The Civil Aviation Authority on Friday announced that groups of tourists from a number of "tourism-friendly" countries are now being allowed on-arrival Pakistani visa.

According to a notification posted on the official Twitter account of the aviation authority, the visa-on-arrival option will be available to group tourists from 24 countries "if the tour is organised through designated tour operators in Pakistan".

The tourists will be granted visas for 30 days, with multiple entries allowed.

China, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, the United Kingdom and the United States are some of the countries eligible for the new policy.

"Please talk to one of the Immigration Officers or the designated Visa Officer on arrival for additional information and list of tour operators," the notification advises visitors.

It adds that the visitors' tour operators will be required to submit the necessary documents at the Federal Investigation Agency's office.

"Tourists to Pakistan are an asset for us," the notification stated.

According to Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) data, tourism has been on the rise in Pakistan, with more than thrice the number of international tourists travelling to the country in 2016 as compared to just three years ago.

International tourists have more than tripled since 2013 to 1.75 million in 2016, while domestic travellers have jumped 30 per cent to 38.3m.

The tourism sector's contribution to the economy is estimated to be around Rs2.03 trillion ($19.4 billion) ─ 6.9pc of the Gross Domestic Produce (GDP).