Influx Of Tourists: Over 350,000 Visited KP’s Scenic Areas During Eid

APP

Islamabad: Nearly 358,000 tourists visited various destinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), mainly its northern region, during the Eid ul Azha holidays, where tourists were attracted by the natural beauty, cultural diversity and historical heritage of various sites.

According to an assessment report, the district administration has made great efforts to accommodate visitors at the hill stations in Lower Dir, Swat, Kalam, Saiful Malook, Kumrat, Abbottabad, Kaghan Naran, and Malam Jabba.

All hotels and restaurants besides private inns were still jam-packed with tourists, said a local citizen. The increase in tourism has had a very significant impact on the rural economy, and seeing the fruits of our efforts is really gratifying, said a state Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) Official.

In order to ensure safe travel before departing for tourist destinations and to ensure responsible tourism, the Official also urged visitors to heed the rules of tourism through social media platforms.

A visitor reported seeing long queues of cars, vans, and buses en route to the area’s most popular tourist attraction which gave the town a festive feel.

The local people have also vacated extra rooms in their houses for tourists to earn profits these days, said another visitor. While enjoying national and cultural songs, youngsters along with their family members were seen busy hammering and fixing tents’ in KP forests to enjoy a pleasant change in the weather during these holidays, said District Administration Official.

The PTDC official added that ongoing summer vacations for kids were another factor that saw a rush of domestic tourists’ head to these scenic valleys of KP.

Upper Dir enjoys a very moderate temperature throughout the year. This makes this beautiful district an attractive location for travellers, further stated a local tourist.

Upper Dir is a most beautiful district in Pakistan’s North Western region in KP province, said a foreign tourist, adding that it is comfortably nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The district mainly consists of most of the Pashtoon population that speaks the Pashto language. The people of Dir are amiable and hospitable, he mentioned.

Tourists also took a keen interest in the cable car to cross the Swat River, said a resident.

“Swat is the best place both for tourists and for food sellers, said a local, adding that we earn money by selling traditional food items.”