Finally, some effort seems to be underway to improve and promote the tourist attractions of Karachi and Sindh. But real progress can only be made when all the relevant authorities work together at it
AS a consequence of the events of 9/11, tourism in Pakistan suffered a great deal. And, in addition to this, the periodical negative travel advisories issued by the G-8 countries and the Commonwealth Secretariat did not help matters for the local tour operators and hoteliers. The cumulative impact of it all is that the number of tourist arrivals and tourism earnings are now at their lowest ever in Pakistan.
It may surprise many people but there is now some good news regarding tourism in Pakistan, the external negative factors notwithstanding. The good news is that some very potent tourist products are being developed in Sindh and it is here that Pakistan tourism industry will see a revival. Work is in hand — with the financial allocations also made — for developing Goragh as a hill station and for upgrading the lake resort of Keenjhar. Developing Sindh’s coastal belt, with special focus on tourist attractions and facilities, is underway and improvement is contemplated at Hawkes Bay as well as at the Clifton sea front.
Already, the Hindu Gymkhana and the Mohatta Palace, in Karachi, have won acceptance as tourist attractions. A botanical garden is proposed at the site of the former Sabzi Mandi and a ‘food circle’ already exists at Boat Basin, Clifton. And now, the Governor has facilitated the creation of a cultural village comprising the Arts Council, Faizi Rehman Art Gallery, National Museum and Burnes Garden.
Actions are also being taken by the City Government of Karachi to bring about some improvement in the city. Not only are the roads improving but also the roadsides and roundabouts where landscaping is being done. And the previously designated but dormant garden plots are being given to the private sector to build parks and leisure facilities. There are now more green belts in the city then before. Obviously, all concerned authorities are now making a sincere effort to give the city and the province a facelift, as well as promote tourism.
It will not be an exaggeration to state that in Pakistan, Sindh alone can have as much tourist arrivals and tourism earnings as that of Egypt. Egypt has the Nile, we have the Indus; they have the Pyramids, we have the Moenjodaro; both have the sands, ‘oriental bazaars’ and international junctions of airways and seaways. Alexandria and Karachi are designated sister cities and both Pakistan and Egypt are Muslim countries
The hindrance in utilizing the potential has been the authorities’ lingering lack of commitment to tourism as an economic policy, not realizing that it is neither elitist nor necessarily corruptive. Non-exploration of Sindh’s tourism potential caused a serious and continuing imbalance in Pakistan’s tourist industry which would otherwise have weathered adverse external circumstances because Karachi still records the largest number of arrivals in the country at its international airport.
Our provincial government must not, however, rest at completing the aforesaid projects which can remain isolated and static. A centralized management and delivery mechanism should be put in place and offered to the private sector to market and sell these products. To serve this purpose, the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation should be given a qualitative and visibly high-profile from which it could conduct professionally-planned marketing, and produce necessary marketing tools for the private sector to carry upcountry and abroad to project our geographical, historical, archaeological, cultural and environmental tourist products in the province. Besides re-constituting the corporation’s board of directors, its financing should also be restructured by corporate methods.
While this is done, a long-term policy should be put in place to build further on the present initiatives. A macro stocktaking for inspired and professional planning calls for the provincial government to appoint a task force to identify the existing and potential tourist products in the province, and suggest ways and means for upgrading and sustaining the existing products, developing new products with attention to financing and marketing the same.
There is also a need for STDC’s conversion into Sindh Tourism Authority to perform a leadership role in the promotion of tourism in Sindh. There should be coordination between relevant sectors of the national industry and trade, and incentives and concessions should be offered for enhancing private sector investment in new projects in the areas of theme/game parks, historical/archaeological sites, religious sites, annual cultural events, boarding and lodging, transportation, etc.
The promotion of tourism should indeed be earnestly taken up in our country, undaunted by the present external circumstances bearing upon it. This is the time for us to put our tourist products in order, rebuilding its economics first on the basis of domestic tourists and non-resident Pakistanis.
Tourism is a very potent economic force for income re-distribution from the urban to the rural populations and for national integration. It is an instrument of image-making and is, therefore, relevant to our foreign policy as well as investment policy.
While the whole province has to be promoted as successor society of the Indus Valley Civilization, with its strong Sufi undercurrents (perpetuated by Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai), its capital city has to be promoted, nationally and internationally, as the window to Pakistan, as well as a shopping destination and a convention/exhibition city.
There is need also for tree plantation to be taken up at popular but barren tourist spots like Chowkundi, Makili and Hawkesbay. To begin with, the continuing disdain for or skepticism about tourism in Sindh has to be removed from the minds of the tourist industry at large. This disdain is real and reclines primarily on the law and order problem which, really, is present more in our national print media than on the ground. This is not to say that the problem does not exist, but that it is not any bigger than in other countries, some of which are internationally popular tourist destinations.
