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Climate change blamed for declining tourism

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry and National Highway Authority (NHA), organised a seminar and photo exhibition at the Pakistan National Library auditorium on Saturday to commemorate World Tourism Day.

The day bearing the theme “Tourism Responding to the Challenge of the Climate Change” was observed across the globe under the auspices of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation to make international community aware of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. Federal Minister for Water and Power and Tourism Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was chief guest on the occasion who inaugurated the exhibition.

Anti-tourism elements debated: Addressing the ceremony, PTDC Managing Director Brig Amanullah, NHA Geberal Manager Tariq Mehmood Pirzada, Tourism Secretary Ali Arif and Richard Casting from South Africa highlighted different factors of climate changes affecting the tourism sector.

They said tourism was a victim of climate change mainly due to global warming and lawlessness. They said climate change inflicted socio-economic stresses on tourists, often leading them to criminality.

Terming global warming worse than terrorism, the speakers said climate change had become a globally proved phenomenon. They also suggested different remedies to get tourism back to its place while fighting against adverse environmental changes. In this regard, they said, competent facilities for visitors should be enhanced and awareness programmes held globally.

Efforts to promote tourism: The minister said the government was fully aware of the fact how the current circumstances were marring touristy. He said it was an apt time to recognise that tourism was declining in Pakistan. He said the government was taking appropriate measures for revival of tourism industry in the country.

Ashraf said the ministry was trying to promote tourism and had drafted a comprehensive policy to attract foreign and local tourists. He said the government was also trying utmost to restore neglected sightseeing sites and explore new ones. “Pakistan is a beautiful place for tourists, but unfortunately it has become a victim of terrorism,” he regretted.

Exhibition: Over 100 photographs, posters and mobile phone snaps were displayed on the occasion under amateur, professional and mobile phone poster competition categories. All photographs enticed viewers greatly, which candidly highlighted socio-cultural characteristics of the four provinces through camera lens.

The minister appreciated the photographers’ efforts to promote tourism. Later, he distributed awards and cash prizes among position holders of the contest.

Qazi Usman from Islamabad and Hadia Sohail from Lahore bagged first and second positions respectively in amateur category. In professional category, Maheen and E Phillip, both from Islamabad, secured top two positions respectively.

Hadia Sohail won first and Muhammad Sohail second slot in poster competition. In mobile phone photo competition, Farah Rani from Islamabad got first prize and Abdul Malik from Quetta second.

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