PESHAWAR: A bike rally jointly organised by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) and the Peshawar Bikers Club on Friday departed here for the tourist destination of Thandiani in Abbottabad district.

Around 30 motorcyclists are participating in the rally, which will travel from Peshawar via Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Haripur, Havelian and Abbottabad before reaching Thandiani. Bikers from Peshawar, Swabi, and other regions are taking part in the event, according to a statement here.

Speaking before the departure of the rally, KPCTA events manager Mohammad Ali Syed said that the authority was arranging a variety of activities to promote tourism in the province.

He said that these included adventure, cultural, environmental and other tourism-related events aimed at not only boosting tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s scenic places but also strengthening the local economy.

The official said that bike tourism was an affordable form of tourism that allowed youth to participate easily, enabling them to explore more destinations at a lesser cost besides promoting local culture, tourism, and traditions as young bikers engaged with local communities. “The KPCTA promotes tourism through various initiatives and projects,” he added.

Peshawar Bikers Club president Sajid Ali Khan said that the club’s main goal was to promote tourism in the province. He said that this time, they would also take part in tree-plantation and cleanliness campaigns in a bid to send a positive message to tourists visiting these natural attractions.

The activities, he added, were aimed at encouraging tourists to help preserve the beauty of these scenic destinations in collaboration with the government and local communities. He also said that promoting adventure tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including camping at various tourist spots, was the aim of his club.

Thandiani is a hill station in the scenic Galiyat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa located in the northeast of Abbottabad district in the foothills of the Himalayas and the international and domestic tourists visit it round the year.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025