SWAT: The number of tourists visiting Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) this year are estimated to be one million. The increase in the number of visitors is being witnessed after peace and tranquillity returned to the restive mountainous region in the wake of military operations that cleansed the area of militants.
Per details, the rise in tourist numbers has increased the income of the local hotel industry by 10 per cent. This year, the scenic valley witnessed an unusual rise in tourist numbers during the spring/summer season, as hotels were found to be fully occupied. Families were seen renting holiday homes in the region after failing to get accommodation in local hotels.
Officials belonging to the tourism department said that no clear data regarding tourist numbers was available with the departments concerned, but it was roughly estimated to be around one million during the current season.
In this context, the Swat Hotel Association President Zahid Khan said that Swat was a paradise for tourists because hotels in the area offered 50 per cent cheaper rooms to guests as compared with the unbelievable high rates charged by hotels in Murree and its adjoining areas.
He said that Swat had 330 hotels which could accommodate around 30,000 tourists each night. At least 400 restaurants are also present on the banks of River Swat, where a large part of recreational activities took place, he added.
Zahid Khan said that, “During the before the military operations, the tourism industry was badly hit, due to which all local hotels were deserted and remained closed for four years. But after the restoration of peace from 2010 onwards, the situation was pacified.”
Fazal Kareem, a resident of renowned tourist area Bahrain, said that after the restoration of peace in the valley, it is for the first time that the tourists have neglected security concerns, ditched their fears and acquired houses in the area. According to him, around 20 to 30 families from around Pakistan rented houses in the area, which showed that the area was safe and secure.
Meanwhile, owners of hotels constructed alongside Swat River said that at least two floors of each hotel in the area have been booked by tourists for an entire month.
According to a hotel owner, the average income earned during the current season amounted to half a million rupees, which had surpassed the expectations of many locals struggling to earn respectable livelihood since the past many years.
Besides, local residents of Bahrain were pleased to see tourists returning to the valley as markets have once again opened up in the region and even remained open till late night. They said that they were very happy to see their village illuminated in lights, thus making the area look alive again.
Taj Mohammad, an owner of a superstore, said that he had been waiting for tourism season to start all year long, while adding that this time the influx of a large number of tourists to the valley have allowed locals to generate sufficient income to sustain them through winters. It is pertinent to mention here that business activities carried out in the markets for a longer duration has brought a little bit economic stability to the region.
