–Hotel industry added to the list of those seeking comprehensive economic package –Local tourist industry laments stolen WB fund
ISLAMABAD: For the last two decades, tourism in Swat has been plagued by natural disasters such as earthquakes, terrorism, military operations, and floods, while now the valley has been hit by a global pandemic that has totally shattered the tourism industry, prompting the local tourism industry to seek help from the government.
Asia’s Switzerland, Swat valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is home to one of the oldest civilisations – the Gandhara and the Indus – which could attract millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year. This year, it has lost billions of rupees in the form of loss from hotels, restaurants, transport, various shops and sales of local handicrafts.
People associated with tourism industry across the district demanded a comprehensive economic package for the hotel industry in the style of a package announced for other industries by the federal and provincial governments to revive coronavirus-affected tourism in Swat district.
Haji Zahid Khan, president of the Hotel Association, told Pakistan Today that there are more than 800 hotels in the district had around 30,000 employees.
“In Swat district alone, people associated with tourism face huge losses as they have taken hotels on lease. No tourists have turned to the valley unlike the past when thousands of families would visit Swat and spend the month of Ramzan in the scenic valley,” he added.
Zahid Khan also lamented the stolen 70 million dollars that the World Bank had announced through Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to revive terrorism affected tourism in Swat district “As a result, the affected hotel owners of Swat are still visiting SMEDA for help while due to the lack of clear policy, the government has not yet contacted us to listen to our grievances.” he added.
Meanwhile, the present government has entered into agreements with various international organisations to promote tourism in KP, including improving the communication system and tourist facilities in tourist friendly areas and new destinations, including a Rs30 crore plan for the creation of a new tourist police force.
People associated with the industry said that the federal government has completely ignored the entire province in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Malakand Division has 5,000-year-old relics of Buddhist Gandhara civilisation that should be exploited for the attraction of foreign tourists, especially from Buddhists countries.
“The valley should be connected with the CPEC route that will help build the roads communication and the development of other tourism infrastructure,” they said.
Hotel owner Sher Bahadur told Pakistan Today that on the one hand, the influx of tourists has stopped due to the coronavirus, on the other hand, the attitude of the government and the administration is very disappointing. In such circumstances, he said, no one will invest here and tourism will never flourish again.
He alleged that the Swat Deputy Commissioner (DC) is levying his own taxes, the tourism department has their own taxes while federal and provincial departments also have a variety of other taxes which they cannot pay in the current circumstances. “Everything is taxed. We have to pay bed tax, sales tax, labour tax, social security tax, tourism tax and several other taxes,” he said.
“It is unfair. Hotels and restaurants were given tourism industry status 16 years ago but they are still being charged electricity and gas bills at commercial rates,” he said.
He demanded the government to abolish the remaining taxes and only collect income and sales taxes through one window operation.
