STAFF REPORTER
PESHAWAR : The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has stepped up efforts to promote tourism in the province by developing new accommodation facilities, improving access to remote destinations and expanding community-based tourism initiatives in scenic areas.
As part of the latest drive, new camping pods are being installed at Acharr Sar in Shangla, Laram Top in Lower Dir and Beyun in Upper Swat. The facilities are expected to become operational during the upcoming tourist season, providing visitors with comfortable and eco-friendly accommodation in high-altitude tourist destinations.
Director General of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), Shahid Khan Mohmand, disclosed the developments during a meeting with Peshawar Press Club President M. Riaz and members of the press club cabinet.
He said the projects were being implemented under the special directives of Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi and Special Assistant for Tourism and Culture Malik Adeel Iqbal, with a focus on opening up lesser-known destinations and generating new economic opportunities for local communities.
Mohmand stressed the importance of media cooperation in promoting safe, responsible and sustainable tourism across the province. He said greater public awareness about emerging tourist destinations could also help create employment and business opportunities for residents of remote areas.
Under the authority’s flagship Host Tourism Programme, 91 individuals have so far been provided interest-free loans amounting to Rs122 million to establish homestay facilities. The programme enables local residents to construct or convert up to two rooms in their homes for tourists.
According to the KPCTA, 1,697 people initially applied for the programme, of whom 1,521 completed the preliminary processing stage. A total of 130 applicants were approved, while 25 beneficiaries have already completed their guest houses.
The authority is also working to improve road access to remote tourist destinations. Three major jeep tracks are being constructed to connect Thal with Jahaz Banda in Upper Dir, Ayun with Bumburet in Lower Chitral, and Laram Sar with Asu Kando in Upper Dir.
Mohmand further said the province’s tourism helpline, 1422, was continuing to provide round-the-clock assistance to visitors, particularly those travelling in the Hazara and Malakand divisions.
In another major initiative, visitor facilities are being developed at several key small dams across the province. These facilities include prayer areas, washrooms, information desks, parking areas, tuck shops and security posts at Tanda Dam in Kohat, Jahangira in Abbottabad, Jalozai in Nowshera, Sanam Dam in Lower Dir and Zebi Dam in Karak.
The KPCTA chief said the combined initiatives were aimed at making tourism more accessible, comfortable and sustainable while ensuring that local communities benefited directly from the province’s growing tourism economy.
With new accommodation, improved access routes and expanded visitor services, the provincial government is seeking to turn emerging destinations into sustainable tourism hubs and further strengthen Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s position as one of Pakistan’s leading adventure and nature tourism regions.
