ISLAMABAD: Revenue generation through Pakistan's rich tourism sector continues to register a downward trend over the last couple of years mainly because of inadequate facilities to the tourists and shabby infrastructure at fabulous destinations.
The tourism industry has never been able to cross US $200 million despite the fact Pakistan is blessed with some of the most fascinating attractions, it was officially learnt on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Tourism attributes the plunge in trade and travel activities to fledgling law and order, 2010 floods and 2005 earthquake that badly hit tourism infrastructure in the country's north and AJK.
"Our hotels and motels at tourist resorts had been razed to rubble in these disasters that also devastated roads, bridges and other basic infrastructure," said an official of the Ministry of Tourism.
However, experts dealing in tourism sector think the other way round. They said negative trends in tourism industry could have been coped with, provided prudent policies.
"Our tourism suffered from man-made disasters, not natural ones because we have never taken this crucial sector seriously," said Najib Khan, Vice President of Pakistan Private Tour Operators Association.
Revenue generation through tourism alone can earn a great deal of revenues and lessen the economic woes of the country to a great extent, said Najib, who also runs Himalayan Holiday, an Islamabad-based travel agency.
He cited examples of Malaysia, Singapore, Tanzania, Mauritius and other African countries that generate billions of dollars through tourism.
In Malaysia, tourism is the second largest revenue generation sector after manufacturing.
He said that it would be a hard target for the government to overcome the challenges confronting the tourism industry until it involved the private sector.
Najib Khan assured all out cooperation to the government in its endeavours to promote tourism.
He, however, suggested the Ministry of Tourism to introduce packages like travel agencies to attract tourists.
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