Winter tourism flourishes in upper K-P

Over 0.8m tourists visit various hill stations in a month

BALAKOT:

The upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are witnessing a major influx of local and foreign tourists these days with government statistics suggesting that over 8 million tourists visited various tourist attractions during the last month alone. According to the KP Tourism Authority, the scenic hill stations of Galiyat, Kaghan, Kalam, Malam Jabba, Chitral, and Shogran attracted adventure sports and snowfall lovers in droves.

Some 55 foreign and around 8,90,772 domestic tourists enjoyed the mesmerising views of various hill stations, the provincial tourism authority said.

Galyat, Dir, and other valleys of the Malakand division also attracted a large number of tourists.

Malam Jabba attracted 0.5m domestic and 17 foreign tourists while 0.2m national and 4 international tourists visited Galyat.

Similarly, around 79, 548 domestic tourists enjoyed their vacations in the scenic valleys of Kaghan and Naraan and 23,711 domestic and 24 foreign tourists visited lower Chitral.

The report further said around 1,012 national and 3 foreign tourists visited upper Dir. The KP Tourism Department provides online booking services and tourist guides to visitors.

Shogran and Kaghan valleys continue to bustle with snow lovers where two to three feet of snow is reported.

The local administration has closed the Kaghan Highway beyond Kaghan due to heavy snowfall.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2023.