Bangkok--Jan 31--eTurboNews
The government of Pakistan has yet to receive a report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) with recommendations on the revival of tourism in the earthquake-affected areas, official sources told Daily Times.
Two experts of the UNWTO visited the earthquake-affected areas on December 15-22, to assess damage caused by the earthquake. The area is considered to be the tourism hub in the country
"UNWTO experts were supposed to give their report along with recommendations vetted by the UNWTO headquarters in Spain within a month after the conclusion of their visit. These recommendations are to form the bases to pursue banks, NGOs, donor agencies and foreign community to help Pakistan revive the tourism sector," they said.
The sources said that ministry was expecting to get the report in time as it wanted to finalize a plan for the revival of tourism and arrange basic infrastructure before summer.
The prime minister has also constituted a task force headed by Ghazi Ghulab Jamal, the federal tourism minister, with other federal ministers and secretaries as its members to prepare recommendations for the early revival of tourism industry in the earthquake affected areas.
The affected areas included nine districts and their adjacent valleys in the NWFP and Azad Jammau and Kashmir (AJK). According to initial estimates, 110 hotels were damaged in area.
Umer Nawaz, WTO officer and James Jessamine, WTO consultant, were the two experts visited Pakistan. They have also worked in the tsunami hit areas. During their stay in Pakistan the WTO experts also held meetings with people related with the tourism industry like hoteliers, transporters and tour guides to seek their views.
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