ISLAMABAD: There has been increase in the number of tourists to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) over the last two years and a million people are expected to visit the region this year, GB Tourism Secretary Jehanzeb Awan said on Monday.

He was briefing members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Kashmir and GB at Parliament House. He suggested the federal government devise a policy to attract even more tourists.

He said the number of tourists had been decreasing due to security concerns and that before 2005, a large number of foreigners, mountaineers and Pakistanis from other parts of the country would visit GB each year.

“For a few years now, between 10,000 and 20,000 tourists would visit GB each year but in 2015, over 600,000 people visited GB and this year, it is expected that around one million people will travel to GB,” he said.

GB tourism secretary says region does not have enough rooms to lodge tourists

He said most people visit during a small window of 50 days between after Ramazan and mid August and that during this time, around 600 vehicles enter GB each day.

On the other hand, he said, there are just 6,000 rooms in various hotels and guesthouses in the area to accommodate tourists.

“We have involved the private sector and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme for providing visitors with accommodation by establishing tent villages because the government cannot make arrangements on its own. We have also started using school buildings for accommodating tourists as schools are on a break for now,” he said.

Mr Awan said seven of the highest peaks, i.e. those measuring over 8,000 metres, including K2 and Nanga Parbat are in GB, which is also home to 100 peaks of more than 7,000 metres and many more which tower more than 6,000 metres high. He said GB also has some rock carvings from the pre and post Buddha eras.

“We want to promote GB so people visit all year long and not just during that 50 day bracket. However, there is also the issue of limited access by air. There are a few flights and they too are cancelled due to the weather. Larger planes cannot land at the Gilgit Airport and an Instrumental Navigation System is required for ensuring planes land and take off around the clock,” he said.

Mr Awan suggested air and road transport be improved and that the federal government make investment policies so that GB becomes an around the year tourism spot.

GB Chief Secretary Tahir Hussein said efforts were being made for increasing commercial interest in the area and that a high altitude force has been established for guiding mountaineers.

“The China Pakistan Economic Corridor has been almost completed in GB and the last portion of the Diamer-Bhasha Road is being realigned,” he said.

“People visit other countries because there are not that many facilities in GB,” said a member of the committee Chaudhry Abid. He said the issue of land sliding should also be addressed. The road from Chitral to Gilgit and Skardu is bad and cannot be travelled unless in a jeep, he added.

MNA Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar said private airlines should be encouraged to start flights to and from GB as this will encourage more tourists to visit.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016