Punjab launches apps to boost tourism
On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated ‘Tourism Punjab’ and ‘Department of Tourism Services (DTS) system’ applications to facilitate tourists and those associated with the industry.
“The applications would help people get online information about 511 interesting tourist destinations in the province as well as grant access to services related to it,” the chief minister expressed these views during the inauguration ceremony.
Buzdar further said the Tourism Punjab application would also provide guidance about the best routes that lead to the attraction sites. Speaking about the potential of the app, the chief minister pointed out that tourists could avail all online facilities extended by the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) through it and even book hotels and motels under its domain.
On the other hand, DTS system application has been introduced for tourism operators and new operators can easily register themselves online, he enunciated, adding, “We have automated the tasks of tourism operators to enable ease through modern technology.”
Addressing the mobile apps launch event, Buzdar instructed the agencies concerned to provide e-payment facility to further streamline online tourism services. Later on, the chief minister chaired a high-level meeting to review the initiatives taken for the promotion of tourism.
The meeting was attended by CM Advisor for Tourism Asif Mehmood, chief secretary, Punjab Information Technology Board chairman, principal secretary to the CM, Punjab TDCP managing director, head of special monitoring unit and concerned officials.
The Express Tribune has learnt that during the last term of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the TDCP had geotagged over 480 existing and potential tourism sites across Punjab under its ‘Identification of Potential Areas for Promotion of Tourism’ programme.
The corporation had developed a comprehensive database comprising of history, significance and pictures of tourist sites by 2016. Moving forward from the PML-N initiative, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has launched a mobile application based on this database, a TDCP official revealed.
He pointed out that the database was designed by the Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants (PEPAC) after a detailed survey of these sites. Data shows that Rawalpindi division has the highest number of tourism sites, 85, followed closely by Lahore division that has 82 tourism sites with an estimated influx of around one million people.
Twelve per cent sites documented by the corporation are under-developed or unexplored while the remaining sites have some kind of infrastructure.
Asif Shehzad, a Lahore based tour operator, appreciated the move by the Punjab government.
“We arrange tours within the country and abroad, during the season, hotels affiliated with the TDCP charged higher rents and it was difficult to get the latest updates on various tourist destinations. This app will make it easier for us to get information,” he chimed.
Published in The Express Tribune, Septe0mber 28th, 2020.