The provincial government is also working on setting up similar tourist facilitation centres
LAHORE: Intercity tourism in the country has seen a rapid rise over the years, especially due to the improvement in security conditions across Pakistan. Citizens, who once used to travel abroad during vacations, are now taking tours to the northern areas of the country such as Hunza to Gilgit-Baltistan, which have plenty of picturesque landscapes to offer along with the cool breeze. This in return has flourished the tourism industry in these areas and also prospered the businesses related to it.
However, despite the endless efforts of our security agencies in making Pakistan a safer place to live in, traveling to different cities in the country remains a cause of concern owing to the crimes, such as theft, frequently reported. In the wake of this, news of a special tourist police being launched along with a tourist facilitation centre in the Nathiagali area brings much solace to the citizens.
The police will help in enhancing the experience of tourists as they would facilitate in case of emergency, criminal incident, lost items, traffic management at key hotspots and accidents, and also guide tourists when needed. The centre and the officers will work around the clock to attend to any tourist related queries.
In fact, the provincial government is also working on setting up similar tourist facilitation centres at other tourist hotspots such as Swat, Mansehra and Abbottabad. Other provinces with a range of popular tourist points should do likewise. This will not only facilitate the travellers but also increase the number of tourists coming in around the year.
Basma Khalid
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2017.
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