Tourism plays important role in generating GDP, creating jobs: Tajik Ambassador

RAWALPINDI, May 31 (APP):The Ambassador of Republic of Tajikistan, Shirali Jononv on Thursday highlighting the
importance of tourism said it plays an important role in generating GDP,
revitalizing foreign trade balance, creating avenues of employment and
additional jobs.
Similarly,tourism promotes the development of various sectors such as transport,
communications, culture, arts, production of consumer’s goods and other sectors
of the economy in most of the countries.
He said this while addressing the participants of one-day
seminar on Tajikistan – “The land of opportunities for Tourism Industry
organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan with the cooperation of
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) here Thursday.
The seminar was also graced by Managing Director, PTDC,
Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor Khan, General Manager, PTDC (Audit), Ali
Akbar and Madam Amon Zoda Shireen, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on
Development Tourism, Republic of Tajikistan and attended by officials of
Tajikistan Embassy in Pakistan, Hoteliers and Tour Operators.
The Ambassador appreciated the Managing Director, Ghafoor Khan
for making good arrangements for the seminar organized by Tajikistan Embassy.
Hailing the scenic beauty in Pakistan surrounded with mountains, parks, lakes, rivers
and deserts, the ambassador said that Tajikistan has also rich historical and
cultural inheritances and natural resources besides having a real potential for
encouragement of more tourists to the country.
Continuing Sherali Jononov said that tourism is recognized as
one of the highly profitable area of the world economy and indeed economic
phenomena of the 20th Century. He said that despite the ever increasing and unpredictable
shocks from terrorist attacks and political instability, to health pandemics
and natural disasters, travel and tourism continued to show its resilience in
2016, contributing direct GDP growth of 3.1 per cent and supporting six million
net additional jobs in the sector.
In total, travel and tourism generated US dollar 7.6 trillion
(10.2 per cent of global GDP) and 292 million jobs in 2016, equivalent to one
in 10 jobs in the global economy. Moreover, over the longer term, growth of the
travel and tourism sector would continue to be strong so long as the investment
and development takes place in an open and sustainable manner. In doing so, not
only could we expect the sector to support over 380 million jobs by 2027, but
it would continue to grow its economic contribution, providing the rationale
for the further protection of nature, habitats and bio diversity.
Speaking earlier , PTDC Chief, Ch. Abdul Ghafoor Khan appreciated the electronic visa system introduced by Tajikistan which he said provides great relief to foreign people
particularly tourists for getting visa of Tajikistan online. Managing Director said the new electronic
visa system has also ended hardships for the tourists to stand in queues for hours. It is also
facilitating the process of obtaining a visa of Tajikistan and increasing the number of tourists in
various countries.
Pointing towards participation of leading tour operators, travel
agents and hoteliers in the seminar Ghafoor Khan believed that it could bring
good effects in tourism sector.
He
also hoped that all these would definitely play positive, practical and
effective role in promoting tourism in Pakistan.
The holding of such
events through joint cooperation would ultimately create good impact in the
economy sector of Pakistan and Tajikistan besides making improvement of
relations between the two countries.