Pakistan to host World Tourism Forum next year

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan is set to host a five-day World Tourism Forum next year. The holding of the event is aimed at attracting foreign investment in tourism industry, the Advisor to Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Bukhari said during an interaction with media on July 13.

“Three days of the forum will be dedicated for the conference while the remaining couple of days will be allocated for tourism,” he disclosed. 

“In next two years, as many as 32 new 3 and 2-star hotels will be built. A large number of international famed personalities would be invited for the forum after which in next six months consultation process will be continuing,” he added. 

Zulfiqar Bukhari made it clear that the World Tourism Forum and D-8 summit would be held separately. “The government is equally giving priority to religious tourism as well and in this regard policy being reviewed,” he disclosed. 

To a question, he said that in next two years efforts would be made to bring improvement in the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) facilities as it couldn’t compete with private sector.