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| January 5, 2006 | Thursday | Zilhaj 4, 1426 |
Tourism institutes to be set up in quake-hit areas
ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: Tourism Minister Dr G.G. Jamal said the government would set up four tourism skill development institutes in the earthquake-hit areas to bring economic stability in the region. Chairing the first meeting of the Tourism Task Force here on Wednesday he said these institutes would be established at Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Balakot and Besham, where training on a number of tourism-related disciplines would be imparted to the natives.
After the meeting Dr Jamal informed this agency that the meeting had strongly recommended immediate establishment of model motels and pre-feb facilities for tourists at Balakot which would not only boost tourism but also help earn a profitable business in the coming summer.
“We want to put in place best possible infrastructure in this transitional period of tourism,” he added.
Dr Jamal said these grants and loans were meant for the people whose livelihood was linked to tourism industry that had been badly damaged in the quake-hit areas.
The minister underscored the need for taking serious and sincere steps by stakeholders to put tourism back on track in the quake-hit areas. He said post-earthquake scenario offered opportunity to take a fresh start to boost tourism as well as correcting mistake being made in past. The minister urged private sector to launch business ventures in tourism industry and assured of all possible support of the government in this connection.
“Our job is to publicise, promote and encourage whereby your (private sector’s) job is to go ahead and invest,” he maintained.
He informed that efforts were afoot to make new trekking routes as well as inter-valleys connections.
Secretary Tourism Saleem Gul Sheikh informed the meeting that during the Oct 8 earthquake majority of the hotels in the affected areas had been destroyed completely and millions of rupees would be required for their rehabilitation and development.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani, Industries Minister Jehangir Khan Tareen, state ministers Malik Amin Aslam Khan, Omar Ayub Khan, Hina Rabbani Khar, chairman Erra Lt-Gen Mohammad Zubair and Joint Secretary Tourism Nematullah Khan were also present during the meeting.—APP
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