Special Tourism Zones To Be Set Up To Facilitate Tourists, Investors: Zulfikar Bukhari

In a bid to elevate tourism sector of the country, the government was planning to set up Special Tourism Zones (STZs) at various tourist destinations to facilitate foreign as well as local investors and tourists

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2019 ) :In a bid to elevate tourism sector of the country, the government was planning to set up Special Tourism Zones (STZs) at various tourist destinations to facilitate foreign as well as local investors and tourists.

This was revealed by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and National Tourism Coordination board (NTCB) Chairman Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari while addressing at a two-day long 'Tourism Summit' concluding here Wednesday.

"The tourism taskforce is in process of identifying the tourist resorts for establishing STZs to offer one window facility to tourists and investors," he informed the participants of the event attended by a large number of youngsters, students, Bloggers, V-loggers and tour operators.

He said the professional consultants would also be hired to finalize the structural designs of tourism zones and after that they would be handed over to the investors for their construction through official means.

Zulfikar Bukhari said the STZs would be established to provide one window operation such as services, information centers and other relevant facilities required to develop vibrant tourism environment.

Urging the private sector to join hands with the government, he said the NTCB was supposed to give a road map for the promotion of tourism but the private sector would be playing a leading role to uplift this industry.

"I would eagerly invest in the tourism If Prime Minister Imran Khan allowed me in this regard," he remarked.

He said the aim of setting up the NTCB was to enhance the coordination among all key stakeholders.

Terming the tourism a national cause, he said all the provincial tourism departments and citizens should work together to brand Pakistan as a whole instead of marketing its some areas.

He also stressed the engagements of locals to develop sustainable tourism models.

Speaking about the new initiatives taken by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government, he appreciated the relaxation in visa policy, recently introduced on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"Connectivity, freedom of movement for tourists and ease of doing business vital to flourish tourism industry," he insisted.

He said the tourism working group was tasked to formulate a national tourism policy and the prime focus was to promote inbound tourism with special focus on family and friends oriented tourism.

To a query raised by the tour operators, Zulfikar Bukhari assured them for issuance of trekking and mountaineering licenses in shortest possible time.

The special assistant also visited the various stalls installed by various brands including, PREMIO, travel Pro, Flair , Punjab Tourism Corporation and Khyber PakhtunKhwa Tourism Corporation to sensitize the visitors about mesmerizing and scenic beauty of different tourists spots possessed by the country's different parts.