–Foreign delegation calls on KP CM, announces to open hotels in Peshawar, Swat
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that the promotion of tourism as an industry in the province is the ultimate target of the provincial government.
He said this while talking to a five-member delegation of investors at his office on Friday. He said that his government was working to ensure easy access for local and foreigner tourists to the attractive and beautiful tourism sites.
“20 new sites have already been identified in Chitral, Malakand and Hazara under the first 100 days agenda of provincial government,” he remarked.
The CM told the delegation that 20 new sites of tourism were located. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of access roads to these sites were also in progress, he added.
The chief minister said that the establishment of ski resorts at different tourism spots had already been discussed with the Pakistan Air Force. A comprehensive policy was also formulated for the speedy promotion of tourism in the province while a regulatory framework was completed, he said.
On the request of investors, he directed the departments concerned to facilitate for the acquisition of land for the establishment of hotels in Peshawar and Swat. He also directed for a meeting with investors regarding the development of different tourism sites in the province.
He made it clear that his government was fully focusing on the development of infrastructure, access roads and other facilities in the new and existing tourism sites. He said that his government will extend every possible support to the investors in this regard.
The CM underlined the need for visible progress in order to achieve the targets, and said that accelerated development of tourism spots on industrial lines should be the first and final goal of departments concerned. The government will provide all-out support for this purpose, he concluded.
The head of delegation Henri W R Kennedie, President and CEO of Swiss International Hotels & Resorts, revealed that they are already working on establishing luxury hotels at different cities of the province. In the first phase, hotels would be established in Peshawar and Swat while Mardan, Chitral and Malakand were included in the second phase of the plan. However, the investors, on the proposal and desire of the chief minister, showed their keen interest for investment in the development of tourism spots.
