Pakistan, with the world’s oldest civilization, exotic mountain beauty and splendid seasonal
variety, has
immense tourist potential. The sacred religious places, which spread throughout
the country,
make Pakistan an attractive place for a variety of people and religions. The
tourism
assets of Pakistan include a coastal zone spreading over one thousand
kilometers
along the
Arabian Sea offering long term development potential for beach resorts,
diversified
natural deserts in the south and beautiful hill stations and valleys in the
north. It
has also
great potential for tourism sports like mountaineering and trekking. The relics
of
the Indus
Civilization in the south, Gandhara Civilization in the north and the great
heritage
of Mughals
in Punjab are exceptional cultural assets of Pakistan. There are also great
adventure
zones with the high mountains located in the north of the country, where four
of
the world’s
largest ranges meet.
The tourism
sector investments in the country are dominated by private sector with
the role of
public sector mainly as a facilitator. Almost the entire hotel, restaurant,
travel
agency and
tour operator business is in the private sector. The Pakistan Tourism
Development
Corporation (PTDC) is also operating a limited number of hotels and roadside
facilities
in areas where the private sector has been reluctant. The Department of Tourist
Services
(DTS) is responsible for maintaining the standard and categorization of hotel
industry.
The Ministry of Tourism looks after the entire public sector interventions
including
formulation
of policies and overseeing the legal and regulatory framework.
