In search of new destinations

Majority of tourists now opt for Skardu and Gilgit instead of Swat.
Reasons: militant groups, military operation, uncertainty and insecurity
By Aoun Sahi

Summer was usually the peak season for tourists from Pakistan as well as outside the country to visit the hilly areas of NWFP. Swat valley and its adjoining areas -- Madyan, Bahrain, Kalam, Saidu Sharif, Malamjabba -- were among the favourite destinations. Recent violence triggered by the activities of various local militant groups to take control of the area and the military action by Pakistani Army has turned this 'heaven on the earth' into a 'battlefield' where no tourist wants to tread.

"It was in August 2007 when we received our last guest," Abdul Ma'bood, owner of Hotel Riverina, Swat tells TNS. According to him there are more than a thousand hotels in Swat and its adjoining areas. "Even then it was a difficult task for tourists to find a room in this season." All the hotels now wear a deserted look due to the persistent unrest and militancy. "Most of the hotel owners are almost nearing bankruptcy. Until last year, the income of an average hotel in this area was around Rs4 million per year while earnings of famous hotels reached over Rs40 million.

According to Ma'bood Swat used to be the ideal honeymoon spot. This year, when he contacted tour operators in Karachi, Lahore and other cities, he was told that tourists were least interested in visiting Swat. "According to them majority of tourists now opt for Skardu and Gilgit due to activities of different militant groups and military operation."

Despite the fact that visiting Skardu and Gilgit is more expensive, people still opt for them because at present these are among the safest tourist destinations in Pakistan. "They are amazing places to visit" says Aamir Bilal, 45, a resident of Islamabad who works with a government department. This is his first trip to Skardu to take a break from the city's hectic routine. "Earlier Swat or Kaghan were our favourite destination in the summers. If the situation gets better in NWFP, we may opt for Swat again." According to him Skardu is a better option by all means "being home of mighty Indus, snow-capped towering mountains, biggest glaciers anywhere outside the polar region, while the people of Skardu are very friendly. We spent a real good time in Skardu."

The hoteliers in Skardu and Gilgit confirm that influx of local tourists this summer is greater than past years. "The number of tourists has almost doubled as compared to previous years. Majority of them are from Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, and Islamabad but many are even coming from smaller cities like Sialkot, Gujranwala etc," says Sajid Niaz, the manager of PTDC K2 motel Skardu who also manages other three PTDC motels in Skardu. He adds that all PTDC motels in Gilgit and Skardu have been booked since the last one-and-a-half-month "We are trying to provide tourists the best facilities and hopefully majority of them will come to Skardu next year too."

According to him although tourism is thriving this year, many of their potential customers from different cities could not make it because of the long and difficult journey -- at least 22 hours from Islamabad by road. "Air travel is also not a good idea since the flight schedule is always changing because of unreliable weather. If this issue is resolved and Skardu airport is provided with the latest technology to ensure safe landing even in extreme weathers, the number of tourists to the area can be doubled in one year." Sajid suggest more flights from May to August.

Like Aamir a large number of tourists this year opted for Gilgit or Skardu to take refuge from the scorching heat. Amjad Hussain, a 38 year old resident of walled city, also visited Gilgit and Hunza this year with his friends. They have been regular visitors to Swat and adjoining areas for the past ten years but this year they gave up the plan in view of the recent militant activities in NWFP especially in Swat. "Being a tourist it, it has worked for us as we got the opportunity to visit Gilgit and Hunza which we may not have gone to otherwise." He tells TNS that they were planning to go to Gilgit, Hunza next year too. "We have spent a week in Gilgit and Hunza but we think it is not enough to explore such a fabulous area.

Arif Aslam Khan, owner of Shangrila resort Skardu, tells TNS that despite the increasing number of local tourists this year, the number of foreign travellers has fallen. This, according to him, is because of the image painted by the international media about Osama bin Laden's likely presence in the area. "One can only laugh after reading the said news as no human, Osama or anyone else, can survive the extreme weather of K2 and other mountains all year round. But such news has its impact internationally and government officials should do something to protect the tourism industry in Pakistan," he concludes.