PESHAWAR, Nov 27: The Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) is coming up with new packages to boost domestic tourism for promoting soft image of the province.

According to a press release, TCKP has launched many new packages since Tourism Secretary Ahmad Hassan and managing director of the corporation Mushtaq Ahmad Khan have taken charge of their respective offices two weeks ago.

One of the projects is tour packages for domestic tourists to promote soft image of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and highlight the province as a tourist friendly destination.

In the first phase, TCKP would announce student and family tour packages. The tours would be designed to develop public-private partnership, said TCKP general manager Mohammad Ali Syed. He added that special facilities would be provided to tour operators in the private sector.

`The packages will be a platform for all tour operators of Pakistan and will encourage domestic and international tourists,` he said.

Another initiative of TCKP is to begin sustainable hunting tourism in the province.

Sustainable hunting is use of wild game species and their habitats in a way and at a rate that doesnotlead to the long-term decline of biodiversity.

`With the hunting season for markhor and ibex starting from December 15 to March 30, ideas are underway for its positive outcome,` said the press release.

Speaking about the initiatives and tourism opportunities in the province, the tourism secretary said that newer valleys like Kumrat and Gabeen would be opened soon to tourists as facilities for them were already in the pipeline. A 21 kilometres road has been constructed from Naran to Supat valley and now TCKP will promote the valley through construction of tourist facilities and holding an event there.

`Supat valley is famous for edelweiss, which is grown in wilderness. It is a well-known mountain flower, belonging to the sunflower family. As a scarce short-lived flower found in remote mountain areas, the plant has been used as a symbol for alpinism, for rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps, and as a national symbol especially of Austria and of Switzerland,` the release said.

Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that there was a feeling that southern region of the province was neglected by the previous governments but he claimed that it was TCKP`s main focus. `Many new projects are in pipeline to encourage tourists to visit these areas,` he added.

In December a unique jeep rally would be held in Kohat district while in January ferry cruise would begin in Dera Ismail Khan.

According to the press release, Tourism Minister Mehmood Khan has also said that TCKP would sponsor and host the fourth annual Karachi-Khyber Vintage Car Rally on November 30, 2013 in Peshawar Services Club.