Invest in Pakistan's gainful tourism sector, Masood Khan urges Pakistani Americans.

NEW YORK -- Pakistan has the most beautiful and undiscovered touristic sites with huge untapped tourism potential, Ambassador Masood Khan said Saturday, urging members of the Pakistani community to help boost tourism in their motherland by investing in this potentially lucrative sector.

Masood Khan, who is Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, was speaking at a well-attended reception for the Pakistani delegates to New York's Travel and Adventure Show at the Consulate here.

Pakistan, he said, was not only home to ancient and modern civilizations, but also vast untouched coastal areas, deserts, and a rich cultural heritage -- all making the country as one of the top travel destinations in the world.

Ayesha Ali, the Pakistani consul general, welcomed the visiting delegates, saying they did a great job in setting up the impressive Pakistan Pavilion at the two-day Travel and Adventure show in which 185 countries are taking part.

The reception followed the inauguration of the Pakistan pavilion at the show, depicting the country's tourism potential, by the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Tourism and Sports, Aun Chaudhry.

Aun Chaudhry cut a green ribbon to open the pavilion to visitors, saying, "Pakistan is open for tourism."

The PM's aide also said that the pavilion showcased the culture of all provinces of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with a sharp focus on scenic Gilgit-Baltistan as well...