Investor Presentaiton
FINANCING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA
Message From
Dr. Omar Mukhtar Khan
Team Leader, Sustainable Energy & Economic
Development (SEED) Programme
Tourism has always been an important sector in
Pakistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Reportedly, 2 to 3 million tourists visited KP and
the northern areas during the Eid holidays in
2021, generating an estimated Rs 4 billion in
revenue for the province. Despite this, the true
potential of tourism in KP is underutilised, and
even the existing tourist spots have not been
developed properly, leading to many problems
for tourists as well as the locals.
In recent years, the KP government has been
focusing increasingly on this sector in the
province, with special attention to the concept
of sustainable tourism, i.e., tourism which does
not harm the environment, wildlife, or people of
the tourist areas while providing an enjoyable
experience for the visitors. This policy note by
the Foreign, Commonwealth & Develop-
ment Office's (FCDO) Sustainable Energy &
Economic Development (SEED) programme,
in partnership with the Consortium for
Development Policy Research (CDPR), puts
forth important recommendations in line with
the vision of GoKP's Tourism Department.
We have many global role models for
sustainable tourism, which have been
successful in exploiting their natural beauty
and cultural history to boost their economies.
These international best practices show that
tourism development and management at a
local level tends to be more efficient and
transparent. Under this mechanism, tourism
and hospitality related taxes are collected at the
local, city or municipal level and are ear-
marked to be spent on tourism infrastructure,
marketing or for environmental and con-
servation projects at the local level. This policy
note, with input from various local stake-
holders, examines the scope of such a
financing mechanism in KP and is, thus, an
important first step towards the government's
goal. Moreover, it has also chalked out a way
forward for the implementation of these
recommendations, highlighting the crucial
institutional changes that will be required for
efficient management of tourism in the
province.
I congratulate the SEED and CDRP teams on
their efforts. We are committed to continuing
our partnership with the GoKP and closely
working together to develop sustainable
tourism in KP.
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