PESHAWAR: The installation of camping pods and other facilities, including tent villages and parks, have attracted a large number of tourists to the scenic spots of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

An official statement of the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said on Thursday that the summer or the tourism season was yet to set in, but tourists from abroad and different parts of the country had already started visiting the scenic places in the province owing to the camping pods set up in Bashigram in Swat, Sharan in Kaghan and Thandiani in Abbottabad.

The statement said that the number of tourists this year would increase as the government had also provided other facilities, including parking lots, washrooms, children play areas and tent villages to the tourists at these resorts.

“In KP, normally the tourism season begins in June, but this year a good number of tourists have started to visit scenic places,” it said. One reason for increase in tourism activity was better security situation and facilities being provided by the provincial government.

Last year, the camping pods generated revenue of Rs2.2 million in just two months of the tourism season. The camping pods of two and four bedrooms were available along with washroom, kitchen, children play areas, parking lots and bonfire. There are also tent villages for the enthusiasts of adventure tourism.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2018