ISLAMABAD: Secretary Tourism, Gilgit-Baltistan, Raja Rasheed Ali on Friday said domestic tourism was increasing in the country as millions of local visitors were visiting scenic northern areas.
He made these remarks while taking part in panel discussion here at an event organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF)- Pakistan, aiming to highlight the biodiversity of the Hindu-Kush, Karakoram and Himalayan region and the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities.
He said Gilgit-Baltistan government was focusing on improving the livelihoods of the people, making the land cultivable and were using technology to streamline tourism by dividing and diversifying the concentration of tourists in certain areas.
He said more than 1.5 million domestic tourists had visited Gilgit-Baltistan during the summer season, which was 30 percent higher than the previous year’s figures.
Rasheed Ali expressed the hope that more tourists would visit till the end of this year to northern areas.
The experts stressed on public engagement in developing policies around sustainable tourism, enhancing the capacity of local communities, sustainable mountain architecture, and the need for trans-boundary collaboration for sustainable tourism.
Haider Raza, Regional Head Gilgit-Baltistan, WWF-Pakistan stated that “Tourism has significantly increased in the GB region”.
He emphasized on introducing guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures to protect mountain ecosystems and ensure that the finances being generated from tourism were benefiting the local community and economy.
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