KARACHI: Foreign, local tourists cancel visit to Karachi
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, May 14: Foreign travellers and local visitors cancelled their booking for rooms in all leading hotels of the city after the spate of violence that broke out in the mega city on May 12.
All the events scheduled for this week has been cancelled or postponed till the law and order situation turns normal. The banquet, corporate dinners, seminars, workshops and other programmes have been cancelled.
Room occupancy crashed to hardly 10 per cent as compared to over 70 per cent before May 12.
“Hotels are now virtually empty with guests and other activities,” Pakistan Hotels Association Chairman Muzaffar Baweja told Dawn on Monday.
He said cancellation had arrived in banquet, seminars, corporate dinners and lunches while many foreigners have sent note of permanent cancellation of their visit.
“Hotels are open but they will take three to four weeks for normal business till the confidence of foreign and local visitors is restored. Much depends on the future situation too,” Baweja said. Even the small hotels in Karachi have felt the pinch of uncertainty.
The share of foreigners and local visitors for staying at hotels is 50/50. It may be noted here that leading hotels have been reporting normal room occupancy since political and judicial crisis of March 9 has gripped the country. The movement of foreign and local tourists was normal in the city during the last few months.
On the contrary, PTDC General Manager (Sindh and Balochistan Region) Riaz Ahmed Khan gave a rosy picture. He said he had attended the office on Monday and foreigners continued to enquire about the upcountry travelling.
He was of the view that things would remain normal as far as tourism was concerned. On Saturday, some eight to nine groups from Russia (each group has 12-18 persons) had contacted the PTDC office for visiting Northern Areas.
All the foreigners touch Karachi first and then proceed to their respective destinations. So far every thing seemed fine, he added.
He recalled that some 15-20 local tourists and four to five foreign tourists (from Japan and European countries) used to mark their presence daily at the city office for visiting Skardu, Naran, Hunza, Gilgit and Chitral before May 12 incidents. “I am sure that the number will not drop,” he added.
Tourists’ arrival season kicks off from May 1 and continue till the end of October. The next winter tourist season will start from November when foreign tourists from Japan, the USA and some European countries will enquire for Mohenjodaro and other historical places.
General Manager of Gulf Hotel, located in Saddar, Sabeel-ur-Rahman said out of 78 rooms only 14 were occupied at present. Other hotels in the area are also facing the brunt of violence.
“It will take too much time to recover as international media is continuously flashing the Karachi tragedy, leaving a bad impression on prospective foreign tourists,” he said adding that even local travellers from upcountry hesitate in visiting Karachi.
Karachi is the hub of country’s business activities and a number of mega events of international repute are being held every year which push up room occupancy. The fourth international event My Karachi – oasis of harmony -- is being hosted by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) from June 1-3, 2007 at Karachi Expo.
KCCI President Majyd Aziz said, “The mega event is still on its schedule. No foreign exhibitors have shown reluctance in visiting the event despite Saturday’s incidence.”
The chamber expects 100-120 foreign exhibitors who are arriving on their own expenses. “We are expecting heavy presence from Sri Lanka,” he added.
The exhibition has over 200 stalls in which 60 stalls would be set up by women entrepreneurs. An estimated 500,000 people are likely to visit the event in three days, he said.
“We have talked to the government and law enforcement agencies for providing security and maintaining law and order situation,” Majyd said adding that the government has assured him of providing it.
A member of Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, Yahya Polani said travelling of both foreigners and locals stopped after May 12. Many travellers have re-scheduled their arrival timings.
