Gradual re-opening with SOPs crucial to save tourism industry: Experts.

ISLAMABAD -- New investments with gradual re-opening of COVID-19 hit tourism with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place could play a crucial role in reviving the tourism industry back to its potential, experts said on Tuesday.

The experts from the tourism sector, donor agencies and government departments concerned in an online dialogue 'tourism sector recovery - building back better' organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), said tourism was one of the worst COVID-hit sectors rendering huge revenue and jobs losses across Pakistan and its gradual opening with strict SOPs could help revive it.

Hassan Daud, Chief Executive Officer of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Board of Investment (BOI), said despite the challenges, opportunities still existed as "we are receiving a lot of interest from foreign investors to invest in the tourism sites near Dir". Such investments could materialize quickly if the tourism-related infrastructure was improved, he added.

'We also need to invest in boosting capacity of human resource in tourism sector,' Daud added. "We can set up training centers for the tourism sector on public-private partnership basis. Besides,we should quickly help raise integrated tourism zones in all the provinces."

SDPI Joint Executive Director Dr Vaqar Ahmed earlier presented a detailed account of the pandemic's impact on the tourism sector. The collapse of the sector had also contributed to contraction of growth and jobs in allied industries, including food and transport industry.

As the tourism sector opened up, he said, the government facilitation was required to make information around 'safe tourism' and it should be easily accessible.

He said the government bodies such as the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation needed to collaborate closely with the World Health...