ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned to give incentives to investors in tourism sector and urged the provincial governments to improve old buildings of tourist resorts through public-private-partnership initiatives.

Presiding over a meeting of National Coordination Committee (NCC) on tourism, the prime minister said that tourism-related issues should be resolved on top priority basis to further boost tourism sector.

According to the Prime Minister Office, the prime minister asked departments concerned to speedily finalise and furnish suggestions aimed at extending facilitation including tax relief to those interested in developing tourist resorts and the top class hotels.

He said rest houses and other historic places in Jhelum and its adjoining areas should be renovated or reconstructed.

The meeting was informed that services of an international organisation had been obtained for promotion of investment in the tourism sector in Punjab.

Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a draft of master plan has been prepared for four unsegregated tourism zones. The meeting was apprised that rules and regulations framed in Punjab about tourism would be implemented at the earliest.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, these rules and regulations were in the implementation phase, the meeting was told.

The meeting was further informed that the Civil Aviation Authority had made amendments to its rules for the launch of air safari service at tourist spots.

The prime minister was briefed about the development work being executed to make Attock Fort and Bala Hisar Fort new tourist attractions.

The meeting was apprised that a centralised tourism website had been made fully functional for the promotion of tourism in the four provinces.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2021