Tourism in Pakistan is growing rapidly. Pakistan is an excellent tourist destination with low-cost tourism. The beauty of the world is incomplete without Pakistan. This place is amazing and new to the eyes of the world.
In the 1970s, Pakistan was a famous country for tourism. Thousands of tourists from many countries visited Pakistan, but the tourism industry was badly affected due to uncertainty and terrorism. Now the situation is completely different, the security situation improves over the past few years, and tourism in Pakistan has increased by more than 300% due to the efforts of the government of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan has been working hard to promote tourism in Pakistan.
According to the data from different sources, the number of foreigners who visited Pakistan in 2017 was about 1.9 Million which increased to 3.2 Million in 2018. Approximately 4.5 million international tourist arrivals were recorded in 2019. During his talk at the World Economic Forum, Imran Khan (prime minister of Pakistan) said that tourism massively increased between 2018 and 2019.
With the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, thousands of Sikhs visit the world’s largest Gurdwara every year. The future of Tourism in Pakistan is so bright. Pakistan is also working on religious sites for Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs.
In October 2019, The British royal couple Prince William and Catherine, visit Pakistan gave a major impact to increase Pakistan’s tourism industry.
Visit Visa for Pakistan
The visa policy made a tourism trip to Pakistan easier. Pakistan Government launched e-visa services in 2019 for 175 countries and visas on arrival to 50 countries. For more details about visa types, fees, online application, and required documents check the Ministery of Interior Govt of Pakistan,s official website.
What makes unique Tourism in Pakistan
Pakistan is blessed with several tourism opportunities. This great place has the most appealing and breathtaking views. There are many things that are helpful in promoting tourism in Pakistan.
The serene beauty of northern areas, the marvels of K2, Nanga Parbat and Rakaposhi, the colorful regional and tribal cultures, delicious food, hospitality of people, the historical places and wonderful sites of Punjab and Sindh, beautiful valleys of Swat and Kaghan, the Gandhara civilization makes Pakistan unique that attracts tourist to visit Pakistan. It is a country with diverse cultures and natural beauty, Pakistan is a heaven for any tourist.
Pakistan has six UNESCO World Heritage sites and 26 more on a tentative list. The total number of foreign visitors to cultural sites more than doubled from 7,028 in 2017 to 18,041 in 2018, according to a report conducted by Gallup Pakistan. A Gallup Pakistan report shows that tourism could be a potential game-changer for the country’s struggling economy.
The report states that the Shahi Qila in Lahore was the most popular cultural site. The Shalimar Garden, Lahore, was the second most popular site in 2016 and 2018, and the Hiran Minar in Sheikhupura was the second most visited site in 2017. The third most popular site in 2016 was Jahangir’s tomb, Lahore. In 2017 it was the ancient Buddhist monastic complex Takht-i-Bahi in Mardan that was the most visited and in 2018 it was the Hiran Minar.
What Popular Magazines says about Tourism in Pakistan
British Backpackers Society (BBS) has declared Pakistan as the world’s third-highest potential adventure destination for 2020. “After counting the votes from its membership of adventure travel experts from around the world, the BBS is delighted to announce that Pakistan has been awarded third place in the ranking,” said a statement issued by the BBS.
Talking to APP, Samuel Joynson of the BBS said that “Pakistan is a travel gem and is one of the world’s most exciting travel destinations right now”.
Forbes a famous magazine ranked Pakistan “One of the coolest places to visit in 2019”.
December 2019, Wanderlust, the UK travel magazine, singled out Pakistan as its “Hotlist destination” for 2020.
The famous travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller (CN Traveller) ranked Pakistan on 1st number among 20 best holiday destinations in 2020.
What Foreign Vloggers and Influencers says about Pakistan
Several international bloggers and vloggers visit Pakistan and promote its tourism industry, and also sharing their experiences on social media.
A famous American YouTuber and tourist Alyne Tamir with a YouTube channel called “Dear Alyne” highlight the good side of Pakistan, in an interview with a local news channel she said that “People think that Pakistan is dangerous. They think you’ll get kidnapped. This was the general impression of Pakistan that the media has shown is and that we heard over the years,” she says in the video. “This is why I’m excited to show you the home of Pakistan, a country that has a lot more to offer than you might have imagined. Once you see its cities, you’ll see the nature is incredibly underrated, the geography is undiscovered and the generosity of the people is unparalleled.” “Pakistan went from terrorism to tourism,” says Alyne Tamir.
“Pakistan, it was the trip of a lifetime” The world-renowned traveler and food blogger, Mark Wiens, from Thailand told this to social media followers. During his visit to Pakistan, recorded the beautiful culture of Pakistan and shared his adventures via his vlogs. “Pakistan has been a country I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, not only for the food but the culture and history,” Mark Wiens, told Gulf News in an interview.
Polish travel vlogger Eva Zu Beck shows the undiscovered beauty of Pakistan on social media. She said that Pakistan could “Become the number one tourist destination in the world”. Eva Zu Beck has a huge following on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. She also says: “My job is not to love Pakistan. My job is to make content. But I love Pakistan.”
“This wasn’t the country I’d been told about by western media. This was a country of profound emotion, profound struggle, profound beauty. And I opened my heart to it,” Eva had stated about Pakistan in one of her Instagram posts.
The Canadian social media influencer and a solo biker Rosie Gabrielle spent notable time in Pakistan and falling in love with Pakistan. She wrote on her Instagram post about Pakistan “Everyone told me it was too dangerous to come to Pakistan as a single female, let alone ride a motorcycle across the country. Now 1,500 km into my tour, I can tell you first hand what it’s like to travel Pakistan as a solo female and what I’ve experienced so far,”.
“Countless smiles and cheers of joy as I pass people and they realize it’s a female riding. Numerous offers to stay in local homes wherever I stop. Families are always inviting me to stay with them. When I stop for chai or snacks at a store, most often someone will buy it for me, or the owner will not let me pay, saying “I’m a guest in their country and they would love to gift this to me.” Gabrielle continued, “Food, food, and more food! Wherever I go, I’m offered to eat wonderful home-cooked food or offered gifts of food from street vendors as I pass by. Everyone wants to say hello and ask where I’m from and are curious about what I think about Pakistan.”
“So many beautiful connections and heartfelt moments. I have truly fallen in love with the people here. This is Pakistan. This is the country of peace and love. And this is my unedited experience so far, as a solo female traveling by motorcycle.”
On the 2nd and 3rd of April, 2019 Pakistan Tourism Summit was organized at Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad. Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary, famous bloggers like Eva Zu Back, Rosie Gabrielle, and others who spoke about their experiences during the panel discussion and answered the question from the participants.
A very few people aware of the potential of tourism in Pakistan because the media does not present a true picture of Pakistan. When you visit Pakistan it will be one of your greatest experiences.
