RISE OF TOURISM INDUSTRY IN PAKISTAN

PAKISTAN HAS A LOT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL WITH RELIGIOUS, ARCHEOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL TOURIST SITES.

The continued growth in global tourism has amplified the significance of the sector for the world economies. Tourism promotes socio-economic progress besides creating employment in a country. Pakistan has huge tourism potential, For instance, its diverse culture, religious sites in Pakistan, its natural beauty in northern areas and heritage can attract foreign tourists. Furthermore, it has six UNESCO world heritage sites. The importance of the tourism industry for Pakistan can be gauged from the fact that the tourism industry is contributing 2.8 percent to the GDP of the country. Realizing the importance of tourism, the current government has also taken some concrete steps for the promotion of tourism, such as, change in visa policy and inviting foreign bloggers to Pakistan, so that they can promote the soft image of Pakistan to the world. However, at the same time, its tourism industry is facing serious challenges, which if not properly tackled, can create a negative image of Pakistan. The challenges are; lack of infrastructure, weak policy framework, inadequate hotel facilities, security issues, etc. Therefore Pakistan has opportunities for tourism, although it faces some challenges as well, which must be addressed