‘The last time I visited Swat, it was difficult to even find a room in any hotel, but the situation has now improved so much that tourists can even get a good bargain on room rates,’ Junaid, a tourist hailing from Islamabad shares his experience of the valley. He is not the only person who has travelled to Swat and witnessed this much needed change for tourists.
History of tourism in Swat
Before 2006 (the year when militants took control of the valley), an average of 0.5 million tourists had been travelling to the beautiful valley of Swat to relax and enjoy the picturesque landscape. The tourists came not only from within Pakistan, but also hailed from different parts of the world. They travelled to Malakand division in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (formerly NWFP) to spend their holidays in the valley before the region had gone into disarray due to constant encroachments by militants and unforeseen disasters. Estimates show that the tourism industry contributed around $60 million per annum to Swat’s economy before 2006, whereas it dropped to $25 million when militants took control of the valley. The economy registered another sharp decline after the conflict in 2007 and the resulting military intervention, with total revenue losses in excess of $27 million.
Volatile security and its impact
The fisheries sector in Swat was also badly affected due to militancy, as fish stock and operational assets were stolen and infrastructure was severely damaged. The floods in July 2010 added to the hurdles faced by Swat. Post-flood revenue losses to Swat’s hotel industry are estimated at $2.18 million, while the post-flood financial losses for the fisheries sector amount to approximately $0.3 million. The tourism industry provided livelihood to thousands of residents of Swat who not only worked for the hotel industry but other small and medium industries as well, such as restaurants, shopping centers, guided tours and transport. The floods ultimately led to the closure of the tourism industry because of damaged infrastructure, broken roads, desecrated hotels and restaurants coupled with a significant loss of human lives. According to statistics available with FIRMS, a USAID project working on the rehabilitation of tourism industry and small and medium enterprises in Swat, the total losses due to these multiple disasters are estimated at Rs2.29 billion out of which losses of Rs550 million were caused by the floods of 2010.
USAID rehabilitation programme
Around 25,000 international tourists had been visiting Swat and its suburbs such as Kalam, but this figure registered a sharp decline in recent years. However, now there is hope for Swat in the form of a rehabilitation program of USAID being implemented by FIRMS. Most of the hotels based in Swat were either not constructed as per building plans or had been built near the river bed which therefore left them vulnerable to disasters. The agency (FIRMS) invited applications from hotels which not only enabled them to obtain funds for reconstruction but also provided them with training programs to help improve their businesses. Inamullah Khan (Program Manager FIRMS) says that according to their census, 239 hotels have submitted applications and have been provided with support in the form of funds and training programmes for hotel management. He says that as of June 2011, the project disbursed working capital, rehabilitation grants, and procurements such as production inputs, machinery, equipment, and hotel supplies worth $2.11 million to 239 hotels and 22 trout fish farms. 8 training workshops have also been conducted.
Media campaign
Furthermore, he says that a media campaign has been launched to promote Swat as a safe and viable tourist destination. The campaign includes the use of print, television and radio media, exposure trips for journalists and travel writers, and a promotional song. A web portal (www.tourswat.com) has been launched which provides information on Swat’s scenic and historical places, weather, distances, hotels, important landmarks and all other information relevant to Swat. Mr Inamullah says that a number of organisations were individually working to revive Swat and its suburbs after the flood and conflict situation; there was a desperate need of an organised effort to improve the image and infrastructure of Swat. Therefore, STAG (Swat Tourism Advisory Group) was formed which is represented by all such organisations (including civil and military), working together to make Swat a tourist-friendly place once again. With the resumption of activities recently organised by the military and other donor organisations in Swat, there is hope that the tourism industry would stand on its own feet again in the next few years.
Visiting Swat
FIRMS is also collaborating with other stakeholders and has been busy planning and organising festivals in Swat throughout the year so that the industry can be fully revived. The web portal (www.tourswat.com) also provides information aimed at capturing the attention of stakeholders who want to organise activities, youth and cultural festivals and competitions in the valley. Ahmed Zeb, a local resident observes that the new-found peace in Swat will reinvigorate tourist activities only if it is accompanied with a positive image of Swat. Media has a significant role in accomplishing this, he said.
Vacation at affordable rates
‘The negative perception of Swat should be minimised in media’, exclaims Ehsanullah Khan, another local resident associated with Sarhad Rural Support Program. Swat is one of the best vacation destinations in Pakistan where one can enjoy picturesque views and hospitable services at an affordable price. The valley is as beautiful as any other foreign location for which tourists pay an exceptional amount of money, only much more affordable. Other regions in the world such as Nepal and Sri Lanka have also seen bloodshed and violence in the past, but they have now recovered from the turmoil and have a flourishing tourism industry. This is also possible for Swat or any other disaster-hit region of Pakistan but to accomplish this, we require a policy of zero tolerance on security so that such calamities never affect our tourist industry again.
The writer is a freelance journalist and development practitioner based in Islamabad. Email: [email protected]
