Int’l moot on adventure tourism promotion in Pakistan concludes in Paris

ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):The first ever international conference on the majestic mountains of Pakistan, held to promote adventure tourism in the country, concluded in Paris.
The conference, held at the UNESCO headquarters, was attended by more than 500 enthusiasts of alpinism, adventure sports and tourism from many European countries including Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland and United Kingdom, a press release received here Friday said.
Ambassadors of many countries, top ranking tour operators of France, notables of Pakistani community and media persons were also present in large number.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi addressed the inaugural session of the conference through a special video message.
He said Pakistan was unique and diverse in terms of its landscapes and offers a variety of activities and attractions for tourists of all shades.
He said the promotion of tourism was a priority area for the new Government of Pakistan under Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Besides developing modern facilities for visitors and new resorts, government’s tourism policy would also ensure that tourism remains sustainable and eco-friendly while preserving the nature and its resources for future generations, he added.
Ambassador of Pakistan to France Moin ul Haque, in his welcome remarks, thanked all moderators and panelists for their participation and invited the guests to visit Pakistan and explore its hidden secrets.
Pierre Mazeaud, the well-respected French politician and jurist, who is also an accomplished mountaineer, was the guest of honour.
He shared the experiences of his various expeditions to Pakistan and hoped that this conference would help in further promotion of mountain tourism in Pakistan.
One-minute silence was observed to pay homage to those mountaineers who had lost their lives this year during their expeditions on the mountains of Pakistan.
Later, three separate panel discussions were held on the themes of “Conquering the Heights”, “Seeking new Adventures”, and “Sublime and Sustainable Tourism”. Renowned mountaineering and extreme sports experts and specialists of bio-diversity and eco-tourism took part in the discussions.
Special documentaries highlighting mountaineering and adventure sports and tourism opportunities of the panelists about their expeditions and projects in Pakistan were screened during the conference.
The audience was later enthralled by the mesmerizing performance of Pakistani famous instrumental band ‘Khumariyaan’.
Multiple activities were planned on the sidelines of the conference. The top tour operators of Pakistan had setup stalls to introduce tour packages specially prepared for European tourists and adventure seekers.
The participants also benefited from the specially setup Virtual Reality show to experience paragliding over the mountains of Pakistan with famous French paragliders/Antoine Gerard.
The halls were adorned with large sized thematic and artistically displayed photos of Syed Mehdi Bukhari and Yasir Hameed depicting the diversity and beauty of Pakistani landscapes.