Reportedly, tourism has grown faster than the global economy for the eighth consecutive year. It is estimated that more than a billion people travel internationally, with around half of these journeys destined to developing countries. Pakistan is uniquely placed to take advantage of this trend as travellers can experience the historical heritage of one of the oldest civilizations in the world, worship at the rich collection of Sufi shrines, Hindu temples, Sikh gurdawaras and Buddhist monasteries, scale some of the highest mountains in the world, or simply experience natural beauty ranging from blossoming trees against a backdrop of snow-clad peaks in Gilgit-Baltistan to pristine beaches in Gwadar. Despite a wealth of tourist attractions, Pakistan’s tourism sector trails far behind that of India, Turkey, Sri Lanka and the region in general.
Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan (TDCP) has identified nearly 500 sites. Out of these, 106 are of historical importance, 120 religious and a further 26 of both religious and historical importance. Assuming a modest average spending of Rs200 per trip per person and using TDCP data on the number of visits to each site, revenue generation through these domestic visits are estimated more than Rs50 billion per year — two-thirds of what international tourists spend in Pakistan each year. With the right policies in place, Punjab alone can contribute a three- to four-fold increase in the revenue generated by domestic tourism.
Recreational
Tourism in Pakistan is a growing industry. In 2010, Lonely Planet termed Pakistan as being “…tourism’s ‘next big thing’ for more years than we care to remember. But world media headlines often send things off the rails”. The country is geographically and ethnically diverse, and has a number of historical and cultural heritage sites. The upsurge in tourism in the past few years has been aided by the Government of Pakistan’s recent decision to end mandatory No Objection Certificates for foreign tourists seeking to visit certain parts of the country.
In 2018, the British Backpacker Society ranked Pakistan as the world’s top adventure travel destination, describing the country as “one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.” Forbes ranked Pakistan as one of the ‘coolest places’ to visit in 2019. The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report placed Pakistan in the top 25% of global destinations for its World Heritage sites, which range from the mangroves in the Indus delta, to the Indus Valley Civilization sites including Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.
According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 released by the World Economic Forum, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to Pakistan’s GDP in 2015 was nearly US$330 million, constituting 2.8% of the total GDP. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to Pakistan’s GDP in 2016 was US$8 billion, constituting 2.7% of the total GDP.
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Religious Sites
Pakistan is an especially important site for both Sikh and Buddhist tourists. At one point, Punjab was the centre of the only Sikh empire in history. Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak, is one of the holiest sites for Sikhs, with the potential to attract as many pilgrims as the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Yet, only a small number Indian Sikhs visit Pakistan, in contrast to over 50 million visiting the Golden Temple — just 120 kilometers away from Nankana Sahab. The number of pilgrims coming to Pakistan each year and where they stay is controlled and managed for political and security reasons. Reportedly more than 80% of Sikhs living outside India have shown interest in visiting Pakistan. In addition, an equal percentage of 20 million Indian Sikhs expressed an interest in visiting Pakistan. In sharp contrast, just 10% had actually come to the country.
Similarly, Buddhist tourism has an estimated market of 500 million Buddhists across the world. Pakistan’s Gandhara region comprising Mardan, Taxila and Swat holds a special attraction for them. Korean Buddhists in particular trace their religious origin to the area that is now Pakistan, where Korean monk Hyecho travelled 1,300 years ago. Just recently, a 48-feet-long Buddha statue was also unearthed in Haripur, making it the world’s oldest sleeping Buddha statue. Takht-i-Bahi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the sites in northern Punjab alone have the potential to attract more than 50 million Buddhists living in Korea, China and Japan.
A 2016 Gallup survey of the Buddhist population across a selected pool of countries identified 58 million interested visitors, of which 5% were likely to visit Pakistan. Poor security situation, lack of marketing and tourist facilities and the absence of a functional Buddha stupa are currently preventing this potential from being realized. Facilitating these tourists and attracting just one percent means about 30,000 visitors a year, with a revenue inflow exceeding US$60 million.