ISLAMABAD, March 3 The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday launched its annual Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008, in which Pakistan ranked at 103 out of 124 countries because of having a weak travel and tourism regulatory framework and low prioritisation of the industry by the government.

Pakistan also did not have effective marketing and branding strategies and at the same time it was facing a constricted tourism perception.

Some of the other competitive disadvantages for Pakistan include the poor tourism infrastructure such as provision of competitive hotel rooms (110), available ATMs accepting Visa cards (110), the national and cultural resources (96) and the prevailing security situation (106) among 124 countries.

Despite showing many competitive disadvantages in the travel and tourism industry, Pakistan ranked well on the air (40) and ground transport infrastructure (39). The price competitiveness in the industry maintains a very viable position based on the low fuel price level (23), purchasing power parity (25) and the extent and effect of taxation (33).

Pakistan, will however, like many other countries need to focus on the sustainability of its natural environment, the report said. It highlighted the competitive advantages and disadvantages in Pakistan's tourism and reinforces the importance of environmental sustainability.

The report provides a cross-country analysis of the drivers of competitiveness in travel and tourism, providing useful comparative information for making business decisions and additional value to governments wishing to improve their travel and tourism environments.

The data for Pakistan has been prepared based on a combination of data from publicly available sources, international travel and tourism institutions and experts as well as the results of the Executive Opinion Survey, which was carried out last year by the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) in Pakistan.