Stressing water conservation: Islooites celebrate World Tourism Day

Various stalls, promoting Pakistan to tourists, were set up at the event.

ISLAMABAD:

Photographic exhibitions, stalls of different countries and screening of a range of documentaries on tourist, cultural and architectural sites of Pakistan were displayed at a ceremony marking World Tourism Day on Friday.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) organised the event which hosted stalls by Turkish, Polish and Egyptian embassies portraying their culture and attractions at the Pak-China Friendship Centre.

“CDA is harnessing all available resources to improve tourist facilities around Islamabad which has many attractions,” CDA Chairman Nadeem Hassan Asif said while addressing the opening ceremony. This year the World Tourism Day is being celebrated with a focus on water scarcity in line with United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation.

Asif said that with the increasing demand for water due to massive industrial and population growth and depleting reservoirs, it is our moral and social responsibility to conserve the depleting commodity.

Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervez Rashid, the chief guest on the occasion, said we can project a softer image of Pakistan internationally through promotion of tourism in the country.

“The real potential of tourism in Pakistan is not being fully tapped,” said Rashid, adding that the present government was striving hard for promoting tourism. Pakistan has the world’s highest peaks, sites of ancient civilisations, archeological treasures, green plains and vast deserts which are a treasure trove with regard to tourism.

Various photographic exhibitions of Pakistan’s archeological, historical and cultural sites were also displayed at the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2013.