Gilgit Baltistan is famous for its eye-catching dioramas of a lake, robust snow clade mountains, breathtaking glaciers, pristine waterfalls, and glimpses of unabated deserts makes it a perfect attraction spot for both domestic and international tourists. The region offers a wide range of adventurous activities for tourists like mountaineering (the mighty K-2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum, etc.), desert safari (Sarfaranga desert), trophy-hunting, trekking, water rafting, and swimming competitions, etc. Moreover, once tourists visit GB their perception of Pakistan undergoes a complete change.
The strategic location of GB is important because it lies between the three most powerful countries (India, China, and
Pakistan). Therefore, it can enjoy the maximum flux of tourists, especially from
China. One of the studies conducted in 2017, shows that around 143 million
people have traveled throughout the world from China. In addition, a study
published by C. Texror, says that the contribution of Chinese travelers in
global tourism ranked 1st in the world. In 2019 alone, Chinese visitors spent
about $254.6 billion on global tourism, as compared to $277 billion in 2018. Therefore,
it can enable GB to generate $2.5bn, if GB diverts only 1% of Chinese
tourists.
In
Gilgit-Baltistan, everyone gets benefits from this sector, either directly or
indirectly, and it is crucial in terms of job creation. Amid the summer season,
almost everyone can sell their products like apricots, cherry, mulberry,
walnut, and apple, etc. at profitable a rate. Albeit, during summers, people get jobs such as tourist guides, drivers,
entrepreneurs, or interpreters, and generates
income, to meet their winter household expenses. In addition, as the flux of
tourists is surpassing over time, the government is also showing their interest
in this field by spending money to upgrade infrastructure and hoteling.
Moreover, people have started to invest a huge amount in hoteling and purchasing new
vehicles that will create enormous job opportunities for the people of GB, in the future.
Besides, it is also
an opportunity for them, to export their local products (apricot oils, Melbury jam, cherry, grapes,
etc.) into the international market. However, the tourists will facilitate other
countries that they may know more about the magical fruits, distinct types of herb
and shrubs of the region. This may enable the world to enjoy these cheaper and
unique products, and use them for different medical purposes. Furthermore, God
has bestowed this region with unique gifts, one of them is Markhor. Many foreign tourists come to this region,
especially for hunting of markhor. According to an official, in 2018, a Spanish
named John March paid a fee of $83000 to the authorities, to get a permit for
Markhor hunting. Moreover, its clement weather condition is another source,
which is why many people from different areas like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad,
and Rawalpindi, etc. visit GB to enjoy its lucid mild weather.
In GB, there are potent investment
opportunities for investors. The main factor that can attract investors
are, it is a safe area as well as a free tax zone, proximity with China and
central Asia for the exports of tourism-related
products. In
addition, with the improvement of infrastructure, more foreign and local
tourists are commuting towards GB, which may help to entwine GB with the world,
both socially and economically.
But the grave problem related to
tourism is, it is seasonal. Therefore, amid winter the unemployment rate increases. Although,
in winter, GB has more potential to divert tourists' attention towards them
through DeosaI Ski traversing, snow marathon, ice hockey on the frozen lake,
but it is underutilized. This time the Minister of Tourism seems to work hard
to curtail the seasonality in tourism. He tweeted that "to fight the
abiding seasonality in tourism, the potential of winter tourism will be used,
for example, 500 km khunjerab snow Marathon, Deosai Ski traversing and Naltar
snow skiing and avalanche rescue. He is optimistic to attract more tourists in
winter to dismantle the seasonality in tourism.
With the
increasing tourist flux in GB, investors from outside are investing huge
amounts in hotels like Byrsa, Sarina, etc. Although, it is good because they
are providing accommodation amenities to the huge flux of tourists,, these
private investors are profit makers, so they do not think about nature
destruction. Besides, they have more marginal social costs as compared to
marginal social benefits . Because, they are constructing restaurants near lakes,
and its sewerage system is directly opened
into the lake. Also, they are building hostels by cutting down trees, which is
affecting the whole society precariously. Also, society is bearing the cost
directly, not by the profit makers. It is an eloquently grave problem
therefore, to enhance marginal social benefits, meager tax should be imposed on
these profit makers.
A study
conducted by a local community perspective, says that the impact of tourists
will be in the form of excessive deforestation, loss of biodiversity, generation of solid
waste, air, and water pollution. Furthermore, inadequate production or supply
is another major issue. Whenever the tourist's flux is at their maximum peak,
then due to excess demand of goods like trout fish, meat, oil, petrol, these
products supply become plummet because of low production or low storage.
Likewise, In GB, there is no such mechanism to cater sufficient supply of goods
that could balance the excess demand. Therefore, it may affect the tourist's
utility i.e. they cannot maximize their satisfaction due to a limited supply of
commodities.
With the
passage of time, different people from different countries, having different
ideologies are commuting to GB, therefore can they protect their culture or
not? What steps they are devising to protect their culture? Furthermore, town
planning is one of the time needed strategies, the lack of town planning means,
no planning for the construction of houses, hotels, no planning for their
sewerage system. Moreover, due to the expansion of cities like Skardu and
Gilgit, their cultivated land has been depleting since 2016. Despite, having
ample water around Skardu, their people are facing water and electricity
shortage. Besides, it will adversely affect our agriculture production. Now,
people instead of cultivating wheat, maize themselves from their land, prefer to demand these commodities from Punjab, KP, etc. This creates extra
demand for these goods, which pressurize the federal government to import thus,
leading to the current account deficit.
Our government needs
to maneuver different strategies to make GB an attractive spot for tourists and
they need to focus on the strategy of countries like China and Abu Dhabi. Like,
Abu Dhabi is an example that devised a policy to magnetize Chinese tourists
by roadshows and promotional exhibitions in China and organizes their cultural festivals.
Moreover, our relation with India should be good and allow them to start a flight
between Ladakh to Skardu and from Kashgar, China, and Kathmandu to Skardu.
Furthermore, roads between Kargil-Skardu and Khaplu-Ladakh should be opened to
attract more tourists from India through bus service. Besides, it would reunite
those families who are living on both sides of LOC for the last 63 years.
With the passage of time tourists' priorities and preferences are changing therefore, the government should follow the system of conducting regular surveys on tourists' satisfaction levels and motives. Furthermore, there should be a meager tax on those investors, who are investing from outside GB, to equate marginal social benefit to marginal social cost. Also, a special task force should be constituted under the ministry of tourism, which will act as a coordinating agent between entrepreneurs, and various government departments. And this task force will also help to resolve the issues related to water supply and sewerage system.