PESHAWAR, Jan 11 (APP):Known as Switzerland of Pakistan, Swat district started attracting a significant number of adventure and snow sports enthusiasts due to its seven unique features including snowfall, ice skiing, snow-capped mountainous valleys and trout fish, making it an ideal winter tourism destination of Pakistan.
Arriving for honeymoon at the breathtaking Kalam valley, Umar Khayam, a tourist of Nowshera district, was excited after seeing the mesmerizing natural beauty of Malam Jabba, Bahrain, Madain, and Gabin Jabba on Thursday.
“Swat is my favorite winter tourists’ destination due to its seven unique features including river rafting, adventure snow, ice hockey, trout fish, snowfall and easy accessibility through Swat motorway. It is my third consecutive yearly visit to Kalam and Malama Jabba to enjoy snowfall, skiing and its famous trout fish along with my family in its peaceful but cold weather,” he told APP.
“I traveled many tourists’ destinations of Pakistan in my life but hardly seen find together the combination of seven distinctive features including snowfall, river rafting, trout fish, motorway, Ghandhara civilization and ice skiing in any tourist destination of Pakistan,” he said.
Bakht Zada Khan, senior research officer of the archeology department said that Swat is home to primitive Gandhara civilization where every stone speak of the primitive age besides attracting monks and followers of Buddhism from across the world.
Besides Lord Bhudda artifacts and ancient stupas, ice skiing, river rafting, adventure sports, snow-clad mountain peaks, trout-fish, and Swat motorway enhanced Swat’s significance. Attracting Buddhists, monks and archaeologists from across the world throughout the year, the Swat’s archaeological treasures and ancient artifacts housed at Saidu Sharif Museum become a distinctive feature taking tourists to the glorious history of Swat.
Tourists from Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad were seen in large numbers at Kalam, Malam Jabba and Bahrian hoping for snowfall. Another striking feature of Swat is skiing sports being played at Malam Jabba every year during winter and such sport was hardly placed in any part of the country.
Bakht Zada said these distinctive characteristics, which are second to none in any other district of the country, draw adventure sportsmen, archeologists, water rafters, mountaineers, snowfall lovers, foodies, and eco-tourists throughout the year.
The 150-kilometer-long freshwater of the river Swat originating from different glaciers and lakes including Mahodand and Gabral mountains offers unique opportunities for adventure sports enthusiasts to explore in a single day trip along with loved ones.
Fazagut, Fatehpur, Barikot, and Chakdara were most suitable for water rafting in river Swat and if developed on modern lines could attract a large number of tourists during winter. River Swat is ideal for ‘fish jumping and disappearing water sports’ and introduction of such sports would help bolster the rural economy and promote tourism and transport industries in KP.
Bestowed with more than 50 high-altitude small and big lakes, Swat’s Mahodand lake is an exceptional source of attraction for tourists enjoying its blue- waters and boats riding amid cold breezes and snowfalls in winter.
Bakht Zada said Mahudand and Gabrial lakes carried unique charm and clean air besides nearby birds chanting valleys take tourists into a lap of serenity. “I have ordered two KG trout fish to enjoy with my family members,” Umar Khyam said, adding green trout of Swat attract foodies at Kalam, Madain and other areas of the district.
Besides its famous Deodar trees and precious wildlife, he said the Swat’s snow-clad tall mountain ranges of Falakser, Mankial and Elum peaks offer great challenges to mountaineers and trekkers to explore especially during winter. Likewise, its extensive plains and orchards that bear fruits and vegetables carried a unique comparative advantage compared to other tourists destinations of the country.
Tourism and culture authority spokesman said from January 1 to December 26th, 2023, a record 16,988,946 tourists visited KP mostly Malakand including Swat and Hazara divisions. These include 4,554 foreign tourists emphasizing the province’s growing global recognition as Pakistan’s friendly tourists and travel destination.
Galyat valleys attracted 6.34 million tourists, 5.08 million by Naran Kaghan Valley and 3.54 million from Malam Jabba Swat.
Similarly, Upper and Lower Dir districts received 1,380,740 tourists, Lower Chitral’s 591,330 tourists and Upper Chitral’s 38,771 visitors during last year.
To promote tourism in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, a project costing Rs238 million was prepared for organizing different winter sports and tourism events in various districts including Swat. Besides Kalam’s winter gala and sports rafting at River Swat, an international paragliding event at Saidu Sharif was also planned.
New tourist’s spots would be developed at Sola Tanar, Puchar and Jargo valleys besides walking tracks to promote ecotourism and adventure sports in Swat. Camping pods would be established at new tourists’ destinations besides Kalash culture events in Chitral would be held.
The provincial government was spending huge amounts on development and construction of new roads to line tourism destinations with the Swat motorway.
Tourism police was made operational at Malakand and Hazara divisions to facilitate tourists. He said Tourism police were deployed on key places of Swat to facilitate tourists and snowfall lovers during winter season.
The official advised tourists to bring warm clothes and sweaters while coming to Upper Swat these days in the wake of chilly weather.
