While measuring the negative influence of security turmoil on any economy, a majority of researchers fail to account for the collapse of tourism industry that is regarded as the fourth largest business worldwide after fuel, chemical and auto manufacturing, according to World Tourism Organization.
Pakistans ranking in the Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index deteriorated to 113, out of 133 countries in 2009, from 111 in the previous year, according to a tourism report released by the World Economic Forum earlier this year.
To no ones surprise, this was largely due to poor environmental sustainability coupled with the safety and security conditions, which were ranked at 118 and 132 respectively, according to the same report.
But the good part is that the report termed Pakistans transport infrastructure (ranked 73), price competitiveness in travel and tourism industry (35), natural resources (83) and cultural resources (44) on a relatively sound footing, which implies that the country has a potential to attract tourists if the government measures ease security concerns.
Based on latest available data, international tourism receipts in Pakistan amounted to just $276 million in 2007, which is on average twenty times lower than other Asian countries. And its safe to assume that this figure must have decreased in the last two years due to spiraling turbulence, which has affected the daily life in large cities in general and has resulted in migration of millions of people from tourist friendly destinations such as Swat.
Although, the industry itself seems small, but since travel and tourism touches all other sectors of economy, its real impact is even greater. It involves many big industries, including airline, hotels, restaurants, resorts, transportation, shopping centres and also the countless small businesses such as handicrafts, roadside motels and laundry amongst many others.
Hence, if the negative impact of security turmoil on tourism industry is estimated, it would also include thousands of those under-and-unemployed in the associated industries, especially in rural community.
But does this mean Pakistan will find itself without tourists, given the terrorism related security concerns? The answer to that may be a resounding yes but that is not exactly the case.
Agreed that security tensions typically keep tourists at bay, but there are many areas such as the valleys and farms along Karakoram highway that exotically wind through the lofty mountain ranges of Himalaya, Hindukush and Karakoram, which are TERRORISM FREE, contrary to popular perception - requiring only some good marketing tactics.
In this context, and in the absence of an effective image building exercise by the state run tourism development organization, the ongoing elections in Gilgit-Baltistan would hopefully empower the people of that area to act in their self interest. Unless of course, the rogue of political tensions and conflicts, typically abound in urban centres, finds its way in Gilgit-Baltistan area as well as a result of these elections. One hopes not.
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