PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) and FAST National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Peshawar campus, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost academia-industry linkages for promoting e-tourism.

KPCTA director general Mohammad Abid Wazir and director FAST University Dr Umar Usman signed the MoU at a ceremony held here, according to a statement issued on Friday.

After signing the protocol, Mr Wazir said that the MoU would prove a milestone in promoting education and industry.

He said that tourism and hospitality sector had become an industry, adding latest technology was being introduced to put it on modern lines.

Mr Wazir said that collaboration between the two entities in research and skill acquisition in ecotourism would help benefit people at the grassroots level.

He said that the incumbent government was taking tangible steps for promoting tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The DG tourism authority said that the government was committed to linking academia and industry to bring new talent to the limelight and create employment opportunities.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Usman said that students of FAST National University would carry out research on the idea of e-tourism and its advantages as well as tourism and hospitality in order to boost academia-industry linkages.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2022