Tourism has become a very lucrative and profitable business now-a-days. In ancient time people would travel from one country to another mainly in search of knowledge and to carry one trade. Recently many countries of the world are taking very keen interest in the development of this industry. Many countries of the world are earning huge foreign exchange by this tourist industry. The earning made by this industry can be utilized for development purposes. Switzerland and Italy achieved tremendous economic progress by the help of tourist trade.
Today the world has become smaller. Communication system has developed. People in large number are taking advantages of these facilities and are visiting different parts of the world. So, beautiful places of the world are attracting tourists now-a-days. Hundreds of men and women are visiting important places of the world and hotel business has become a very profitable business there.
The two distinct features of development of tourism in any country are including tourists to visit the country and preparing the country to receive them. Both are important and complimentary but the latter activity, particularly in the matter of putting up suitaground has been ble hotels, has to precede that related to the promotional efforts abroad. Within the scope of the five year plan, the department of tourism has been endeavouring to discharge both these functions is in a planned, synchronized and harmonious manner, and despite certain limitations of financial and organizational nature, it is possible now to report considerable progress.
The important tourism as a valuable foreign exchange earning industry as also a medium for the projection of country’s image abroad was realized at rather a late stage. It was after the advent of that the true value of tourism for an economically developing but socio-culturally mature nation like Pakistan was appreciated and earnest efforts were made to develop it on a planned basis. The subject of tourism was centralized and the department re-organized to cope with its enlarged and increasing respective areas. The plan envisaged the opening of a few tourist offices in important cities of the tourist providing foreign countries, but due to technical difficulties, action on this scheme has had to be deferred for the present.
The general policy of the government in the field of tourism is to allow planned development of the tourism plan mainly through private enterprise. Private investment in hotels, transportation, entertainment and sports is readily available at tourist centers which are fully developed and have a regular flow of local and foreign tourist traffic. However, where private investment is shy due to such factors as lack of sufficient clientele, difficult train and severe weather condition, the public sector provides the lead. The aim is to provide facility of accommodation, transport, sport and recreation as well as land and water through the public sector in such tourist areas with a view, ultimately, to attracting private investment after the ground has been broken and the prospects are sufficiently lucrative.
There is immense possibilities of the development of tourist industry in Pakistan. The country has many beautiful places. The people from advanced countries also come here to study the market for the manufactured goods. So, if government takes keen interest for the foreigners the tourist industry must flourish, and consequently the place of development work will be accelerated. Moreover, a tremendous amount of goodwill for Pakistan and its people is likely to be generated abroad through an ever increasing number of tourists visiting the country and acquire a better understanding of its socio-cultural structures. The impact of the promotional activity undertaking by the government can be judged from the number of tourists visiting Pakistan has gone up. In fact, the tourist industry provide better restaurants and large and varied media of entertainment.
