MINGORA, March 31: Growing security concerns, poor infrastructure and social taboos represent the biggest hurdles in promoting tourism in the Malakand region.

This was the crux of the day-long deliberations at a national workshop on tourism which was organised by the Environmental Protection Society (EPS) in collaboration with the UNDP, EU and WWF. The basic objective of the event was to develop a three-year strategy for the promotion of tourism in Malakand region.

Former provincial minister Asfandyar Amirzeb, chairman of EPS Wahab Khan, Malakand Association of Trade and Industry president Gohar Ayub, Ashaq Ahmad Khan of the WWF, Saleemullah Khan of the UNDP and people from the civil society deliberated upon the issue.

Speakers on the occasion said the Malakand region had immense potential for tourism which could help improve the socio-economic conditions in the area, besides providing steady revenue streams to the national exchequer. They however added that owing to various problems tourism activities were on the verge of collapse there.

The law and order situation in the region was the major impediment which overshadowed all other factors that contributed towards decline in tourism activities. Speakers said the Malakand region was once again in the limelight owing to the ongoing campaign against polio vaccination and girls’ education, launched by a local religious leader Maulana Fazlullah through his illegal FM radio channel.

Poor condition of the main highways and link roads was another obstacle. Speakers noted that despite the repair works initiated some years ago, the condition of roads was deteriorating almost by the day which discouraged local tourists.

Malakand region, the speakers said, had the potential to attract foreign tourists, provided the authorities and all other stakeholders adopted a pragmatic approach. They called for the revamping of the tourist information centres established by the government and underlined the need for availability of adequate information via the internet and the electronic media.

Accessibility to tourism sites at an affordable cost, peace in the region and tolerance towards local and foreign tourists were the prerequisites for an increase in tourism activities.

A steering committee was formed on the occasion, with Asfandyar Amirzeb as its head, which would formulate the proposed three-year strategy.