The first paragraph is excellent - we complain Pakistan is portrayed as worse than it is yet even in Pakistan domesticx tourism is marketed so badly.
Footloose, NOS, The News International
Only one tourist resort, lower Kachura Lake, has been managed properly in the whole Baltistan valley and that too privately
By Aoun Sahi
Although the security situation in the country in general and NWFP and Northern Areas in specific has hurt tourism, this is not the only reason behind the constantly falling number of tourists in Pakistan. As a matter of fact the tourism authorities never devised a good marketing policy. Even today they have completely failed to tell people that in places like Baltistan, security situation is as good as it should be.
According to Zaheer Abbas, a resident of Skardu city, headquarter of Baltistan region, the people of this region are very friendly and peace-loving and it has a great potential to be a tourist attraction. “Baltistan is the home of mighty Indus, Deosai plains also known as roof of the world, snow capped towering mountains, biggest glaciers anywhere outside the polar region, deep ravine, green vales, waterfalls, quiet lakes, rare wildlife and centuries’ old heritage. But one hardly finds these things marketed or managed properly by the authorities in the region. Tourists come to places only with proper facilities.”
He informed that only one tourist resort, lower Kachura Lake, in the whole Baltistan valley has been managed properly but privately. If one visits this lake and other areas of Baltistan, one can easily observe the difference between the areas managed by the government.
Lower Kachura Lake located at a drive of about 20 minutes from Skardu town is managed by Shangrila Resort Hotel management. The 80 acre resort hotel was constructed by Brig (Retd) Muhammad Aslam Khan, the first commander of the Northern Scouts in 1983 with the opening of the first Resort Hotel in Skardu, Baltistan. It is nestled amongst some of the world’s highest peaks. The resort hotel encircles the heart shaped Lower Kachura Lake and is surrounded by flower filled gardens and fruit laden orchards of apples, almonds, apricot, cherries, peaches, plums, pears, strawberries, mulberries and grapes trees.
The resort is also home to Northern Areas largest trout fish hatchery as well as a zoo. “The trout fish from our hatchery is very famous and we arrange to send it to our customers in different cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. We grow most of the vegetables in the resort while different jams like apple, apricot and cherries are also prepared within the resort,” says Sagar Khan, front desk manager of the Shangrila resort hotel.
He says they have many customers, mostly expatriate Pakistanis and mountain trekkers, who come every year straight to them in Skardu, spent a good week and return to their home countries. “We are also the focal point of tourism industry in Baltistan region and many other small hotels in the area depend upon us because we offer a package deal to our customer and arrange visits for them in the different famous tourist spots in the area where these small restaurants are being operated.”
One of the most favourite tourist attraction at the resort is a unique aircraft restaurant. It has been built on the fuselage of an aircraft. According to Arif Aslam Khan, chairman Shangrila Resort Hotels and ex-chairman PTDC, this DC-3 aircraft originally belonging to Orient Airways took. On the morning of October 13, 1954 it took off from Skardu and crash landed in the bed of River Indus within three minutes due to engine failure with no casualties. The crashed air craft remained in the river bed for three months after which Brig (Retd) Muhammad Aslam Khan purchased it for rupees one hundred and fifty only. It took three months and at least three times more money than its actual price to move it on rollers, pulled by hundreds of men, yaks and horses to its present location. Now it has been converted into a coffee shop.
Arif Aslam claims that they are in this business just for their love for nature “otherwise it is not a profitable business to manage such a huge hotel as well as the lake with the fact that 90 per cent of total tourists to Baltistan visit it just three months from Mid May to Mid August. The rest of the year, one can hardly find a tourist in these areas due to extreme weather and poor road infrastructure.” It takes at least 22 hours from Islamabad to reach Skardu by road. Air travel is the least reliable means to go to Skardu and its adjacent areas. Government should manage extra flights for the peak season from May to August. He also bought land in fairy meadows, lush green plateau situated in the foot gin of Nanga Parbat for investment purpose but is discouraged by the deteriorating tourism industry.
The best example of adverse publicity, according to him, is the government’s failure to tell the world that 2005 earthquake had not hit Gilgit and Baltistan region which affected their business a lot in 2006. Consequently, Pakistan lost many of its foreigner clients and even expatriate Pakistanis are now reluctant to come because they think that Skardu is also part of troubled-tribal areas of Pakistan. For them Northern areas mean Wana and Swat.
The private sector at its own is doing a fairly good job in tourism industry in Pakistan while on the government seems totally indifferent. Government also failed to give tourism the status of industry, although in 1999 it had been decided that tourism and related businesses would be treated as industry in Pakistan.