November 11, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 29, 1428

PESHAWAR, Nov 10: Despite the growing militancy in Swat valley, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) is offering packages for visits to its troubled parts.

The official website of the provincial tourism department says the PTDC-NWFP is offering nine-day and 15-day tours to the Upper Swat valley. One tour package offers: “Lunch at the PTDC Motel. Afternoon, visit museum and sites and the Summer Palace, overnight stay in the PTDC Motel, visit of the upper valley of Swat, lunch in Kalam, and overnight stay in the PTDC Motel, Miandam.”

Another package offers: “Visit to the Upper Swat valley, lunch in the PTDC Motel in Kalam and overnight stay in the PTDC Motel, Miandam.”

When an official of the PTDC in Peshawar was asked if the offers were open for tourists planning to visit the valley between May and October, he told Dawn that the PTDC-NWFP was hopeful that the situation in Swat would improve soon.

When the Tourists’ Information Centre was contacted to find out the total number of tourists who visited the place this year, this writer was told that the number was so low that it would be embarrassing to reveal it.

The number of foreign tourists was particularly low. In a month, seven or eight tourists came for information but most of them were writers or researchers destined to travel to Afghanistan, said an official.

“We have yet to receive any foreigner since July. Tourists whom we call “Goras” didn’t come at all,” a PTDC official said.

“We are waiting for the situation to improve,” he added.

Despite bad roads, the Swat valley used to be a “sellout” throughout the year due to its peaceful environment and scenic beauty, but now it has been hit by militancy, according to the official.

“There were about 480 hotels and restaurants in Swat. All have been closed down now. Ten thousand people have lost their jobs,” said Zahid Khan, head of the Hotel Association of Swat.

People in the hotel business suffered a loss of Rs2.21 billion and 25,000 of them who were directly or indirectly involved lost their livelihood due to the security situation, Mr Khan said.

Many families depended on tourism and the hotel business because large agricultural lands were not available in the valley, he added. Now people were unsure of what lay in store for them, he said.

Ironically, the government is celebrating 2007 as the “Visit Pakistan Year”. But many countries have issued travel advisories, asking their citizens to refrain from visiting Pakistan.