F.P. Report
BEIJING: Pakistan’s participation in the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM) Expo will help strengthen the tourism exchange between the two countries and enhance the inflow of Chinese tourists into historic, cultural, and scenic places across Pakistan.
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), along with eight leading private tour operator companies, showcased the country’s rich tourism potential at the three-day exhibition held in Beijing from November 15–17.
Regarded as the industry’s most important platform and the only business-to-business event, COTTM focuses purely on the burgeoning outbound market.
In a statement, State Minister for Tourism and SAPM on Youth Affairs Wasi Shah said that Pakistan’s participation in this leading tourism market will help strengthen the tourism exchange between the two countries and help in developing business-to-business linkages between the tour operators of both sides.
The friendship of Pakistan with China is stronger than mountains, deeper than oceans, and sweeter than honey, whereas Pakistan welcomes its Chinese friends to invest with open arms in the country.
While commending the efforts of exhibitors and tourism companies for promoting Pakistan’s tourism potential, Pakistan Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, who inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at COTTM, noted that Pakistan was bestowed with rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and unique culinary.
He encouraged Chinese tourists, academics, and entrepreneurs to visit Pakistan and explore the country.
The ambassador said that the tourism exchanges between China and Pakistan held immense significance for strengthening the bilateral relationship.
Ambassador Hashmi hoped that COTTM would serve as an excellent platform for networking between the tourism companies of China and Pakistan, which would contribute toward further enhancing the people-to-people exchange between the two countries.
Managing Director (MD) of PTDC Aftab Rana said, “The expo will be greatly helpful to build B2B linkages between the tour operators of both countries, and as a result, tourist traffic between the two countries will further increase.”
“China is a very important market for Pakistan to attract inbound tourists, and PTDC has been working with our Pakistan Embassy in Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad to create business-to-business linkages in the tourism sector.”
“During the past year, we have arranged a number of online meetings and webinars with them, and the good news is that now China has decided to open inbound group tourism to Pakistan from China,” he added.
PTDC Focal Person, Omar, told APP, “We want to explore the world’s largest tourist market and attract more Chinese tourists to visit beautiful sites in our country.”
He said, “Efforts are being made to expedite visas and relevant facilities for Chinese tourists.”
Chairman, Hunza Travel Service, Hussain Ali Ghulam said, “A large number of Chinese nationals visit Pakistan for business or work purposes every year.”
He stressed the need to attract Chinese tourists, as cities like Peshawar and Lahore had lots of attractions for them.
He also underlined the role of the media, which could play an important role in highlighting Pakistan’s tourism potential, especially among Chinese tourists. (APP)
