Without infrastructure there is no tourism industry, says travel expert Erum Khan

Erum Khan is Chairperson of Travel and Tourism Gwadar Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI). She is also a travel expert, SDG consultant and the Director of Odyssey, Alumni National Security Workshop in Balochistan. Bol News sat down with her to discuss the prospects of tourism in Pakistan concerning the central message of World Tourism Day 2022 — ‘Rethinking Tourism’, the sector’s unique potential to drive recovery and deliver positive change for people everywhere.

What are Pakistan’s cultural assets that can be exploited to promote tourism?

If Egypt can attract millions of global tourists with 2,000 years old pyramids, why can’t Pakistan attract global tourists with 4,500 years old Indus Valley civilisation? It’s all about our commitment to rethinking tourism.

Pakistan is the most magical land with all kinds of geographical landscapes. We have the largest mountain systems including the biggest three mountain ranges with the highest percentage of glaciers in the world. We have the oldest civilisation on earth in the form of Mohenjo Daro in Sindh, Harappa in Punjab and Mehergarh in Balochistan. We have a great cultural-religious heritage in the form of ruins of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Sufism in different parts of the country. Pakistan’s history also encompasses the armies of Alexander the Great and the Moghul Empire. The ancient Kingdom of Gandhara spread over modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some parts of Afghanistan. Punjab is full of Cultural heritage and we have the scenic beauty of Gilgit Baltistan to attract lovers of nature.

What can Pakistan offer to tourists?

From the mighty stretches of the Karakoram and Himalayas in the North to the mind-blowing beaches in our Makran Coast, from alpine meadows to coniferous forest, from the vast Indus plain to the great deserts of Thar and Kharan, Pakistan is blessed with the natural beauty and can be a home of world finest adventures for nature lovers. Trekking, mountaineering, water rafting, desert jeep safari, camel and yak safaris, skiing, trout fishing and bird watching are just a few activities which have the potential to attract tourists from around the world.

How do you involve the local communities or stakeholders in promoting tourism?

I believe in sustainable ecotourism and one of the important components of ecotourism is to involve local communities. By taking a participatory approach and involving community members in decision-making processes, we ensure local voices are heard and that residents have a say in their destination’s future.

We aim to educate local tourism professionals, as well as community members by involving them in the web of sustainable tourism businesses. We also aim to engage communities in conservation efforts and safeguard their local environments and wildlife.

What should the ministry do to help Pakistan become a year-round destination?

There are lots of things which should be prioritised to pave the way for sustainable tourism. We should be committed to strengthening Pakistan as an internationally-recognised tourist destination. There is a need to create strong and long-term national and provincial tourism policies. We must create a tourism master plan which will guide the industry to build and grow. Basic tourism infrastructure needs investment and of course research in the areas of marketing, tour product development and investment. All the stakeholders need to coordinate.

Numbers play a crucial part: we must know how many tourists we want to attract in one, three or five years and how big an investment are we ready with.

Have you identified any specific segment that needs upgrading to enhance the potential of the tourism sector?

In line with the global theme, we should be rethinking tourism in Pakistan with a new vision and goal. Pakistan should aim to support the development and implementation of plans which contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. Firstly, the idea of sustainable ecotourism needs to be implemented, which is responsible travel to protected or vulnerable natural areas.

Secondly, to develop tourism, there is a dire need of developing tour products. Such as coastal tourism on beach resorts, adventure tourism like hiking, mountaineering or desert safari and religious tourism like preservation of gurdwaras, mandirs etc. to attract tourists from around the world.

Can a neglected place like Baluchistan be turned into a tourist hub?

We believe Balochistan is one of the untapped regions when it comes to tourism and development. It has beautiful and lively urban centres, scenic natural wonders, beautiful coastlines, majestic historic civilisations, a unique series of mountains, mind-blowing desserts, warm summers and snowy winters, and unmatched beauty everywhere. We are dedicated to promoting Balochistan as the next tourist destination.

Since I’m a regular visitor to Balochistan, exploring Ziarat, the Kharan desert, the beautiful Chaghai hills and its mineral reserves, the Bolan mountains, the magical city of Quetta and its surroundings and the beaches extending from Kund Malir to Gwadar, I know that there is a lot to discover in this unexplored and untapped province of Pakistan.

Love to end this talk with the brilliant words of Maksim Sochkin, an international travel expert from one of his articles, “If you build it, they will come”…. making it a crucial point that without infrastructure there’s no tourism industry!