ISLAMABAD, Jul 11 (APP):Minister of State, Chairman Prime Minister’s Task Force Gandhara Tourism Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani on Tuesday said Pakistan is a safe country for tourism that attracts swathes of local and foreign tourists to explore its architectural beauty.
Addressing the Gandhara Symposium 2023 here, the minister welcomed the international delegates and researchers attending the international tourism conference in the country.
Vankwani said the international symposium would help promote the religious tourism potential of the country.
He said that cultural and religious tourism would bring various countries and societies closer to each other.
The symposium would pave the ways to highlight the country’s soft image at the international level, he maintained.
Dr. Ramesh Kumar also emphasized greater academic research, archaeological excavation, and dissemination of knowledge to uncover new sites to enrich our understanding of the magnificent civilization of Gandhara.
He said, “Through cultural diplomacy, we can build bridges and foster greater understanding.”
The speakers from Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, and Pakistan also expressed their views at the symposium on the Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan. Eminent stakeholders of Pakistan’s tourism industry also participated in the symposium.
It is pertinent to mention here, the sole objective of the Gandhara Symposium is to create awareness about Gandhara and to promote and highlight the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Pakistan at home and abroad.
The Gandhara Symposium will also help to promote domestic tourism, especially religious tourism.