Tourism in Pakistan is a growing industry.[1] In 2010, Lonely Planet termed Pakistan "tourism's 'next big thing'". The country is geographically and ethnically diverse, and has a number of historical and cultural heritage sites. Condé Nast Traveller ranked Pakistan The Best Holiday Destination for 2020[2] and also declared it the third-highest potential adventure destination in the world for 2020.[2] As security in the country improves, tourism increases; in two years, it has increased by more than 300%.[3]
In 2018, the British Backpacker Society ranked Pakistan the world's top adventure travel destination, describing the country as "one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone's wildest imagination".[4]Forbes ranked Pakistan as one of the ‘coolest places’ to visit in 2019.[5] The World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report placed Pakistan in the top 25 percent of global destinations for its World Heritage Sites, which range from the mangroves in the Indus delta to the Indus Valley civilization sites including Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.[6]
According to the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to Pakistan's GDP in 2015 was US$328.3 million, constituting 2.8% of the total GDP.[7] According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to Pakistan's GDP in 2016 was Rs.793 billion (equivalent to Rs.4.0trillionorUS$14billion in 2021), constituting 2.7% of the total GDP.[8] By 2025, the government predicts tourism will contribute Rs.1 trillion (US$3.5billion) to the Pakistani economy.[9]
In October 2006, one year after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, The Guardian released a list of "the top five tourist sites in Pakistan" to help the country's tourism industry.[10] The sites included Lahore, the Karakoram Highway, Karimabad and Lake Saiful Muluk. To promote the country's cultural heritage, in 2007, Pakistan launched the "Visit Pakistan" marketing campaign that involved events including fairs, religious festivals, regional sporting events, arts and craft shows, folk festivals and openings of historical museums.[11]
In 2013, over half a million tourists visited Pakistan, contributing $298 million; these figures have since risen to over 6.6 million tourists in 2018.[12] By comparison, Pakistan's domestic tourism industry is estimated at 50 million tourists who travel in the country on short trips usually between May and August.[13] The largest inflow of tourists are from the United Kingdom, followed by the United States, India and China.[14][15]
In the 1960s Pakistan was part of the "hippie trail" stretching from Europe to Asia. That tourism disappeared in the 1970s with the conversion from a liberal government to an Islamized Pakistan under dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Due to subsequent Taliban and al-Qaeda influence, especially after the September 11 attacks, westerners became the target of local branches of those terror organizations. Domestic tourism also slowed as a result of terrorism and anti-terror military operations which had taken the lives of more than 65,000 in Pakistan between 2001 and 2018.[18]
In 2019, Pakistan increased the availability of travel visas in a bid to increase tourism to the country. The new program grants visas on arrival to travelers from 50 countries, including the United States. Citizens of another 175 countries can apply for visas on the internet. Previously, visas could only be obtained from Pakistani embassies abroad.[19]
Gilgit-Baltistan includes some of the highest peaks in the world, including K2, the world's second-highest peak. Gilgit Baltistan's landscape includes mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys. The province is also visited for its landmarks, culture, history and people.[21] K2 Basecamp, Deosai, Naltar, Fairy MeadowsBagrot Valley and Hushe valley are common tourist destinations in the province.[22]
Quetta is the provincial capital of Balochistan. Sites of interest include the protected Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park, Hanna Lake, Quetta Geological Museum, Balochistan Arts Council Library, Quetta Archaeological Museum and Command and Staff College Museum. The Quaid-e-Azam Residency is in the city of Ziarat "famous for having the world's largest and oldest juniper forests". Sibi is an important historical city in which the Jirga Hall has a collection of pieces that were found at the archaeological sites of Mehrgarh, Nasshero and Pirak. The annual Sibi Festival includes a horse and cattle show.
The province includes several mountain passes. The Bolan Pass was the main entrance to the provincial city of Quetta; others include Lak Pass, Khojak Pass and Harnai Pass. The Balochistan coastline extends from the boundary of Sindh province to the Iranian border, measuring over 750km (470 miles). The city of Gwadar has the largest port in the province and is based near the ancient area of Makran. Pasni is a medium-sized town that is known for fishing. Along the Makran Coastal Highway, there are several rock formations, as well as Kund Malir and the Hingol National Park.
Port Grand Food and Entertainment Complex is a recreational area in the centre of Karachi that was built along the waterfront of the 19th-century Native Jetty Bridge. The complex is expected to attract up to 5,000 visitors a day and is a major hub of shopping, dining, cultural and coastal recreational activities. Port Grand is located on Napier Mole Bridge, which is historically significant to the city, and the 19th-century Native Jetty Bridge.[24]
Several mountain passes run through the province. One of the most famous is the Khyber Pass, which links Afghanistan with Pakistan. The trade route sees a large number of trucks and lorries transporting goods in and out of the region. The Babusar Pass connects Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakorum Highway. The Lowari Pass connects Chitral with Dir via the Lowari Tunnel. The highest mountain pass in Pakistan is the Shandur Pass, which connects Chitral to Gilgit and is known as the "Roof of the World". The pass is the centre of the Hindukush, Pamir and Karakoram ranges.
Punjab is the second-largest province in Pakistan. It is known for its ancient cultural heritage and its religious diversity. The Indus Valley civilisation once ruled the region and a significant archaeological find was discovered at the ancient city of Harrapa. The Gandhara civilisation was also dominant at the site of Taxila in the north of Punjab. Several other civilisations such as Greeks, Central Asians and Persians ruled Punjab, leaving a number of sites that still exist today. Islam arrived in the region during the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate followed by the Ghaznavids. The Mughals took control of the region and ruled its land for several centuries. The Mughal heritage remained strong in Punjab with a large number of forts, tombs and monuments sintact today. The Durrani Empire ruled Punjab after the fall of the Mughal Empire for a short period following the rise of the Sikh Empire. The strong control of the Sikhs also left a number of sites that have remained intact throughout Punjab. The British Raj took control of the region until the independence.
Rohtas Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site, was built upon a hill overlooking the Pothohar Plateau.
Azad Kashmir is situated in the northern part of the country. The northern part of Azad Kashmir encompasses the lower part of the Himalayas, including Jamgarh Peak 4,734 metres (15,531ft). Sarwali Peak in the Neelum Valley is the highest peak in the province. Ganga Choti is a peak in Bagh.[29] The province is fertile, green and mountainous.[30]
Period: Time period of significance, typically of construction
UNESCO data: The site's reference number; the year the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List; the criteria it was listed under: criteria (i) through (vi) are cultural, while (vii) through (x) are natural; meeting both criteria are categorized as "mixed sites"
Moenjodaro is an archaeological site located on the right bank of the Indus River in Larkana District of Sindh. Dating back to the beginning of third millennium BC, the 5000-year-old city was one of the largest and earliest urbanized settlements in South Asia. The ruins were first discovered in 1922 and major excavations were carried out in the 1930s, however after 1965 further excavations were banned due to weathering and disintegration. Only one-third of the site has been revealed so far and site conservation works have been on-going since then.
Taxila is an archaeological site located in the Rawalpindi District, 30km northwest of Islamabad. The city dates back to the Gandhara period and contains the ruins of the Gandhāran city of Takṣaśilā which was an important Hindu and Buddhist centre, and is still considered a place of religious and historical sanctity in those traditions.
Takht-i-Bahi, meaning spring throne, is a Buddhist monastic complex dating to the first century BC located on top of a 152m high hill. The ruins are located about 16km from Mardan and 80km from Peshawar. Sahr-i-Bahlol is a small fortified city, dating from the same era, located near Takht-i-Bahi. The historical complex is a complete Buddhist monastery consisting of four main groups; the Court of Stupas, a monastic complex, a temple complex, and a tantric monastic complex.
The Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore are two distinct royal complexes from the Mughal era. The Fort is located at the northwest corner of the Walled City of Lahore and has been destroyed and rebuilt several times during its history. The Shalamar Gardens are example of Mughal Gardens which were constructed by the emperor Shah Jahan in 1642. The gardens are influenced by Persian and Islamic traditions and cover 16hectares of land area.
Makli is a necropolis in the archaeological city of Thatta dating back to the 14th century. The monuments and mausoleums in Makli are built from high quality stone, brick, and glazed tiles representing the civilization of Sindh of the time. Tombs of famous saints and rulers including Jam Nizamuddin II are still preserved and are evidence of Hindu, Mughal, and Islamic architecture.
Rohtas Fort is a garrison fort built by Sher Shah Suri, located about 16km from Jhelum in Punjab, Pakistan. The fort is an exceptional example of Islamic military architecture, integrating artistic traditions from Turkey and the Indian subcontinent. It was built at a strategic location on a small hill alongside Kahan River to control the Ghakkars. Its name is derived from Rohtasgarh, the site of Sher Shah's victory in 1539 over a Hindu ruler.
In 2004, the Ministry of Tourism pushed forward for new sites in Pakistan to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In total, 26 sites are awaiting to be categorised as of 2016 which include:[40][41]
Other landmarks and structures have not yet made the UNESCO Tentative List. Long before the creation of Pakistan after its partition from India in 1947, there existed diverse cultures and religions in the undivided India. India was the centre of various wars that led to several dynasties and tribes ruling its lands. They left behind landmarks, some of which have become national icons in Pakistan now whilst others need the attention of concerned authorities. Some of these include:
Post-independence Pakistan retained its heritage by constructing sites to commemorate its independence by blending styles and influences from the past. Some of these include:
Gorakh Hill, Dadu – situated on one of the highest plateaus of Sindh
Tourism under Prime Minister Imran Khan
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan planned to boost tourism to create millions of jobs.[42] In his first television address to the nation, he said; "Pakistan has huge tourism potential. We will promote tourism to strengthen the economy".[42] The tourism industry in Pakistan has witnessed a boom as law and order has improved across the country in the last five years. The country of 235 million is known for its hospitality globally. He decided to end mandatory No Objection Certificates for foreign tourists seeking to visit certain parts of the country to boost tourism.[43]
Military operations launched by Pakistan armed forces during 2013–2017 against militants wiped out terrorism and militancy across the country, especially in northern areas, paving the way for the revival of tourism. The Government of Pakistan has also eased the country's visa policy, which has played a key role in attracting a large number of foreign tourists.[42] "We are improving processes to issue tourist visas, in particular for groups and champion initiatives, which strengthen our visa on arrival program and eliminate NoC condition for high potential tourist destinations besides providing four-star accommodation at affordable cost", said Fawad Chaudhry, a minister in government.[42] He also said; "peace had been restored and the local and foreign tourists were coming in large numbers to visit the scenic places and heritage sites".[44]
The Imran Khan government organised the Pakistan Tourism Summit, which occurred on 2 and 3 April 2019 at Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad, and was attended by Prime Minister Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, and some well-known international bloggers, who spoke about their experiences during the panel discussion and answered questions from the participants.[45] Due to these measures, 1.9 million tourists visited Pakistan in 2018 and as of 2020, tourism in the country has increased by more than 300%.[3]
List of tourist regions and sites
Top-five tourist destinations
In October 2006, The Guardian released what it described as "The top five tourist sites in Pakistan".[46] Pakistan was ranked 47 out of 200 countries in an analysis of the World Travel and Tourism Council's (WTTC) growth figures by Lovehomeswap.com,[47] which said, "If the country becomes more peaceful, visitor numbers are predicted to rise".[48][49]
Indians are only eligible for business, pilgrim or Visitor Visas to Pakistan. The pilgrim VISA allows Indians to visit 15 sites in Pakistan for religious tourism – they will be given a visitor visa. The Visitor Visa is granted if you have close family members or friends in Pakistan and you can only visit a maximum of 5 cities for 3 months.[56]
The Pakistani government had launched online visa services for 175 countries[57] and 50 countries were offered visa on arrival,[58] making visiting Pakistan easier.
Punjab is a province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the most populous province in Pakistan and second most populous subnational polity in the world. Located in the central-eastern region of the country, it has the largest economy, contributing the most to national GDP, in Pakistan. Lahore is the capital and largest city. Other major cities include Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Multan.
Lahore is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is the second largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and 26th largest in the world, with a population of over 13 million. Located in central-eastern Punjab, along the River Ravi, Lahore is one of Pakistan's major industrial, educational and economic hubs. It has been the historic capital and cultural centre of the wider Punjab region, and is one of Pakistan's most socially liberal, progressive, and cosmopolitan cities.
Tourism in India is 4.6% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike other sectors, tourism is not a priority sector for the Government of India. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹13.2 lakh crore (US$160 billion) or 5.8% of India's GDP and supported 32.1 million jobs in 2021. Even though, these numbers were lower than the pre-pandemic figures; the country's economy witnessed a significant growth in 2021 after the massive downturn during 2020. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 7.8% to ₹33.8 lakh crore (US$400 billion) by 2031. India has established itself as the 5th largest global travel healthcare destination with an estimated market size of around $9 billion in 2019, out of the total global travel healthcare industry of $44.8 billion(2019). In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients travelled to India to seek medical treatment.
The Walled City of Lahore, also known as the Old City, forms the historic core of the city of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. The city was established around 1000 CE in the western half of the Walled City, which was fortified by a mud wall during the medieval era. It is the cultural centre of the Punjab region.
Skardu is a city located in Pakistan administered Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. Skardu serves as the capital of Skardu District and the Baltistan Division. It is situated at an average elevation of nearly 2,500 metres above sea level in the Skardu Valley, at the confluence of the Indus and Shigar rivers. It is an important gateway to the eight-thousanders of the nearby Karakoram mountain range. The Indus River running through the region separates the Karakoram from the Ladakh Range.
Mughal architecture is the type of Indo-Islamic architecture developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the Indian subcontinent. It developed from the architectural styles of earlier Muslim dynasties in India and from Iranian and Central Asian architectural traditions, particularly Timurid architecture. It also further incorporated and syncretized influences from wider Indian architecture, especially during the reign of Akbar. Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character, including large bulbous domes, slender minarets at the corners, massive halls, large vaulted gateways, and delicate ornamentation; examples of the style can be found in modern-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation is an organization of the Government of Pakistan. PTDC is governed by the Board of Directors and provides transportation to various areas and owns and runs several motels across the country. It was incorporated on 30 March 1970.
Muhammad Rafiq Mugal is a Pakistani archaeologist, engaged in investigating of ethnoarchaeological research in Chitral, northern Pakistan. He has been responsible for the direction, technical support and supervision for restoration and conservation of more than thirty monuments and excavated remains of the Islamic, Buddhist and Proto-historic periods, in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan. He served as a professor of archaeology and heritage management and the director of undergraduate studies at Boston University. He is now Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at Boston University.
The Historic Cities Programme (HCP) of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) promotes the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities of the Muslim world. HCP undertakes the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces in ways that can spur social, economic and cultural development. Individual projects go beyond technical restoration to address the questions of the social and environmental context, adaptive reuse, institutional sustainability and training. In several countries, local Aga Khan Cultural Service companies have been formed to implement projects under the supervision of the HCSP headquarters in Geneva.
Pakistani architecture is intertwined with the architecture of the broader Indian subcontinent. The major architectural styles popular in the past were Temple, Indo-Islamic, Mughal and Indo-Saracenic architecture, all of which have many regional varieties. With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, for the first time in the area which encompasses today's Pakistan an advanced urban culture developed with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day. This was followed by the Gandhara style of Buddhist architecture that borrowed elements from Ancient Greece. These remnants are visible in the Gandhara capital of Taxila.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Pakistan:
Sindh is a province in Pakistan.
The following lists of tourist attractions include tourist attractions in various countries.
The Badshahi Mosque is a Mughal-era imperial mosque located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was constructed between 1671 and 1673 during the rule of Aurangzeb, opposite of the Lahore Fort on the northern outskirts of the historic Walled City. It is widely considered to be one of the most iconic landmarks of the Punjab.
Tourism in Ghana is regulated by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture. This ministry is responsible for the development and promotion of tourism related activities in Ghana.
Punjab is the largest province in population and the second largest province in physical size in Pakistan. In 2017, 1.75 million tourists visited Pakistan according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
↑ "Constitution of Pakistan"(PDF). Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 August 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
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