More than 65 billion rupees of business activities were generated by the tourists in the northern areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone from May to July 2021.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stated that tourism may help to rebuild the world economy following the coronavirus. Pakistan is no exception, with measures being taken and initiatives that have been stalled getting restarted.

That being said, the availability of the internet in tourism sites especially those located in the northern areas is still an issue. Tourists now being dependent on the internet, deem this service as a commodity while traveling.

At Digital Youth Summit, while conducting the panel for Digital Tourism, Tech Valley Pakistan CEO Umar Farooq presented a “Three-Point” recommendation to the government in order to promote the tourism industry of #KhyberPakhtunkhwa.

1. Provide free internet access in different tourism sites as tourists need the facility to easily navigate through these regions and access tourism-related services via mobile phone easily. This will also help digital tourism businesses and platforms by having a medium to reach these tourists with their offerings.

2. Tourism startup accelerator programs should be initiated in northern areas to help revamp the tourism startups & businesses and upgrade their services as per the international tourism standards.

3. To encourage the establishment of tourism businesses, the government should provide incentives as well as diverse options for investments to startups so that they can upscale and expand their businesses while adding value to it.

Although COVID-19 slowed down the tourism business, it is high time to revive the industry by addressing the shortcomings with the help of both the private and public sectors.