‘Pakistan can generate billions of dollars through tourism’

Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman Meher Kashif Younis has said that Pakistan could generate billions of dollars through the promotion of international standard tourism.

While talking to Dr. Kaiser Rafiq, CEO of ‘Discover Pakistan’, Younis said that tourism had emerged as a profit generating entity for the success of many economies around the world and there were several benefits of tourism on host destinations.

He said that it boosted the revenue of the economy, created thousands of jobs, developed the infrastructure of a country, and planted a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.

He said the number of jobs created by tourism in many different areas was significant and these jobs were not only a part of the tourism sector but could also include the agricultural sector, communication sector, health sector, and the educational sector.

He said the major chunk of tourists travelled to experience the host destination’s culture, different traditions, and gastronomy, which was also very profitable to local restaurants, shopping centers, and stores.

While citing the example of Melbourne, he said that Australia’s population greatly benefited from tourism. He said that it had a population of around four million people and roughly 22,000 citizens were associated  with the tourism sector only.

Meher Kashif said the governments that relied on tourism for a big percentage of their revenue, invested a lot in the infrastructure of the country to further lure more and more tourists to visit their country. Thus, he said, safe and advanced facilities were necessary along with new roads and highways, developed parks, improved public spaces, and new airports. He said safe  and innovative infrastructures allowed for a smooth flow of goods and services. Moreover, local people experienced an opportunity for economic and educational growth, he added.

Dr. Kaiser Rafiq, a foreign highly qualified technocrat with life-long vast experience in the field of tourism, said that cultural exchange between tourists and local citizens should be created. He said that exhibitions, conferences, and events usually attracted foreigners and organizers usually gained profits from registration fees, gift sales, exhibition spaces, and sales of media copyrights. Furthermore, foreign tourists brought diversity and cultural enrichment to the host country, he added.

Dr. Rafiq said tourism allowed young entrepreneurs to establish new products and services that would not be sustainable for the local population of residents alone.