Terrorism and rising costs have put a dampener on people’s plans to enjoy summer vacations at hill resorts, Pakistan Today has learnt. Students and families now have to think twice before leaving for terror-hit tourist resorts in Khyber Pakhunkhwa and upper Punjab. Besides, the inexorable inflation never lets them get out of their hometowns. Every summer, thousands of families go to Murree and its surroundings such as Nathia Galli, Bhurban, Patriata and Ayubia where they get the chance to recharge their batteries and enjoy the pleasant weather.
As the summer vacations start from June, students have started making plans to go to tourist resorts. Six-year-old Abdullah told Pakistan Today that his family wanted to go to a hill station in Khyber Pakhunkhwa (KP) but they were waiting for the security situation to become better. KP boasts some awe-inspiring places for including Swat, Shogran, Naran and Abottabad, but a bad law and order situation over the years has made these spots a no-go zone for tourists.
Abottabad, once a peaceful hill resort, has been banned for tourists after the US operation to kill Osama bin Laden. Exploring the country’s beautiful places does not only thrill students to bits but also provide them a useful learning opportunity. Besides seeing new places and meeting people is a much healthier activity than surfing the internet and watching TV during the vacations. Gone are the days when a family could spend summer vacations in a hill station for a few thousands.
Nowadays, if a family plans to spend a few days in Murree, they will need fuel worth thousands of rupees if they travel by car. Besides, the hotel fair, shopping and food can cost a family around Rs 60,000.
On the other hand, bus fares have also climbed a great deal as a one-way ticket to Islamabad costs around Rs 1000 and a few hundred more if one opts to go to Murree. Tour operators claim a slump in their business due to the worsening lawn and order situation.
Hunza Holidays Plus (HHP), which offers mountaineering, trekking, jeep safaris, mountain biking, culture tours, study tours, hunting tours, honeymoon tours and historical trips, claims that their business has fallen dramatically over the years. HHP Tour Operator Karim told Pakistan Today that only 10 people visit these places on a daily basis compared to 100 when there was peace all over the country. He said Swat was no more the number one choice for tourists as they now prefer to spend their holidays at relatively safer places.
Ahmad Farooq, an engineering student, told Pakistan Today that he was planning to visit Abottabad with his friends but the Osama operation thwarted their plans. Another student, Danish, who used to visit Swat and the Northern Areas regularly during summers, said he had no money to spend on such luxuries since he could not save from his pocket money this year. Punjab Tourist Officer Ejaz Butt told Pakistan Today that the situation started to deteriorate after 9/11. He said the government should educate the public about the places which are still safe from a tourist point of view. He urged the government to announce tourism package for foreigners. He said the tourism industry of a country thrives due to foreign tourists.
