There is a good news that Pakistan is going to launch its first ecotourism village in March this year. The village will be set up in Kaghan Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and will offer a tourists-friendly atmosphere to cater to the increasing influx of tourists in the northern areas of the country. Better transport, conservation of environment, and improving well-being of locals in an area will be other key characteristics of this environment friendly initiative.
Amid ongoing environmental degradation, such a unique initiative is praiseworthy. The establishment of an ecotourism village can lay the foundation of more such projects at other places where tourists flock in large numbers. In this regard, the private sector can play an important role by investing in the establishment of more such villages. The PTI government often claims that its main focus is on increasing tourism. However, unplanned tourism can yield negative effects on the natural eco system of different regions. Although the tourism sector brings money and helps improve the financial well-being of the locals, yet it also carried certain negative effects and poses dangers to the environment. Mainly, the influx of vehicles creates pollution, and spreading of garbage and used items leads to gradual deterioration of a natural environment.
Tourists should be guided not to spread waste in natural habitats and awareness campaigns should be launched in this regard. Saving the environment should be the top priority during any development process through tourism.
