Princess Beatrice is familiar with the ski fields having enjoyed many family holidays to the Swiss ski resort of Verbier over the years.

It's unclear whether Beatrice's fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, joined her in Pakistan, though.

Pakistan's president Dr. Arif Alvi shared photos of Princess Beatrice at the presidential palace on Monday describing the visit as a "high level delegation".

He also spoke up the country's credentials as a tourist destination.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 19, 2020 at 4:16pm

How #Pakistan's Swat Valley went from basket case to success story. From #terrorism to #tourism


https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/19/pakistans-success-story/

It used to be the case that fear, and a Taliban-imposed curfew, confined people to their homes after 8 p.m. A decade later, nights in Mingora are alive, loud, and brightly lit by streetlights, neon signs, and storefronts. Markets and restaurants stay open late. Musicians and dancers have returned. Families stroll down the winding paths of the Fiza Gatt park, which stretches along the river. The spot where Fazlullah’s seminary once stood is visible to the park’s patrons, perpetually serving as a reminder.

“Swat is unrecognizable now,” Ramzan said.

--------

MINGORA, Pakistan—Hundreds of schools for girls sweep across the land where, in 2012, 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban. This was the land where, under Taliban control between 2007 and 2009, schools were destroyed and girls barred from education.

These days in Mingora, Malala’s hometown in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, few, if any, signs remain of the city’s grisly past. The former militant stronghold is nestled at the base of the Hindu Kush mountains, equidistant from Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad and the eastern border of Afghanistan. Endless hotels and restaurants line its main arteries—a new building is under construction every few blocks. Although international tourism is still rare, local travelers flock to what was once one of the most dangerous spots on the planet.

The Swat Valley is, in many ways, a success story in a country where success stories are rare.

Yet everybody here has a story of what it was like to live under the Taliban. At checkpoints scattered across the city, residents were stopped and questioned about their activities. I spoke to one over the summer who recalled armed men pulling him by the hair and demanding he cut his hair. But it wasn’t just the streets outside that fell under scrutiny. Another local told me about the time that militants, noticing the dish antenna on his roof, barged in and broke his TV.

In those days, the local population had three unappealing choices: comply, leave, or get killed.

A once bustling junction in Mingora became known as Khooni Chowk (literally “bloody intersection”), where corpses of nonconformists, critics, and opponents would be found strung up—sometimes without their heads. The shops surrounding Khooni Chowk were shuttered, their windows shattered, their walls pierced with bullet holes.

Today, the walls have been rebuilt, the glass replaced, and the scars plastered over.


------------

Khushal School, founded by Malala’s father in 1994, is one of approximately 350 private schools in Swat. It is also one of the best-performing ones, Iqbal said.

Iqbal, who joined Khushal as a principal in 2016, recalled a dark period in the school’s history. Both the attack on Malala and the subsequent Taliban assault on a school in Peshawar instilled fear in the students and their parents. Several left the school. “They thought Khushal might be next,” said Muhammad Faruq, the director of the school.

However, these days, things are close to back to normal. Iqbal said his students are performing well both in academics and extracurriculars. Recently, he said, they did extraordinarily well in board exams. But, as both he and Faruq acknowledge, student enrollment is still half of what it used to be.

“These days, all signs of the Taliban have disappeared,” Faruq added. But perhaps not from people’s minds. Swat’s return to normalcy has come at an immense cost to civilians, 2 million of whom were displaced in the military operation. And the operation was by no means perfect. For more than a decade, the fragile peace was maintained by a heavy military presence until administrative control was handed over to civilian authorities. It was only around two years ago that the military checkpoints that kept a watchful eye on Mingora began closing.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 25, 2020 at 5:35pm

#CPEC’s Havelian-Thakot #highway section completed. The 79-km-long secondary road of Mansehra-Thakot, is part of the 118-km-long Havelian-Thakot. The other part of Havelian-Thakot, the Havelian-Mansehra #expressway section, 39 km, is already open #Pakistan https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/649475-cpec-s-havelian-thakot-high...

As the construction of Mansehra-Thakot, a secondary road section, has been completed, the Havelian-Thakot of the Karakoram Highway Phase II (KKH) gets through which will boost the economic and social development of Pakistan, reports Gawdar Pro App on Friday.


The 79-kilometer-long secondary road of Mansehra-Thakot, is a part of the 118-kilometer-long Havelian-Thakot. The other part of Havelian-Thakot, the Havelian-Mansehra expressway section, 39 kilometers, has been open to traffic in November 2019 when Prime Minister Imran Khan attended its launching ceremony.

Havelian-Thakot section is given priority among the three sections of the Karakoram Highway Phase II that is an early harvest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to the Havelian-Thakot project’s contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), this project was launched in September 2016.

The Chinese company employed as many as 8,000 locals during the busy months of the project, which accounted for 81.6 percent of the total employment. Besides bringing tangible benefits to local workers, CRBC has also taught them work skills and trained thousands of locals to be engineers or technicians, which could benefit them more in a long run.

Thousands of local families have seen their lives changing for the better thanks to job opportunities of this project. Karakoram Highway, the only overland connection between China and Pakistan at present, was built with fund from China during 1966-1978.

The first phase of KKH’s renovation and expansion project had been completed in 2013. In 2014, the memorandum on the second phase of KKH was signed between Pakistan and China.

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 1, 2020 at 7:14am

More Mountaineering Teams Heading to #Pakistan's #GilgitBaltistan Area. While Pakistan’s 8,000+ feet tall peaks will remain untouched this year, a handful of expeditions are making their move on slightly lower but unclimbed peaks. #tourism #adventure https://explorersweb.com/2020/08/31/more-teams-heading-for-pakistan...

While Pakistan’s 8,000’ers will remain untouched this year, a handful of expeditions are making their move on slightly lower but unclimbed peaks. On the impressive Muchu Chhish, the Czechs have managed to reach Camp 2, after negotiating a route through a highly broken glacier and a difficult climb. It included exposed sections and a traverse of a knife-edge ridge, where the team had to carve out a bivouac at around 5,700m, with a “huge, frightening avalanche slope” above their heads.

If all goes well, they will set up C3 on the main ridge. If they make it that far, this will mark the highest point ever reached on the mountain. Below, some footage from their previous exploratory trip in 2019, set to the rebab music of the Pakistani band, Khumariyaan.

Muchu Chhish is also the goal for Spain’s Jordi Tosas and Austria’s Philipp Brugger, who fly to Pakistan tomorrow to attempt the 7,452m peak in alpine style. Brugger, 27, specializes in speed ascents, ski randonnée racing and trail running. He has spent the summer in the Alps, performing speed climbs of Piz Bernina and the Eiger North Face, among others.

Tosas trains at home in the Pyrenees, often solo, and will add broad experience as an international mountain guide, Himalayan climber and high-altitude snowboarder whose descents include Broad Peak, Shishapangma and Cho Oyu. He opened a route on Jannu East, attempted Lhotse South Face, was part of the second ascent of K2’s Magic Line in 2004 and supported Kilian Jornet on his speed ascent of Everest in 2017.

The climbers will acclimatize on a nearby peak, then head to Muchu Chhish in the second half of September. It remains to be seen whether the Czech team will have bagged the first ascent of Muchu Chhish by then or whether it will be still unclimbed.

Meanwhile, although Sergi Mingote of Spain has given up on his hopes of climbing Makalu this year — as part of his no-O2, 14×8,000m project — he is not ready to sit at home. He has raised funds and gathered over 200kg of winter clothes and footwear, which he will distribute among the villagers of Kande, in the Hushe Valley. Then Mingote will team up with his regular partner, Carlos Garranzo, to explore the area and, if conditions are right, attempt an unclimbed peak that they have their eye on.

Last but not least, a Bahraini team, supported by Prince Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa and made up of members of his Royal Guard, will fly to Nepal in September to climb Manaslu (after acclimatizing on Lobuche Peak). The team, whose ultimate goal is Everest in spring 2021, has posted images of their gear and oxygen systems, as well as some relief supplies bound to Nepal. Flights to Nepal are not open to foreign tourists, but an exception has been made for the well-connected expedition. It’s probably not a coincidence that a large number of the flights to Nepal proceed through the Middle East and that 40,000 Nepalis work in Bahrain.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 5, 2021 at 9:09am

Why #Pakistan should be your pick for a post-lockdown #adventure. Under a new #tourism drive, Pakistan is finally ready to take its place as one of the world's premier trekking destinations. #Karakoram #mountain https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activity-and-adventure/pakistan-...

It is autumn of 2019 and the world knows nothing of Covid-19 or R numbers. I’m stood at Concordia camp in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. Tomorrow, I will complete the final leg of a two-week trek to K2 base camp at the foot of Earth’s second-highest mountain....

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 29, 2021 at 9:06pm

PM Imran announces Rs370 billion development package for Gilgit-Baltistan - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

https://www.dawn.com/news/1621242


"The expansion of your infrastructure and expanding your airports," the prime minister said, would also be a part of the package, specifically pointing to Skardu Airport which would cater to international flights now as well.

The prime minister also stressed the importance of developing facilities for tourism in the region. He said the "real potential" of the region lay in tourism.

Promotion of tourism would bring benefits for both GB and Pakistan, said the premier, with employment and prosperity for the former and foreign exchange for the latter.

"This package we have brought, this is not just for your benefit and improvement. We have brought it for all of Pakistan because the whole country will benefit," he said.

He predicted that if tourism was handled properly in GB, it would no longer have to ask for funds from the Centre. Rather, it would be the other way around.

"You have to work for your tourism industry in a very planned way [...] if you don't do this correctly, then tourists won't come," the prime minister urged, pointing to potential pitfalls such as lack of town planning, inadequate sanitation and deficient environmental protection.

The premier said the region had a good community system and therefore it would be very easy to ensure compliance with bylaws, maintain sanitation and protection of areas for tourism. The local government elections, he added, would help to make a system that could "protect the whole area".

Prime Minister Imran Khan also stated that when he used to visit the region in the past, there seemed to be an impression among the people that they weren't believed to be capable of managing their own affairs and weren't empowered to take decisions for themselves.

He added that his government had taken steps to provide provisional provincial status to GB so that the local people would have the authority to take decisions. "How can decisions be made [for this area] sitting in Islamabad?"

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, while addressing the ceremony earlier, also shared details on the projects under the development package.

He said that nine electricity projects with a capacity of 250 megawatt would be added which were all hydel and clean energy projects. "Your local distribution grid is being spread so that electricity can be provided reliably," Umar said, adding that Rs140bn were just for the electricity projects.

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 29, 2021 at 9:07pm

slamabad: A new private airline ‘North Air’ will soon take to the skies with an aim to promote Pakistan as a global tourist destination.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently issued Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI) licence to the airline. It will initially operate flights to and from Islamabad, Skardu, Chitral, Gilgit, and Gwadar - covering major tourist attractions.

North Air founder and co-owner Raja Nazeem ul Ameen is a businessman who hails from Hunza valley of Gilgit-Baltistan. Talking to Gulf News, Ameen said: “After acquiring the licence, we are now in the process of complying with subsequent requirements by CAA which includes reviewing the planes, pilots, technical staff and training capacity.” The flight operations will begin when CAA is satisfied that the airliner is able to carry out the activities in a satisfactory manner. “The process from licensing to operation takes a minimum of 90 days. We hope to begin flight operations as soon as possible” the airline co-owner said.

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-set-to-launch-new-airline-north-air-to-boost-tourism-1.79482328

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 2, 2021 at 6:35pm

PIA announces to relaunch Air Safari service

https://dailytimes.com.pk/765101/pia-announces-to-relaunch-air-safa...

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced the relaunch of its Air Safari service on Monday. The inaugural flight of Air Safari will fly from Islamabad to Skardu as all preparations have been finalised for the relaunch of PIA’s Air Safari service. The airliner will announce a schedule in the upcoming days. The flight will fly passengers over snow-capped peaks in the country’s north. K2 and Nanga Parbat are Pakistan’s highest mountains, and are popular among mountaineers. K2 is the world’s second-highest mountain at 8,611 meters above sea level. Back in 2018, the national flag carrier had announced plans to launch its Air Safari service. However, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had shut down its planned commercial launch of the Air Safari flight, days after reportedly announcing the service due to operational difficulties. In order to boost tourism, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) last week had issued a TPRI (Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration) licence to a newly launched private airline named North Air. According to details, the privately launched new airline is planned to operate flights for Gilgit, Skardu, Chitral and Gwadar. Initially, the airline will operate flights between Islamabad-Gilgit, Islamabad-Skardu, Islamabad-Chitral and Islamabad-Gwadar.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 18, 2021 at 10:15pm

#Pakistan Roundup: Who’s Doing What, and Where, This Summer. Multiple #international teams with more exciting plans for new routes and first ascents on #Karakoram peaks in #GilgitBaltistan. #tourism #adventure #mountaineering https://explorersweb.com/2021/06/18/pakistan-roundup-whos-doing-wha...

As teams converge on Pakistan, we’ve learned of more exciting plans for new routes and first ascents.

Tom Livingstone (who won a Piolet d’Or in 2019 for a new route to Latok I) has teamed up with Mathieu Maynadier for an attempt on remote Pumari Chhish (7,350m). Yannick Graziani and Christian Trommsdorff made the first and only ascent of this peak in 2007.

Graziani is also climbing and skiing in the Karakorum this summer, in the company of Patrick Wagnon and Helias Millerioux. Their goals remain unclear, but the team’s latest track some days ago places them in the mountains northeast of Rakaposhi. That day, Millerioux wrote they had enjoyed a perfect 1,300m ski descent.

A French team of Jerome Sullivan, Victor Saucede, Jeremy Stagnetto, and Martin Elias plan to attempt the first ascent of K13/Dansam Peak (6,666m), a little-known mountain on the border with Indian Kashmir.

To the Gasherbrums
Skiers Boris Langensteina and Tiphaine Duperier of France are also back in the Greater Ranges this season. After an incomplete ski descent of Nanga Parbat in 2019, they are now eyeing the Gasherbrums, together with Aurelia Lanoe and Guillaume Pierrel. En route to Base Camp, the team has carved a number of lines in the Chitral area.

Serge Hardy of France will attempt a Broad Peak, GI, and GII triple-header, according to Montagnes magazine.

In a rather Gallic stunt, Philippe Genin, the so-called Summit Pianist, will assemble a small piano and play on top of GII. The artist has previously played atop several peaks in the Alps, the summit of Ama Dablam, and Camp 2 on Cho Oyu. He wants to “spread the energy of love and well-being throughout the Earth.” All right, then.

Italian mountain guide Marco Confortola will attempt Gasherbrum I (Hidden Peak), and a five-man team from the Catalonia region of Spain, led by Lluis Cortadellas, checked in from Islamabad today on their way to GI and GII.

“We managed to buy a last-minute plane ticket and here we are,” they wrote happily. The young climbers are fresh from training in Chamonix.

K2 and Broad Peak
Samina Baig and her all-Pakistani K2 team checked in from Skardu yesterday. Mirza Ali introduced five of his Shimshali Boys, in charge of fixing the ropes on K2 and already on their way to Base Camp. Jordi Tosas will lead them, assuming that he manages to board a plane to Pakistan on Monday. ”

My flights have been postponed twice so I am already running late,” he told ExplorersWeb. “We need to start fixing K2 asap, and I am afraid I will get to Base Camp rather short of acclimatization.” Tosas lives in Spain’s Pyrenees and trains every day, but the highest peak in that range, Mt. Aneto, is only 3,404m.

Meanwhile, two new names are confirmed for K2: Anne Bialek and Victor Sans.

On Broad Peak, Don Bowie and Lotta Hintsa are still in BC waiting out bad weather. Last week, they managed to set up Camp 1 on the best possible spot (there is not much room) while there was no one else on the mountain. At the time, they reported very good conditions. By now, other climbers should be joining them in Base Camp, including Pakistan’s Saeed Almemari.

Comment

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• Next ›
• Page