PESHAWAR/MINGORA: The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) celebrated the World Tourism Day on Saturday by holding a function at Peshawar Museum from 11:00am to 1:00pm under the chairmanship of adviser to the chief minister on tourism, archaeology and museums department, Amjad Afridi. However, despite tall claims of the government to promote tourism in Swat no such event was held in the picturesque valley.

In Peshawar, the event hosted by TCKP managing director Mushtaq Ahmad was also attended by students from different institutes, chairman standing committee on tourism, archaeology and museums Abdul Sattar, assistant commissioner Peshawar, director education, director archaeology and museums Dr Abdul Samad, tour operators and others. The World Tourism Day (WTD) is celebrated globally on Sept 27 to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism. It seeks to address global challenges outlined in the UN millennium development goals and highlight the contribution that the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.

Speaking at the ceremony, the TCKP MD stated that the theme of WTD 2014 was ‘tourism & community development’. It draws a special role of tourism in contributing to one of the building blocks of a more sustainable future for all, which is community development.

World Tourism Day passes silently in Swat

The CM’s adviser said that this year the observance of WTD focused on the ability of tourism to fully empower people. He said that engaging local populations in tourism development could build stronger and more resilient communities.

Tourism helps people to develop a variety of skills, he said.

The function also included an MOU signing with an Islamabad tour agency Sayah Travels who will target foreign tourists, especially Japanese and Koreans for archaeological visits.

The Students of Fine Arts Department of University of Peshawar participated in the WTD celebrations by making sketches of different monuments and places of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which were exhibited in the upper gallery of Peshawar Museum.

It was announced by Dr Abdul Samad that the museum would be open for three days from Monday.

In Mingora, despite tall claims of the government to promote tourism in Swat no function was held in the picturesque valley.

The civil administration failed to hold even a single programme to mark the World Tourism Day and highlight tourism value of the scenic Swat valley.

Though the Pakistan Army has been holding a variety of programmes for promoting peace and tourism in Swat valley since May 2009, but the civil administration showed no interest in holding any festivity, seminars or function to attract tourists to the area.

During the previous years the army had held snow festival at ski resort Malam Jabba, summer festival at Kalam valley and trade exhibition at Grassi Ground, Mingora. All these programmes were aimed at promoting tourism, which is the basic source of income of the local people.

These days the second national golf tournament is also in progress at Cedar Golf Club Kabal, Swat. Over 200 golfers from across the country are participating in the event being organised by the Pakistan Army to promote tourism and peace in Swat.

Published in Dawn, September 28th , 2014