Saba Javed

Coastal tourism remains underdeveloped in Pakistan, though the country has a coastline of 1,000 kilometres offering a huge opportunity to the public and private sectors to develop tourist attractions, said Abdullah Khalid, an associate research fellow at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). Talking to WealthPK, he said lack of connectivity, tourist infrastructure, and a good security environment had all led to an underdeveloped tourist industry. The domestic coastal tourism revenue is estimated to be around $300 million (0.1% of GDP), he added.

“Pakistan can generate up to $5 billion annually by developing coastal tourism infrastructure but certain challenges — including the underdeveloped coastal belt, denial of rights to the local and coastal communities, incoherent policies made in seclusion, and lack of political will and vision — get in the way,” he said. Most of the communities living along the coastline are poor. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports that 79% of the population is characterized as poor, while 54% falls in the poorest of the poor category. The local communities can benefit greatly from development of coastal tourism facilities and infrastructure.

The World Travel and Tourism Council report shows that tourism accounts for one of every five new jobs created worldwide and is one of the fastest growing sectors of the world economy. Khalid said banks could play a key role in financing development of hotels and restaurants along the coastal belt for the private sector. The government can promote the development of these tourist facilities by encouraging public-private partnerships (PPPs), he added.

“The Sindh and Balochistan governments can learn from the Kerala (India) example. The Kerala state government has deployed the PPP mode for building hotels, developing infrastructure (roads, bridges, and airports) and marketing the state as a global tourism destination. The growth in the Kerala tourism industry has created over 1.4 million new jobs for the local communities and today the tourism sector employs over 23% of the total work force in the state,’’ Abdullah said.

He said Sindh has a coastline of approximately 350 kilometres and several beaches, including Clifton, Hawks Bay and Sandspit, offering opportunities for swimming, sunbathing, and water sports. Clifton Beach has several restaurants including Kababjees, Kolachi, Sajjad and Al Habib, which are a good source of tourist attraction. Gwadar is a port city in Balochistan. It has a scenic coastline and is known for its beautiful beaches and clear waters. Developing maritime tourism in Astola will encourage marine tourism, he added.

Additionally, Ormara, Sonmiani and Pasni are small towns located in Balochistan, which are famous for their scenic beauty and stunning beaches with clear waters, white sand and lush green hills, the SDPI research fellow said. Abdullah said poor law and order situation was hindering tourism and suggested that the government should promote these destinations and develop the infrastructure to support tourism in the area.Though the Ministry of Maritime Affairs has taken steps in recent years to promote coastal tourism and attract visitors to the country's beautiful beaches, the efforts remain half-hearted, he said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk