Tourism & Camping Villages Project

By: Hassan Zubair

The once booming tourism industry of Pakistan has gone through a sharp decline because of the security situation, especially in areas that were once considered the tourist hubs of the country. The unemployment rate across the province is high, particularly in the case of youth, who constitute to over 30% of the population.

UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) is supporting the Department of Tourism, Sports, Culture, Architecture & Youth Affairs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in setting up ‘camping villages’ in scenic locations across the province. By fostering tourism, UNDP hopes to revitalize the economy of the region by providing lucrative and sustainable employment and business opportunities to the local population, especially the youth.

The establishment of camping villages is a unique and novel idea to foster tourism in Pakistan. In addition to providing livelihoods to the local youth, this initiative provides tourists with an opportunity to partake in adventure tourism, understand eco-friendly tourism, and witness the beauty of the country.

The project will open new avenues for the promotion of eco-tourism and attract the private sector to establish similar camping villages in other parts of the province. ‘Eco-tourism’ is described as responsible travel to natural areas, preserving and respecting the local environment and heritage.

The Camping Villages and Eco-tourism project also intends to introduce eco-friendly products made of ‘green wood’ – a blend of recycled materials such as plastic bags and scraps used to construct structures such as gazebos, staff accommodation quarters, kitchen, dining area, benches and picnic tables. The use of green wood to make these ‘green structures’ for the camping villages will ensure low carbon footing and contribute to the project’s aim of promoting eco-friendliness

Each camping village will be equipped with ten imported camping pods and washrooms of an international standard. Each camping pod will be fully-furnished with high-quality furniture.

Camping villages will also facilitate tourists in adventure-tourism. For this purpose, the project will train local youth as an adventure-tourism guide.

Things are looking up for the scenic, mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan, with over 1 million visitors registered since May, officials say, as the tourism sector reopens across the country despite persisting coronavirus fears.

Bordering Afghanistan and China, Gilgit-Baltistan is Pakistan’s favorite tourist destination and was listed by Forbes among the 10 “coolest places” to visit in 2018. Since then Northern region of Pakistan attracts more and more tourists each year .Surprisingly this year there were more international tourists then national ones. The year 2021 has happened to be the most profitable and yet challenging year for the locals of northern region of Pakistan.

The region’s economy is largely dependent on tourism and was severely hit last year as outbreaks of COVID-19 and travel curbs deterred tourists from flocking to the region’s glacial lakes, valleys and 8,000-meter-plus peaks.

“This year, we have opened the sector from early May,” Iqbal Hussain, a director at the Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department, told iPak Officials. “We recorded 1 million tourists by July 15.”

In 2020, the sector opened for less than three months, between August and October, and 600,000 people visited, however this year 2021 the sector was opened for more than three months and approximately 800,000 people have been recorded to have visited the region, Hussain said.

Despite the improved numbers this year in 2021, the specter of another lost tourism season still haunts the region, as coronavirus cases have once again started to surge and authorities are scrambling to impose health rules and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

In mid-July, a coronavirus positivity rate of 16 percent was recorded in Gilgit-Baltistan .However people who are keen about camping do not seem to be worried about the harsh December weather. Nonetheless lagging vaccination rates in the region have added to the pressure. “Due to COVID-19, we are facing a lot of challenges and yet people seem not to be bothered about it at all which is even more challenging for us,” Hussain said.

“Some 60-70 percent of people are directly linked with this sector. To continue socioeconomic activities, it’s very important to open the tourism sector with the implementation of SOPs.”

“We are trying to implement SOPs at all entry points like airports,” Dr. Shah Zaman, the lead official for pandemic response in Gilgit-Baltistan, said, saying the COVID-19 positivity rate had been increasing in the region since last week.

But this has not deterred visitors from coming to this region. People are coming in huge numbers to celebrate New Year ever since the flights from Islamabad to Skardu went operational.

Even travel-hungry visitors such as retired Pakistan Air Force official Muhammad Saleem Khan. “This is my first visit to Gilgit-Baltistan,” the 71-year-old tourist said. “It’s such a beautiful place to enjoy New Year’s Eve with family.”

Sidra Humayun, 29, said she had come with her family to tour the region only for a week but decided to stay longer: “Our plan was to return after one week, but after coming here we have decided to enjoy the freezing mornings and evening here till New Year’s Eve.”

Many who visit vow to return.

“I have visited Gilgit-Baltistan many times. And I am here again because it’s a beautiful place,” said Taimur Shahid, a 31-year-old-tourist from Karachi. “The mountains are majestic, and it’s a wonderful place to come and escape city life. And each time you get here, you feel lucky, we southerners crave winter cold like this in Karachi, this is paradise, alike, for us. What a better place can you find to spend New Year with your family in such a peaceful and freezing calm environment? Inshallah, I will come to celebrate next year again.”