What does the GB Offer ? Unique Landscape and Pristine Nature
Worlds Most Famous Mountain Ranges
- The Himalayas, Karakorum & Hindukush. ◊ K2 World’s Second Highest Peak.
- Five over 8000 Meters Peaks.
- 101 Peaks over 7000 Meters. ◊ 5100 Glaciers.
- 2200 Sq. Miles of Snow Covered Area.
- 119 Lakes.
What does the GB Offer Biodiversity in Wildlife and High Altitude Forests?
- 4 National Parks.
- 09 Game Reserves ◊ 3 wildlife sanctuaries.
- 230 species of Birds ◊ 54 Species of mammals.
- 20 species of fresh water fish ◊ 23 species of reptiles.
- 6 of amphibians.
- 6592 Sq. KM of Forests, which constitutes 9.1 % of the total area.
What does the GB Offer ? Cultural Diversity and a Tradition of Hospitality
- 7 Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation, UNESCO and British Airways Award Winning Historical Sites.
- 23 Historical Forts.
- 75 Polo grounds.
- 65 Archeological sites.
- More than 39,000 Rock carvings and inscriptions.
- Year long festivals all around the Gilgit Baltistan.
- Indigenous music.
- A centuries old culture of hospitality and acceptance of visitors.
What does the GB Offer ? Strategic Location and Historical Linkages.
- Centuries Old trade and travel route.
- The only part of Pakistan to border and neighbor four countries.
- Presence of International Road Network.
Has the Potential Being Tapped ?
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- Reasons for Poor Inflow.
- Negative perception of security due to the label of Northern Areas.
- Travel advisories suggesting against travelling on KKH.
- Poor condition of KKH often blocked by land slides.
- Lack of alternate to KKH.
- Unpredictable flight scheduling and the woes of PIA booking.
- Absence of International airports.
- Centralized issuance of permits and conduct of briefing and debriefing in Islamabad.
- Lack of tourist facilities at the tourist attractions.
- Lack of skilled manpower despite a reasonable literacy rate.
- Harassment by porters and local guides. Lack of authentic tourism related data and base line study by reputed parties.
- Lack of online information.
- Reluctance of major travel insurance companies to insure foreign tourists.
- Difficulty in acquiring Pakistani visa.
- Absence from domestic and international tourism trade fairs.
- Absence of Tourism Policy.
- Mushroom growth of civil structures due to absence of zoning laws.
- Lack of an investment policy.
Current Developments and Future Vision : Scenario 2012
1. Access :
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- Widening and Improvement of KKH from Khunjrab till Bisham – first phase to complete in 2011.
- Construction of road from Mansehra till Chilas, avoiding the KKH – To be made operational in 2011.
- Upgradation of both Gilgit and Skardu Airports to Instrumental Navigational Facilties from Visual ones. 60 % and 80 % work already completed.
- Plans to make both airports international with regional flights to Kashgar , Urumqi, Nepal and to Tajikistan, as per the Transition Plan.
- Construction of new roads and bridges within the Gilgit Baltistan.
- Widening of NATCO network to Lahore and Peshawar.
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2. Political Reforms and Visitors Safety :
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- The G.B. Empowerment Ordinance 2009 has installed a home grown representative government with most of the subjects to be dealt at the local level.
- A package of Rs. 15 Billion Development package has been approved for the next 3 years, earmarking major tourism related prjects.
- It is the safest place for tourists in Pakistan.
- 100 % increase in the Police force.
- As per the 18th Amendment in the Constituion of Pakistan, concurrent list has been abolished thus transferring tourism to local level, which means local processing of permits and briefings.
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3. Local Tourism Development Initiatives:
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- Tax Free Zone.
- Implementation of Rs. 1 Billion Tourism and Culture development package for the next two years.
- Establishing of Mountaineering Institute in Skardu.
- Fixing and implementation of porter wages.
- Development of Tourist Facilitation Centers at both the airports and all other access points.
- Development of websites and tourism promotion material.
- Promotion of GB at International and Domestic Travel Trade shows.
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4. Local Tourism Development Initiatives:
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- Establishment of Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for cleaning of treks and tourist attractions.
- Legislation regarding zoning of tourist spots in the process.
- Base line studies on current tourism situation and future trends are being developed by JICA and the World Bank.
- MoU being signed with the WWF Pakistan for creation of tourism related GIS data.
- MoU signed with the Government of Xingiang for promotion of regional tourism – Approx 2.0 Million domestic visitors visit Kashgar each year. They can all be allowed on a border pass.
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5. National Tourism Development Initiatives :
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- Draft National Tourism Policy in the process of approval , suggesting incentives for investment in tourism infrastructure.
- Visa on arrival for 24 tourist friendly nations.
- Abolition of Police Reporting requirement except for countries on B List
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Projected Trends – Scenario 2012
2010 – Tourist Inflow is 62000 Per Annum
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- No direct international flights.
- 16 domestic flights/ week from only Islamabad with an average cancellation rate of 30 % .
- 16 domestic flights/ week from only Islamabad with an average cancellation rate of 30 % .
2012- Expected Tourist Inflow will be at least 150,000 Per Annum
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- Atleast 7 international flights/week.
- Twice as many flights from Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore with minimal cancellation due to instrument navigation and night landing facility.
- Twice the size of NATCO fleet.
- Year round high speed ,safe and multiple road links from Islamabad and Kashgar.
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Opportunities for Investment
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- 1. Accommodation and Hotels : Current capacity is 2450 rooms of 1-4 star ratings
- Proposed : ◊ Camping Sites. ◊ Recreational Vehicle Parks. ◊ Theme Resorts. ◊ Bed and Breakfast. ◊ Hotels, Motels. ◊ Winter and Summer Resorts. ◊ Community run rooms and houses.
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2. Transport : Only PIA and NATCO operate for and within GB
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- Proposed: ◊ Private Airlines and Helicopter services. ◊ Private tour buses. ◊ Recreational and camping vehicles.
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3. Adventure Sports : No major GB run adventure infrastructure.
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- Proposed Businesses in : ◊ Rafting. ◊ Paragliding. ◊ Skiing. ◊ Rock Climbing. ◊ Mountain Biking. ◊ Trophy Hunting. ◊ Angling. ◊ Ballooning.
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4. Entertainment – Investment Proposed:
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- Theme and Play Parks. ◊ Cable cars and chair lifts in scenic areas. ◊ Boats and Steamers. ◊ Snow Mobile Vehicles. ◊ Cinemas. ◊ Indoor and outdoor sports Infrastructure.
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5. Food and Beverages : The area is rich in fresh organic food , dairy products and fruits.
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- Proposed Investment : ◊ Tourist Café s and Coffee Shops. ◊ MNC fast food outlets or cabins. ◊ Indigenous food outlets. ◊ Dry fruit and Juices industry. ◊ Fish and Meat processing.
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6. Health Care and Eco Tourism. Immense potential due to clean air and untouched areas.
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- Proposed Investment : ◊ Eco tourism . ◊ Wellbeing and Spa Resorts. ◊ Sanatoriums. ◊ Wildlife and Bird watching Tours.
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7. Cultural Tourism : AKCSP and Serena hotels have already realised the potential and invested heavily in this field
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- Proposed Investment : ◊ Development of old Forts and turning into museums or hotels. ◊ Buying Polo grounds and teams. ◊ Filming locations. ◊ Development of cultural troupes. ◊ Historical Sites Tours. ◊ Rock Carving Tours. ◊ Silk Route Tours across Central Asia.
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8. Travel Services – Proposed Investment:
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- Organise Porter and tour guides. ◊ Establish international tour companies. ◊ Provide ticketing and booking services. ◊ Provide software and hardware for hotel and transportation industries.
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9. Skill Development :
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- Hospitality management training institutes. ◊ Foreign languages training schools. ◊ Airline ticketing and booking training. ◊ Kitchen and restaurant services training.
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10. Sports and Mountaineering Supplies . 11. Tourism Promotion material Supplies. 12. Travel Insurance. 13. Handicrafts development , sale and export. 14. Shopping centers for domestic and foreign tourists.
Enabling Factors for Investment
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- Safe.
- Tax Free.
- Government Support in Purchase of Land and Business Development.
- Lending through Micro Credit and Karakorum Cooperative Banks.
- Proximity with China for Import of Tourism Related products.
- Proximity with China and Central Asia for export of Tourism related products.