FAISALABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Tourism Azam Jamil said on Sunday that tourism would be given the status of an industry, which would be managed by the private sector and the government would play the role of a facilitator and regulator.

Addressing a dinner reception given by the Pakistan Economic Conference (PEC) in collaboration with the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), he said the government has finally decided to devolve the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) to provinces. He said all PTDC hotels, motels and other assets would be transferred to provinces under the condition that they would hand over the same to the private sector within a period of two months.

He said the government was not meant to run businesses but play the role of facilitator. He said 33 to 35 motels were lying closed for the last 10 years, as the job had been entrusted to irrelevant persons. He said the PTDC would be restructured. A national-level e-portal on tourism was ready, which would be launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan soon.

He said that a one-stop website had been developed which would have allrelated information about tourism sites and their managements. The government has identified the potential tourist attractions in which local and national investors could provide required facilities, he added.

He said a concept of village tourism had been introduced, which would also play a major role in promoting the country`s cultural diversity. It was a World Bank-funded project, which would attract foreign tourists to visit scenic valleys of northern areas.

Similarly, a ski resort would also be developed in Chitral, which would be a unique attraction for domestic and foreign tourists, he added.

Stressing the importance of a road communication system, he said that it was very strange that a 300km stretch of Silk Road had no bathroom, which was basic and fundamental requirement of any tourist. The government is working for standardising hotels in addition to other allied services, he added.

He said qualified professionals were required to manage the hospitality industry and in this connection, schools were being established in different parts of the country.

Mr Jamil also gave a comprehensive presentation about the potential of tourism in Pakistan with stepsbeing taken by the government to engage the private sector.

Provincial Minister for Culture and Industries Khayal Ahmad Kastro also spoke on the occasion and said that for the first time in the history of the province, the Punjab Culture Day was observed on March 14.

He said being the minister for colonies, he retrieved 200,000 acres of state land, encroached upon by landgrabbers. The value of the land was around Rs450 billion, he added.

He paid tribute to PM Khan for organising a foreign ministers` conference of Islamic countries and said that his strategy played a pivotal role in the revival of the industrial sector in Pakistan.

Deput y Commissioner of Faisalabad Ali Shehzad also spoke on the occasion, while former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Mian Mohammad Idrees and FCCI President Atif Munir Sheikh along with PEC organiser Azhar Chaudhry presented FCCI shields to Mr Jamil.

Wearing their cultural dresses, members of the business community along with their families from across the country participated in the dinner.

A traditional chador was presented to FCCI President Sheikh.-APP