PCJCCI Proposes to promote “Rural Tourism”

Lahore, October 31, 2019 (PPI-OT): Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) President Mr.Zarak Khan has proposed to promote the Chinese model of “Rural Tourism” in Pakistan. The proposal was floated at a meeting of PCJCCI Think Tank today at Chamber premises. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Moazzam Ghurki, Senior Vice President, Mr. Salahuddin Hanif, Secretary General and a number of the Executive Committee Members of PCJCCI. Mr. Zarak Khan said that Pakistan was known as a tourist paradise and was a special interest destination for world tourists.

Pakistan’s main attractions include adventure tourism in the Northern Areas, cultural and archaeological tourism but there is a need to highlight our “Rural Tourism”, which will definitely prove to be a high score for our economy, he said adding that villages of northern areas of Pakistan are rich in culture and tourism resources, which can be upgraded by developing better accommodation, food, shopping markets and infrastructure facilities.

The Think Tank observed that the income gap between farmers and urban workers had become a major problem in the country and the situation is going to be worse over the next few years with implementation of Uruguay Round’s decisions, which will open the cheap agricultural products to Pakistan from abroad. In order to maintain the standard of living in the rural areas of Pakistan, the government should develop a long-term strategy to promote rural tourism, the Think Tank proposed.

Speaking on this subject, Mr. Moazam Ghurki, Senior Vice President PCJCCI said that Pakistan had a lot of attractions for the world tourists in the field of rural tourism, as the villages in the country are rich in traditions of arts, crafts and culture. The people of developed world have a craze for knowledge about traditional ways of life, arts and crafts and they can easily be attracted to visit rural Pakistan, he said and hoped that the development of rural tourism in Pakistan would also open up employment opportunities to the rural workers at their door-steps.

Mr. Salahuddin Hanif, Secretary General PCJCCI gave the examples of rural tourism to be practiced in various agricultural countries of the world. In Finland, it usually denotes rented cottages and catering services in the country, in Hungary it is about low-priced accommodation in villages and in Slovenia it implies tourism on family farms, with guests living with the farmer’s family or in a guesthouse and visiting the farm for meals and tours, he said and expressed confidence that rural tourism in Pakistan will also prove to be extremely successful. We should provide a chance to the citizens of urban areas as well as foreigners from other countries to learn about our rural culture and heritage which will definitely benefit the national economy, he said.

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI)
Mega Tower, 309 – 6th Floor,
Main Boulevard, Gulberg II,
Lahore, Punjab – Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35777460-02, +92-42-37032203, +92-42-35874353
Fax: +92-42-35777524
Cell: +92-324-4925611
Email: info@pcjcci.org
Website: www.pcjcci.org