H.

DEVELOPMENT

OF ECOTOURISM

IN PAKISTAN
-Shah Economic Analyst and Tourism Ministry Division) Alam of Khan

Culture, Pakistan

Sports

and

Tourism

(Sports

Nature-based tourism is economically important in many developing countries. In virtually all South Asian countries, the attractions of natural assets are the major force for tourism. Ecotourism is defined as tourism that involves travelling to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural aspects found in these areas. In areas of outstanding natural attractions, ecotourism is often used as the primary justification for the development of hotels/motels and other facilities, mainly because of socio-economic benefits. These benefits are particularly relevant where the land allocated for an ecotourism area has little or no value for agriculture or other industrial uses. Moreover, properly planned and managed, tourism is both non-polluting and renewable. If ecotourism is to receive a higher priority in government plans, especially in developing counties, considerable effort must be made to effectively involve local inhabitants in tourism activities. Usually, the rural populations living closest to ecotourism resorts are characterized by very low incomes, with few viable economic options. Ecotourism can represent for these people a valid economic alternative, with the additional advantage that these inhabitants, through effective education and orientation, can be converted into efficient wardens and conservationists of these natural areas, since their economic welfare and quality of life depends on the preservation of the natural qualities of their environment. There is, therefore, a great need for educating the local populations about the hazards of careless cutting down of trees and destruction of wild life, as this irresponsible behaviour, besides causing erosion of fertile land, will also adversely affect the natural scenery and ecology of the areas, which is the main attraction for tourists.

Ecotourism, also called "nature tourism", is a relatively recent phenomenon in Pakistan. Nature tourism is distinguished from mass tourism or resort tourism by having a lower impact on the environment and by requiring less infrastructure development. Ecotourism includes a wide spectrum of options, ranging from serious, scientific studies to casual visits to natural areas as weekend activities or parts of more general trips.
The annual tourist arrivals for Pakistan are still limited to less than half a million people.. Pakistan possesses several tourist attractions of immense potential. The diverse geography, deserts and lush green valleys, white-water channels and, above all, its high mountains are the main ecotourism attractions of Pakistan. Despite these attractions, the growth of ecotourism in Pakistan has grown relatively slowly. Tourism authorities ecotourism in the country: in Pakistan have classified the following attractions as the most important assets for

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (9) (h)

The natural scenic beauty; The Thar Desert of Sindh and Cholistan Desert of Punjab; The majestic mountain ranges for trekking and mountaineering; The lakes, glaciers and ski slopes; The facilities for marine sports and white-water rafting; The national parks (e.g. Khirthar National Park in Sindh, Lal-Sohanra National Park in Punjab, Hazar Gangi National Park in Baluchistan and Margalla Hills National Park in Punjab, etc.); The flora and wild life; and The caves and mines.

At present, domestic as well as international tourism is centred around the country's natural attractions in the Gilgit, Skardu, Chitral, Swat and Kaghan Valleys and the hill stations of Muree and Galiat. The three mountain ranges in the northern areas, the Himilaya, Hindu Kush and Karakurom ranges and the northern areas beckon both sophisticated and ordinary travellers equally. There are 730 peaks over 6,000 meters high; only 43 have been climbed. There are five peaks above 8,000 meters, including K-2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum-1 and II and Broad Peak. The Gilgit and Skardu valleys also have the largest glaciers outside the polar regions. These natural assets make these valleys a paradise for adventure-oriented ecotourism. Every year in the summer season, a large number of mountaineers, trekkers and nature tourists visit these valleys. The legendary Karakurom highway, which passes through the Gilgit and Hunza Valleys, also attracts a large number of foreign and domestic eco-tourists. Domestic tourism, however, is concentrated in the Muree, Swat and Kaghan Valleys.

88

Unfortunately, tourism in these areas has been allowed to develop in an unplanned manner. These areas have seen unchecked growth of small hotels. The number of rooms in these valleys have more than tripled during the last ten years. Sadly, most of these small hotels and lodges have been built on the banks of streams or on reclaimed land on slopes where trees have had to be cut down. In the absence of proper land utilization plans, sewage treatment systems and studies on tourist-carrying capacities, the growth of tourism has brought negative effects in these places, and tourism is now criticized as a major cause of environmental degradation. Most of the hotels, motels and residential colonies established near streams discharge untreated sewage directly into streams causing severe pollution, which adversely affects human and animal life. The Pakistani government is aware of the drawbacks of unplanned and unsustainable growth of tourism. At the request of the government of Pakistan, ESCAP has sponsored a number of environmentally-oriented studies ontourism, the most important being studies on the Environmental Impact of Tourism in Mountainous Areas of Pakistan and Cultural Impact of Tourism in Pakistan. These studies have recommended policy options and action plans for managing environmentally-friendly tourism in Pakistan.

At the request of the government of Pakistan, the World Trade Organization, in conjunction with UNDP, has agreed to prepare a Tourism Development Master Plan for Pakistan. It has been stressed in the objectives of the Master Plan that the improvement of ecotourism, besides achieving economic benefits, should be well integrated into the country's environment. In the development strategies, the emphasis has been laid on the promotion of ecotourism, desert tourism and winter tourism. The scope of the Master Plan will cover the following:

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Strategies for tourism development and cultural resources. Inventory

in Pakistan, including consideration

and conservation

of environmental

and evaluation of existing and potential cultural and special interest attractions.

tourist

attractions

with

particular

reference

toenvironment

Identification of ecotourism along with the transportation Establishment of appropriate

development areas and related and service networks. socio-cultural and environmental

major and secondary

tourist attractions,

impact control measures.

Another study, on the impact of the development of useful information and data to understand the present and the area. The main objective of the project is to formulate environmental impact of tourism and provide suggestions development. The eco-system

tourism on the eco-system of the Swat Valley, will provide future environmental impact of development of tourism in a comprehensive environmental plan, assess the existing to minimize the environmental impact of future tourism

study will provide a guideline for the assessment of the environmental of the area. The scope of the study will encompass the following:

impact

of tourism

on the

1. Identification (a) (b)

Assessment of actual environmental

of the Environmental
in the Swat Valley. causing environmental

Problems

conditions

Collection of information rate of pollution. Collection of information

on various elements

degradation

in the Swat Valley and the

(c) (d)

on the magnitude

of water, air, noise and visual pollution in the Swat Valley.

Collection of information on tourist establishments, local industries, residential areas, and the permanent and temporary population which cause environmental degradation, with special reference to sewage and the emission of waste water into streams, which are also the source of drinking water. Identification of the most heavily polluted areas within the Swat Valley.

(e)

2. (a) (b)

Measures and Proposals

measures to maintain

Suggestions for preventive, informative incentives, punitive enforcement and management and preserve the quality of the environment in the Swat valley on a sustainable basis. Suggestions for a time frame, sustainable basis. Identification with rough cost estimates, for the control

of environmental

pollution

on a

(c)

of possible local/foreign

sources of funding on a sustainable

basis.

RQ

3. Action (a) (b)

Plan and Management

Aspects
for control of environmentalpollution

Suggestions for short, medium and long term plans, with rough cost estimates, through continuous funding on a sustainable basis.

Indications of the nature of a suitable management mechanism and the nature of its liaison provincial and federal agencies, in both the public and private sectors, on a permanent basis. Identification of linkages between policies and institutional structures well as effective coordination among the collaborating agencies. Provision of draft legislative frameworks.

with local,

(c)
(d) (e)

in order to ensure proper implementationas

Suggestions local people.

on the role of the public and private sectors for the successful implementation of the environmentalprogrammes, at the same time ensuring sustainable promotion of tourism and improvement in quality of life for

(f) (9)

Suggestions international

for action plans for a cohesive approach in conjunction with national, governmental organizations and NGOs for the control of pollution.

provincial,

regional

and

Suggestions for monitoring systems to evaluate the effect of policies over time in order to consider the needfor adjustments of ecotourism development, promotion and marketing for the betterment of the living conditions of the local population.

Two other projects on feasibility studies for the promotion of ecotourism and environmental management are also under consideration, a study of the establishment of a tourism resort at Khanpur Dam and the preparation ofTourism Development Master Plan in Northern Pakistan. Both will address environmental problems which may arise from ecotourism. These are a few examples of the government's efforts to address ecotourism issues at the micro-economic and macro-economic level. However, more efforts are needed to find ways and means of involving local people living in and around potential tourism areas, so that they can be educated to respect environmental codes of conduct and obtain increased social and economic benefits from tourism. In addition, in-depth studies need to be taken to address following issues:

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

levels of tourism for particular areas within the context of overall tourism in the country;the management appropriate improved of the natural values of individual areas; tourism infrastructure services which is sensitive to local ecological conditions;

objective-oriented educational

and interpretive

for visitors to motivate

them to show respect for local

environments; greater appreciation by visitors of the environmental values of these areas; and mechanism and, therefore, as a tool

how tourism activity in these areas can serve as a self-financing for their conservation.

A number of parameters

may be used to measure economic benefits of the ecotourism,

including the following: of the

(a)

gate or royalty fee totals to estimate the economic value of tourism. willingness of the public to pay for recreation and adventure privileges total income from recreational and commercial the contribution of individual areas. equipment, lodgings,

These are also indicators at various sites; and food and transportation

(b)

to estimate

These economic benefits can be used as a factor to determine total ecotourism carrying of visitor arrivals an area can accommodate satisfactorily with minimum impacts on resources. a private sector activity and requires considerable investment. Despite the extensive capital and the environmental change that mass tourism brings, private sector entrepreneurs in required by the government to produce either social or environmental impact assessments of large number of tourists into areas with tourist development schemes.

capacity, i.e. the level Tourism is essentially infrastructure needed, Pakistan are seldom the results of bringing

At the national level, there is a need to enact laws to ensure active private sector participation in the sustainable development of ecotourism. At the international level, there is a need for greater cooperation to protect the environment and promote tourism which is sensitive to it. In order to achieve this objective, WTO, ESCAP, PATA, SAARC and other international and regional bodies can organize seminars, symposia and workshops to create greater awareness of the need to minimize the negative impact of tourism development and can also come forward to assist less developed countries in preparing studies which contribute to the promotion of environmentally friendly ecotourism.

90
appropriate