Following an improvement in the security situation, tourism in Pakistan has increased by 300per cent over the past few years, it emerged on Wednesday.

According to the report, 1.75 million tourists visited Pakistan in 2017 alone. Statistics from the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) show that 30pc travellers were domestic.

Also read: Reviving Pakistan’s tourism

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), last year, revenue from tourism contributed around $19.4 billion to Pakistan's economy and made up 6.9pc of gross domestic product. The WTTC expects that amount to rise to $36.1 billion within a decade.

Apart from an increase in annual tourism, there has been a significant increase in business travelling around the country as well.

Explore: 16 Pakistani tourist spots you must visit in 2016

A lot of credit for the rapid increase in tourism and travelling goes to publicity of different tourist spots through the internet.

The government has been making efforts to promote tourism and make PTDC a financially viable organisation, Managing Director PTDC Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor told APP.

He said that PTDC and the University of Management and Technology (UMT) Lahore had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the sponsorship of the tourism department's publicity material including banners, website, seminars, and conferences.

Products and services of PTDC will also be promoted through social media.

Recently, PTDC has also launched a Pakistan Tourism Friends Club, in which members of the club will get exclusive 20pc discount on PTDC facilities.

Opinion

Editorial

Climate choices
Updated 15 Jun, 2026

Climate choices

The country is confronting increasingly volatile weather patterns with consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, public health and economic planning.
Brief opening
15 Jun, 2026

Brief opening

WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace...
Environmental disaster
15 Jun, 2026

Environmental disaster

IT was a heartbreaking sight. A recent news report in these pages carried a picture of a sea turtle lying half ...
Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...