Tourism in pakistan report

Department of Commerce JinnahUniversityforWomen
1
JINNAH UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
ASSIGNMENT
TOURISM IN PAKISTAN
NAME
WAJIHA MUHAMMAD ISMAIL
DEGREE PROGRAM
BS-COMMERCE (SECOND YEAR)
SUBJECT
ECONOMIC ISSUES OF PAKISTAN
SUBMISSION DATE:
JUNE 30, 2020
SUBMITTED TO:
MISS MEHWISH ZIA

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Table of Contents
Tourism......................................................................................................................................3
The Origins of Tourism..............................................................................................................3
Technology and The Democratization of International Tourism ..............................................4
Tourism and Its Role in Boosting Pakistan's Economy.............................................................6
Developing Tourism Industry of Pakistan.................................................................................7
Impact of Tourism on Pakistan’s Economy.............................................................................10
References................................................................................................................................12

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Tourism
Tourism, the act and process of spending time away from home in pursuit of recreation,
relaxation, and pleasure, while making use of the commercial provision of services. As such,
tourism is a product of modern social arrangements, beginning in western Europe in the 17th
century, although it has antecedents in Classical antiquity. It is distinguished from exploration
in that tourists follow a “beaten path,” benefit from established systems of provision, and, as
befits pleasure-seekers, are generally insulated from difficulty, danger, and embarrassment.
Tourism, however, overlaps with other activities, interests, and processes, including, for
example, pilgrimage. This gives rise to shared categories, such as “business tourism,” “sports
tourism,” and “medical tourism” (international travel undertaken for the purpose of receiving
medical care).
The Origins of Tourism
By the early 21st century, international tourism had become one of the world’s most
important economic activities, and its impact was becoming increasingly apparent from
the Arctic to Antarctica. The history of tourism is therefore of great interest and importance.
That history begins long before the coinage of the word tourist at the end of the 18th century.
In the Western tradition, organized travel with supporting infrastructure, sightseeing, and an
emphasis on essential destinations and experiences can be found in ancient Greece and Rome,
which can lay claim to the origins of both “heritage tourism” (aimed at the celebration and
appreciation of historic sites of recognized cultural importance) and beach resorts. The Seven
Wonders of the World became tourist sites for Greeks and Romans.
Pilgrimage offers similar antecedents, bringing Eastern civilizations into play. Its
religious goals coexist with defined routes, commercial hospitality, and an admixture of
curiosity, adventure, and enjoyment among the motives of the participants. Pilgrimage to the
earliest Buddhist sites began more than 2,000 years ago, although it is hard to define a transition
from the makeshift privations of small groups of monks to recognizably tourist practices.
Pilgrimage to Mecca is of similar antiquity. The tourist status of the hajj is problematic given
the number of casualties that—even in the 21st century—continued to be suffered on the journey
through the desert. The thermal spa as a tourist destination—regardless of the pilgrimage
associations with the site as a holy well or sacred spring—is not necessarily a European
invention, despite deriving its English-language label from Spa, an early resort in what is now

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Belgium. The oldest Japanese onsen (hot springs) were catering to bathers from at least the 6th
century. Tourism has been a global phenomenon from its origins.
Modern tourism is an increasingly intensive, commercially organized, business-
oriented set of activities whose roots can be found in the industrial and post-industrial West.
The aristocratic grand tour of cultural sites in France, Germany, and especially Italy—including
those associated with Classical Roman tourism—had its roots in the 16th century. It grew
rapidly, however, expanding its geographical range to embrace Alpine scenery during the
second half of the 18th century, in the intervals between European wars. (If truth is historically
the first casualty of war, tourism is the second, although it may subsequently incorporate
pilgrimages to graves and battlefield sites and even, by the late 20th century, to concentration
camps.) As part of the grand tour’s expansion, its exclusivity was undermined as the expanding
commercial, professional, and industrial middle ranks joined the landowning and political
classes in aspiring to gain access to this rite of passage for their sons. By the early 19th century,
European journeys for health, leisure, and culture became common practice among the middle
classes, and paths to the acquisition of cultural capital (that array of knowledge, experience,
and polish that was necessary to mix in polite society) were smoothed by guidebooks, primers,
the development of art and souvenir markets, and carefully calibrated transport and
accommodation systems.
Technology and The Democratization of International Tourism
Transport innovation was an essential enabler of tourism’s spread and democratization
and its ultimate globalization. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the steamship and
the railway brought greater comfort and speed and cheaper travel, in part because fewer
overnight and intermediate stops were needed. Above all else, these innovations allowed for
reliable timetabling, essential for those who were tied to the discipline of the calendar if not
the clock. The gaps in accessibility to these transport systems were steadily closing in the later
19th century, while the empire of steam was becoming global. Railways promoted domestic as
well as international tourism, including short visits to the coast, city, and countryside which
might last less than a day but fell clearly into the “tourism” category. Rail travel also made
grand tour destinations more widely accessible, reinforcing existing tourism flows while
contributing to tensions and clashes between classes and cultures among the tourists. By the
late 19th century, steam navigation and railways were opening tourist destinations

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from Lapland to New Zealand, and the latter opened the first dedicated national tourist office
in 1901.
After World War II, governments became interested in tourism as an invisible import
and as a tool of diplomacy, but prior to this time international travel agencies took the lead in
easing the complexities of tourist journeys. The most famous of these agencies was
Britain’s Thomas Cook and Son organization, whose operations spread from Europe and
the Middle East across the globe in the late 19th century. The role played by other firms
(including the British tour organizers Frame’s and Henry Gaze and Sons) has been less visible
to 21st-century observers, not least because these agencies did not preserve their records, but
they were equally important. Shipping lines also promoted international tourism from the late
19th century onward. From the Norwegian fjords to the Caribbean, the pleasure cruise was
already becoming a distinctive tourist experience before World War I, and transatlantic
companies competed for middle-class tourism during the 1920s and 30s. Between the World
Wars, affluent Americans journeyed by air and sea to a variety of destinations in the Caribbean
and Latin America.
Tourism became even bigger business internationally in the latter half of the 20th
century as air travel was progressively deregulated and decoupled from “flag carriers” (national
airlines). The airborne package tour to sunny coastal destinations became the basis of an
enormous annual migration from northern Europe to the Mediterranean before extending to a
growing variety of long-haul destinations, including Asian markets in the Pacific, and
eventually bringing post communist Russians and eastern Europeans to the Mediterranean.
Similar traffic flows expanded from the United States to Mexico and the Caribbean. In each
case these developments built on older rail-, road-, and sea-travel patterns. The earliest package
tours to the Mediterranean were by motor coach (bus) during the 1930s and post war years. It
was not until the late 1970s that Mediterranean sun and sea vacations became popular among
working-class families in northern Europe; the label “mass tourism,” which is often applied to
this phenomenon, is misleading. Such holidays were experienced in a variety of ways because
tourists had choices, and the destination resorts varied widely in history, culture, architecture,
and visitor mix. From the 1990s the growth of flexible international travel through the rise of
budget airlines, notably easyJet and Ryanair in Europe, opened a new mix of destinations.
Some of these were former Soviet-bloc locales such as Prague and Riga, which appealed to
weekend and short-break European tourists who constructed their own itineraries in negotiation

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with local service providers, mediated through the airlines’ special deals. In international
tourism, globalization has not been a one-way process; it has entailed negotiation between hosts
Tourism and Its Role in Boosting Pakistan's Economy
Tourism has become an important sector that has an impact on the development of the
country's economy. The main benefits of tourism are income creation and generation of jobs.
For many regions and countries, it is the most important source of welfare.
The ability of the national economy to benefit from tourism depends on the availability of
investment to develop the necessary infrastructure and on its ability to supply the needs of
tourists. It is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world, which accounts for 10
percent of the global GDP.
Tourism comprises several service activities including transportation, communication,
hospitality, catering, entertainment and advertising. It is on the quality of these services that
the effectiveness of tourism promotion efforts depends.
Pakistan has tremendous potential for tourism by virtue of its long rich history, cultural
diversity, geo-strategic position and captivating landscapes. The tourism products offered by
the country can be categorized into four types:
o Religious Tourism
o Archaeological and Historical Tourism
o Adventure Tourism
o Conventional Tourism
Tourism activities are one of the major sources of economic growth. It can be regarded as a
mechanism of generating the employment as well as income in both formal and informal
sectors. Tourism supplements the foreign exchange earnings derived from trade in
commodities and sometimes finance the import of capital goods necessary for the growth of
manufacturing sectors in the economy. On the other hand, rapid economic growth in the
developed economies attracts foreign travels (Business travels), which leads to an increase in
the foreign reserve of the country.
Pakistan particularly has a lot of potential regarding tourism because of its diverse and well-
preserved culture; from the ‘Do Darya’ in Karachi and Gwadar Port in Baluchistan to the
Badshahi Mosque in Lahore and beautiful valley of the north like Hunza. Every part of Pakistan
has its own culture and language which makes it even more interesting.

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According to a report by World Economic Forum, the direct contribution of tourism industry
in Pakistan in year 2015 was Rs 328 million constituting to 2.8 percent of the total GDP. The
government is making continuous efforts to promote tourism in Pakistan, and they predict that
by the year 2025 tourism will contribute Rs trillion to Pakistan’s economy.
Yet that’s not the best outcome because the government has not been able to take the tourism
market seriously in Pakistan despite some work being done. There is still a lot of room for
improvements in the tourism business. There is a need to maintain the tourism attraction and
preserve the heritage. Putting the tourism industry at low priority has led to no development in
tour industry and historical sites. It has been estimated that the public and private sectors have
gradually earned less income from the tourism market causing less investment and innovation
within the industry. This has led to several historical sites and landmarks to depreciate over
time and the lack of international standards have left many sites in poor states. The latest budget
showed that less money was being spent on tourism industry and more on other less important
markets. Some tourist corporations have started working and encouraged the government to
attract tourists to Pakistan by working on several projects in the tourist market: building and
maintaining the road and air networks. The maturation of human and natural resources can also
contribute to the development of the flabby industry.
Developing Tourism Industry of Pakistan
World Tourism and Travel Council predicts that Pakistan’s tourism industry has the
potential to grow to around US$ 39.8 billion within a decade. The present government has
already vowed in its election campaign that it would promote Pakistan as “Asia’s Best Kept
Secret” in global tourism market. The government is confident that tourism would be
contributing Rs. 1 trillion to Pakistan economy by 2025. Countries like Switzerland, Thailand,
Philippines, Maldives and Sri Lanka demonstrate that sustainable tourism is a tool for
development.
Operations Zarb-e Azab and Raddul Fassad under National Action Plan have eliminated
terrorism and extremism from the country and the tourism industry is direct beneficiary of this
situation. Significant security improvement has boosted annual tourist arrival by 300% in
recent years with 1.75 million only in 2017. For global citizens, Pakistan is highly attractive
tourist excitement with bewitching beauty of landscape, rich and varied culture, historical
heritage and places of religious significance.

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Therefore, it is ripe opportunity to develop tourism as an industry by integrating it into
development agenda. Snow-capped mountains and scenic beauty of Swat, Hunza, Neelam
Valley, Kalash Valley, Murree Hills and Naran are regarded as earthly paradise. Coastal areas,
mesmerizing deserts, archaeological and different religious places of Buddhism, Sikhism,
Hinduism in addition of famous Muslim saints are marvellous tourist attractions scattered all
over Pakistan.
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) declares tourism an ‘industry’
on account of its contribution to twelve sectors of the economy that include:
I. Hoteling and Accommodation
II. Food & Beverage
III. Railway Transport
IV. Road Transport
V. Water Transport
VI. Air Travel
VII. Transport Equipment Rental
VIII. Travel & Tour Agencies
IX. Cultural Events & Activities
X. Sports & Recreational Activities
XI. Trade of Country Specific Tourism Goods
XII. Country Specific Tourism Activities.
Now, let us see how tourism industry can contribute to the economic growth and
development of Pakistan:
1. Tourism can stimulate GDP growth of the country. Travel and tourism currently contribute
7.4 % to the GDP of Pakistan.
2. Tourism increases international trade and commerce.
3. In terms of foreign direct investment, tourism and hospitality are the second fastest growing
industries. Investment of Rs 410 billion was made in this sector in 2017.
4. Infrastructure development like roads, railways, airports, water & energy supply and
medical services takes place to encourage tourism.
5. Low income economies are largely supported with the arrival of international tourists.

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6. Tourism is one of the largest sources to generate employment opportunities.
7. Due to its wider supply chain, tourism promotes inclusive growth as it has the potential to
reach and benefit a larger proportion of the population.
8. Rural communities are strengthened by the tourism that alleviates poverty.
9. With the courtesy of tourism, urban areas are revitalized with the improvement of
infrastructure and the attraction of investment.
10. Tourism improves access to income with the Fintech and digital platform technology in
vogue.
11. Handicrafts of artisans have opened to global market with tourism
12. Tourism raises climate change awareness and makes realize the conservation of nature.
13. It is very effective source of promoting inter-cultural harmony.
14. Tourism propels blue economy and the conservation of marine life.
15. Post-conflict recovery can be achieved by boosting tourism. Terror-struck areas of Swat
and Waziristan are typical examples.
The development of tourism industry is already an active agenda of the government.
While inaugurating “Pakistan Banao Certificate” PM Imran Khan highlighted how US$ 44
billion and US$ 22 is earned by Turkey and Malaysia, respectively, from the tourism industry.
Here, it is pertinent to propose some international best practices of the tourism industry
in order to tap the true potential:
A. Brand identity is a key in tourism. Malaysia brands itself as “Truly Asia”. Pakistan too can
be popularized as “Authentic Asia”, since we are one of the oldest civilizations of the world.
B. Lure of touring Pakistan is to be managed with some cherished activities like Desert Safari
of Dubai and Royal Tourist Train of India. A Luxury Train Tour from Gwadar to Islamabad
while stopping at diverse cultural destinations and presenting a plethora of activities would
be very handy.
C. Pakistan should engage digital world travel bloggers to attract foreigners.
D. Another option could be to launch Basant and Besakhi Mela as international festivals in
Pakistan in order to build a positive image.
E. Local tourism should also not be neglected that has registered a sharp increase of 25% last
year due to rise in per capita income and social media.

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F. PTDC should be supported with its initiatives like Pakistan Tourism Friends Club offering
exclusive 20% on PTDC facilities.
G. A key role should be assigned to our embassies abroad in arranging tourism shows to woo
the international tourists.
H. Besides Kartar Pur Border, Pakistan can also present Buddhist places to Chinese and
Koreans along CPEC routes as religious tourist attractions.
I. After 18th Amendment, tourism devolves to provinces. Federal government must manage
provincial coordination to revamp the tourism industry.
In nutshell, Pakistan is a hidden gem and one of the most unexplored countries. After
securing peace and security, it is high time to put Pakistan on world’s tourism radar. By
developing our tourism industry to unravel the “Asia’s Best Kept Secret”, Pakistan can emerge
as top destination of the world.
Published in Daily Times, February 3rd, 2019.
Impact of Tourism on Pakistan’s Economy
Pakistan tourism is growing faster than ever before, determined to become the number
one travel destination in the world. The tourism sector of any country plays a vital role in its
economy. Similarly, the more travellers visit Pakistan, the better its economy gets. In 2015,
tourism contributed to Pakistan’s GDP with US$328.3 million, constituting 2.8% of the total
GDP. The tourism sector earned US$7.6 billion (2.7%) in 2016 and US$930.9 billion (2.9) in
2017, respectively.
In 2018, the number of tourists rose to 1.9 million and tourism sector contributed US
986 billion (5.9%). Improvement in the security situation of the country boosted Pakistan
Tourism revenue.
The World Travel and Tourism Council said in its annual Economic Impact Report that
the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is expected to grow 5.8 percent to Rs. 1,
727.7 billion (3.0 percent of GDP) by the year 2028.
Moreover, the tourism sector will offer approximately 2,008,000 jobs directly.

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The report noted that international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 2,054,000,
generating expenditure of Rs 192.5 billion i.e., an increase of 6.4 percent per annum.
Pakistan is expected to become a popular tourist destination in the coming years and
ultimately its tourism sector will play a major role in its economic growth.
Development of tourism industry in Pakistan can bring a great change to the economic
status of the country. That’s because tourists have a wide range of budgets and tastes, and a
wide variety of resorts and hotels can be developed to cater for them. For example, some people
prefer simple vacations, while others want more specialized holidays, quieter locations, family-
oriented holidays, or niche market-targeted destination hotels. So, in contrast to that, we can
develop a lot of different hotels or restaurants to meet everyone’s demands. Now all of that
cannot work out if people outside Pakistan don’t know about it. Advertising campaigns need
to attract tourist by developing holiday packages especially designed to explore the greater
regions of the country. In this era of technological advancement, we can advertise anything
easily on the internet on a very high level and it can reach out to everyone in this way.

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References
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/06-Aug-2017/tourism-and-its-role-in-boosting-pakistan-s-
economy
http://emergingpakistan.gov.pk/sectors/tourism/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/tourism

Tourism in pakistan report

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