Pakistan’s biggest-ever tourism festival begins today

After years of neglect, the event represents a significant push to bring visitors back to the country’s scenic attractions.

After years of neglect, the event represents a significant push to bring visitors back to the country’s scenic attractions.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s largest-ever Tourism, Sports and Family Festival is set to begin Saturday at the Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Tourism, Sardar Yasir Ilyas, announced on Friday. Officials described the three-day extravaganza as a landmark effort to revitalise and mainstream the nation’s long-ignored tourism sector.

Speaking at a press briefing, Sardar Yasir Ilyas said the mega festival would open a fresh chapter for tourism and serve as a model to be replicated in other provinces. The event, he added, is being organised as a fully family-friendly festival with programmes and attractions aimed at children, young people and tourists from diverse backgrounds.

The coordinator said the government was introducing new ideas into the tourism industry and launching youth-focused training courses to build skilled human resources. “Pakistan is a peaceful and hospitable country, and our nation is globally known for its unmatched tradition of hospitality,” he said.

The festival will include food stalls, games, handicrafts and jewellery exhibitions, and will showcase the cultures of Pakistan’s four provinces as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Sardar Yasir Ilyas said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s plan to develop tourism into a full-fledged industry, noting Pakistan’s large untapped tourism potential.

Adventure sports will be a major draw. The coordinator highlighted paragliding off the Margalla Hills, hot-air ballooning, power gliding, tent pegging, cycling events and a marathon carrying a Rs100,000 prize among the attractions. Leading paragliders from around the country will launch from the Margalla Hills and land at the Cricket Ground near the Sports Complex; organisers have set aside an area for photography and spectators.

More than 300 vintage cars and classic motorcycles will be displayed, and rallies, rock-climbing and zip-lining activities will be organised for youth and children. Prominent Pakistani mountaineers will be on hand to mentor young participants and to promote adventure tourism in partnership with the Alpine Club and other stakeholders.

Aftab ur Rehman Rana, Managing Director of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), said PTDC has introduced a national tourism calendar that will host over 50 events nationwide. He described Islamabad as an emerging gateway city with strong potential across adventure, sports, medical, recreational and cultural tourism, sectors that could boost economic growth.

The festival will feature stalls run by PTDC and other departments, women’s chambers, hotels, tour operators, hospitality institutes and cultural troupes from different provinces and countries. “This event is aimed at creating public awareness about tourism, culture and heritage, as tourism already contributes around 5.6 percent to Pakistan’s GDP,” Rana noted.

Officials said the government has prepared a 10-year National Tourism Strategy with a target of raising tourism’s share of GDP to 10 percent, creating jobs and increasing foreign exchange earnings. Diplomats will be engaged to help project a positive image of Pakistan abroad, and foreign participants are expected to be invited to future events such as the Cholistan Rally.

Organisers confirmed that detailed security and traffic management plans have been finalised. The festival is a joint effort with the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and other partners, and similar events will be organised in other cities and provinces in the months ahead.

Amjad Ali Gill, Joint Secretary at the IPC, said the festival reflects strong inter-ministerial cooperation aimed at reviving tourism and sports, promoting healthy youth activities and providing family recreation in a secure environment. He reiterated that such events will be reproduced across the country to ensure inclusive provincial participation.

Reiterating event details at the Islamabad news conference, Sardar Yasir Ilyas said the festival will host sports competitions and more than 200 stalls offering everything from local cuisine to gems and jewellery. He noted that visitors will be able to see air balloons, paragliding displays and motorgliding, as well as an automotive exhibition.

All festival activities will take place at the Pakistan Sports Complex, except tent pegging, which will be staged at F-9 Park, the coordinator said. Sardar Yasir Ilyas emphasised the government’s commitment to promoting tourism and said the event is intended to send a message that Pakistan is a peaceful nation. He added that the government aims to raise the sector’s contribution to the economy to $40 billion within the next five to eight years.