Engagement key to safe tourism revival

Speakers say county must quickly adapt to ‘new normal’

ISLAMABAD:

With the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic bringing the tourism sector across the world to a screeching halt, Pakistan must strategise to safely, responsibly and effectively reopen its tourism sector.

This was stressed by speakers during a webinar on “Harnessing Sustainable Tourism Potential in the New Normal” on Saturday. The webinar had been organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) and DTNTV.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said that there is a need to think about off-the-cuff strategies to attract international tourists to Pakistan.

“Our wonderful desserts, marines and coastal parts and high mountains can become centres of attraction [for tourists],” the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman said hopefully, before lamenting that we have been unable to learn how to maximise them recreationally.

He stressed the need to engage local communities in implementing the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) once the tourism sector does open in the country.

K-P govt issues guidelines for reopening tourism

Devcom-Pakistan Director Munir Ahmed said that the implementation of SOPs can play a pivotal role in sustaining tourism in the coming days.

Hence, he said that all stakeholders in the hospitality and tourism industry must ensure that they strictly adhere to the guidelines without any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.

“Thousands of lives could be at risk if the government and World Health Organisation SOPs are not followed,” he said, adding that it will also hamper the economic activities associated with the tourism industry.

Special Committee of the Pakistan Tourism Board Chairperson Aftabur Rehman Rana explained that sustainable tourism is supply-driven, rather than demand-driven with consideration given to the social, economic and environmental factors.

With Covid-19 severely impacting the economic side of tourism, Rana said that it has also created an opportunity for stakeholders to take a step back and readjust strategies and plans.

World Bank Group Tourism Senior Private Sector Specialist Kiran Afzal pointed out that several industry stakeholders had declared that tourism as the ‘first one affected and the last one to recover’ from the pandemic.

Pakistan, she said, must follow the relevant global practices including planning tourism bubbles; regulating tourist numbers; creating awareness of SOPs amongst visitors, communities, workers and local authorities and enforcing strict health safety regime for all who are at the risk of being exposed due to resumption of domestic travel.

To aid the transition, Afzal suggested that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are trained to adapt to the ‘new normal’ by repurposing their product and service lines.

“Public-private partnerships will help the sector recover faster and develop resilience to future external shocks,” she said.

Tourism, pandemic and sustainability

Maritime tourism expert Cdr Muhammad Akhtar said Pakistan has immense, untapped opportunities for maritime tourism. He added that plans and strategies are frequently drawn up but are never implemented. If properly marketed and projected, this sector could also prove critical for national and international tourists.

Environment expert Dr Nilofar Jamil said Balochistan is amongst the most neglected province in terms of tourism with many destinations unexposed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2020.