{"id":871769,"date":"2018-12-31T14:05:30","date_gmt":"2018-12-31T09:05:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pakistanstandard.com\/?p=871769"},"modified":"2018-12-31T14:05:30","modified_gmt":"2018-12-31T09:05:30","slug":"cool-once-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pakistanstandard.com\/cool-once-more\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Cool\u2019 Once More"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Aamir Qureshi\u2014AFP<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Could 2019 be the year tourism returns to Pakistan?<\/h6>\n

Prime Minister <\/span>Imran Khan\u2019s much-discussed agenda of attracting foreigners to Pakistan to help the country\u2019s multi-billion-rupee tourism industry achieve its full potential found support from an unlikely place earlier this month: Forbes Magazine<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a feature on \u2018The 10 Coolest Places to Go to in 2019,\u2019 travel writer Ann Abel talked to experts at several high-end travel companies and compiled a list of destinations that \u201cwill transform us\u201d or must be seen \u201cbefore they change forever.\u201d Sara Barbieri, a specialist with GeoEx suggested: \u201cExplore the valleys of Hunza, Shigar and Khaplu via the renowned Karakorum Highway.\u201d This must be music to Khan\u2019s ears, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has been pushing through several initiatives to boost tourism, including easing visa restrictions and investing in infrastructure to attract international visitors looking to explore Pakistan\u2019s verdant and bountiful north. The PTI hopes to establish four new tourist resorts each year to meet what they hope will be growing demand and are banking on the completion of the Swat Motorway to reduce travel times throughout the Malakand region.<\/p>\n

According to Barbieri, the Karakorum Highway features \u201cthe kind of startlingly scenery that compels you to gaze from the window of your 4WD without blinking.\u201d In addition to Pakistan, Forbes <\/i>also features Colombia, Eastern Bhutan, Ethiopia, Mexico, Madagascar and Mongolia as places that are the \u201ccoolest\u201d places to visit in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the confidence that Barbieri\u2019s appeal instils in Pakistan\u2019s security situation, the boost in tourism that could come from curious travelers would be a major boon for locals whose livelihoods depend on seasonal visitors. It is essential for Pakistan to project a softer image to achieve this dream. If P.M. Khan can manage to deliver on his promise, he\u2019ll have left a legacy to be proud of. <\/span><\/p>\n

From our Dec. 29, 2018 – Jan. 12, 2019 issue<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Could 2019 be the year tourism returns to Pakistan?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":871770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,23,8],"tags":[29404,29405,2574,101,8334,29407,948,1457,148,466,127,29410,29408,29406,29409,1456],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pakistanstandard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/hunza-pakistan.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":879986,"url":"https:\/\/www.pakistanstandard.com\/forbes-lists-pakistan-in-best-under-the-radar-trips-of-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":871769,"position":0},"title":"\u2018Forbes\u2019 Lists Pakistan in Best \u2018Under-the-Radar\u2019 Trips of 2020","date":"January 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"U.S.-based business magazine highlights country\u2019s northern areas as the \u2018ultimate\u2019 adventure travel destination","rel":"","context":"In 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