Pakistan to build 10 villages as model rural tourism destinations

 APP

ISLAMABAD: As many as 10 villages will be selected across the country jointly by Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDCP) to develop them as model rural tourism destinations.

According to details, these ten selected villages would also be placed on the map of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Best Tourism Villages.

Recently, UNWTO has launched the Best Tourism Villages initiative at the global level to advance the role of tourism in valuing and safeguarding rural villages along with their associated landscapes, knowledge systems, biological and cultural diversity, agriculture, forestry, livestock, and traditional cuisine.

For this purpose, awareness sessions, seminars, research projects, Agri-tourism festivals, training workshops, project development sessions, and promotional activities will be jointly organized with the active engagement of other key stakeholders including provincial tourism organizations, farmer associations and private sector bodies.

In this regard, PTDC and ATDCP have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the concept of Sustainable Rural Tourism in Pakistan.

PTDC Managing Director Aftabur Rehman Rana said, “Pakistan is mainly a rural country and tourism can greatly contribute to the socio-economic development of our rural areas which are otherwise neglected in the overall development agenda of the government. Because usually, the focus of government’s schemes is more towards the development of urban areas.”

He further said rural tourism encourages local communities to revive and preserve their traditions, crafts, traditional festivals, architecture, and other unique practices.