Eco-tourism as Taliban�s victim

In 2009, the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) ranked Pakistan 113 out of 130 countries to visit. Political instability, suicide attacks, the kidnapping of foreigners, and conflict between religious and military forces has badly affected all forms of tourism throughout the country. Especially hard hit has been ecotourism in North West Frontier Pakistan (NWFP), recently renamed Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.

Ecotourism forms a significant part of the tourism business in Pakistan. For decades, it offered a breathtaking experience, with the majestic mountains of NWFP attracting tourists from all over the world for hiking, skating, forest camping, climbing, and exploring the region's natural parks and forests. Those who have ever visited Pakistan's finest ecotourism destinations never forget the experience.

In particular, Swat, Hunza, Ayubia, Abbottabad, Murrree, Naran and Kaghan have long been renowned as ideal tourist locations, spanning both the summer and winter seasons. The snow-peaked mountains, the natural parks and the wildlife in the forests offered an exciting experience for travelers in search of adventure.

The natural beauty of these mountainous landscapes attracted millions of tourists, generating vital jobs for local people in the hospitality-related businesses. The Swat valley alone - known as the "Switzerland of the East" - became the hub for more than 800 hotels. Over 40,000 local people were employed directly in hospitality.

Over the past decade, and especially since 2007, the spread of terrorism has not only created instability in the country, killing thousands of people, but also crushed the major industries, making millions of people jobless. Suicide bombings in shops, markets, public places, business centres and institutes have become an everyday occurrence. War and conflict is not confined to a particular city: it's everywhere - and anyone can be a victim, directly or indirectly.

As a result of the conflict between military and religious forces, the NWFP - which had 70 per cent of the country's tourist sites, and where millions of people were involved in the tourism industry - is now badly crushed. Continuous war and terror has weakened both the defense and the economy of the area.

With the security situation deteriorating, and with many of the most popular locations turning into war zones, few travelers now visit Pakistan. The number of tourists was already in slow declining following the 9/11 attacks on the United States; the recent military operations and suicide attacks have been the last nail in the collapse of the tourism industry.

From the start of the major religious and military offensive in 2007, Pakistan's earning from tourism began to decline drastically. From Rs 16 billion in 2007, revenues halved in 2008, with a further major fall in 2009. The industry is now facing a $50 million annual loss as a result of the military operations.

Nationwide, the hotel business has experienced a 40 per cent fall in room occupancy. In the NWFP, the insurgency has effectively shut down the tourist industry. For the past three years, hotels have been closed, while the industry has lost Rs 600 billion. The transport industry too is going through hard times. With huge job losses in tourism and related industries, there has been large-scale migration to other cities in search of employment.

The revenue generated from tourism declined by 11.8 per cent in 2008, and a further 12 per cent in 2009. Before the war, the average family involved in the tourism business was earning Rs 40,000 monthly; that has now slumped to under Rs 5000 a month.

With more than 25,000 people killed and more than a million displaced in the past year, planned hotel projects have been put on hold. The number of mountain climbers and foreign trekkers has reached zero. Barbarism and bloodshed now run rampant in places which once offered peace and tranquility. No-one would dream of visiting these places for pleasure now.

To add to the crisis facing the crumbling tourism industry, the federal budget has been cut by 36 per cent for 2010-2011, in comparison to the previous year's allocation. The only new projects this year will be the rehabilitation and renovation of existing buildings. No significant scheme has been introduced to help revive tourism.

With the Pakistani political leadership apparently oblivious to the real potential of the industry, there seems little prospect in the coming years of tourism regaining the momentum it has lost. With whole industry standing on the brink of collapse, the future looks bleak for Pakistan most spectacularly beautiful locations.