ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran khan on Monday emphasized on need to incentivize and facilitate the tourism industry while removing all the bottlenecks and hurdles impeding the promotion of tourism in the country.

Presiding over a meeting of National Task Force on Tourism, PM Imran directed to ensure environmental protection and cultural preservation while undertaking tourism related projects in tourist areas of the country.

According to a statement released from the ministry, he stressed to bring tourism to the center stage of development process by ensuring that development proposals of other sectors are seamlessly fed into the development of tourism potential of provinces.

The prime minister directed to develop framework for public private partnership specially to attract foreign and local investment in large scale tourism related projects in the country. He emphasized that relevant tourism departments should develop their tourism policies and plans in accordance to the international best practices of sustainable tourism to ensure the sustainability of environment, local economy and cultural norms, reads the statement.

PM Imran while agreeing to the recommendations of National Task Force on Tourism, directed for devising a comprehensive plan of action in consultation with relevant public and private sector organizations of all provinces and regions for implementing a well synergized and well-coordinated mechanism for promotion of tourism in the country.

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Whereas secretary to the prime minister Azam Khan briefed the meeting regarding recommendations of the earlier constituted National Task Force on Tourism.

In order to ameliorate tourism sector of Pakistan after 18th amendment and to develop synergies amongst provinces and regions, it was proposed to formulate National Tourism Coordination Board with inclusion of relevant public and private stake holders from all provinces including GB and AJK so as to integrate efforts, coordinate with national and international organizations and to facilitate provinces in developing regulatory framework in tourism sector.

The participants were apprised of the major issues and challenges being faced by tourism sector and their possible solutions with dedicated time bound roles of various public sector organizations at federal, provincial and local government level. Specialized, religious, adventure and sports, eco-tourism and others thematic types of tourism were discussed in detail with their areas and potential target market.

Moreover, in order to complement 100 days agenda of the government, new destinations were highlighted, based on their potential and proposed activities, to be developed in all provinces and regions of Pakistan.

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