Pakistan declared as fastest-growing adventure travel destination for next decade

Pakistan declared as fastest-growing adventure travel destination for next decade

ISLAMABAD, Dec 30 (APP):Pakistan, with improved law and order, and inclusive steps taken by its government, may see a huge influx of foreign tourists in coming years, as it has been declared by British Backpacker Society (BBS) as the world’s rapidly growing tourist and travel destinations of the next decade.

Pakistan, after clinching top position in the recently issued ranking of the United States-based travel magazine (Condè Nast) for the 2020’s best tourist attractions, has now been declared as third highly potential adventure travel destinations of the world for the 2020s by the BBS.

The BBS, in its previous list of the world’s best tourist destinations issued in 2018, had also regarded Pakistan as number one tourist attraction, besides describing it as “one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination”.

The British Backpacker Society is an organization dedicated to promoting and enabling sustainable adventure travel in emerging tourism markets.

“Unlike the previous practice, the BBS is looking for a decade-wise perspective this year and will be issuing the ranking of those countries, which it believes as top ten fastest growing adventure tourism destinations of the world during the next ten years,” BBS President Samuel Joynson told APP in a telephonic conversation.

He said each year some 70 BBS members from around the world voted on a major adventure travel question that helped the Society in finalizing its travel rankings (for short term), but “this time a long-term adventure travel question was chosen to project the countries’ tourism potential for the next 10 years.”

The complete ranking of top ten adventure tourism destinations would be released on the eve of New Year, he said while not disclosing the name of two countries that topped the list.

He said Pakistan had been ranked as the world’s third highly potential adventure travel destination the 2020s, followed by Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Bosnia and others.

He said the BBS members had voted Pakistan as one of the highly potential tourism markets of the future as it started from a higher-base.

For the last two years, its tourism industry had been showing the highest growth among its competitors, especially due to the recently introduced visa relaxation by the present government, he added.

“Pakistan offers much more to travelers and tourists,” he said. “In addition to touring the Karakoram Highway, (the tourists can) visit the bustling markets of Karachi, taste the delectable flavours of the Punjab in Lahore and grab tea with some of the friendliest people that you will ever meet on the story-tellers street of Peshawar,” he remarked while recalling his trips to the country.

Samuel Joynson appreciated the government’s steps for the promotion of tourism, particularly for hassle-free access of the foreign tourists to the country.

He said the new e-visa system and abolishment of No-Objection-Certificate for foreign tourists depicted that the incumbent government had put tourism at the front and centre of its policy agenda.

“The e-visa initiative is a huge step forward and very positive as so many BBS members now can easily travel to Pakistan without any hindrance,” he remarked.

He underlined the need for projecting Pakistan’s tourism potential overseas through a massive advertisement campaign and projection on the social media to lure tourists from the European countries.

The BBS president recommended that Pakistan’s tourism potential should be projected through conventional media modes like newspapers, billboards, magazines and others.

To a query, he said the Pakistan government should focus on building mid-range hotels in its northern region as the foreign tourists, specifically adventure enthusiasts, were facing a major challenge of accommodation.

He also called for upgrading the existing transportation and road infrastructure to ensure access of foreign visitors to the mesmerizing and bewitching tourist resorts of the country.

Samuel Joynson said the tourism authorities should also develop tourist maps and promote tourist guide culture.

APP Services