PESHAWAR: The World Bank and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department signed an agreement on Tuesday to develop new tourist attractions and revitalize cultural heritage sites in the province.
“Under the memorandum of understanding, the World Bank will provide $70 million for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism and Enterprise Development Project [KITE],” KP Tourism Corporation spokesman Nisar Muhammad told Arab News.
A number of projects, he said, will be completed under the program to boost the province’s tourism sector by revitalizing existing tourist sites, promoting eco-tourism, environmentally friendly programs, and rehabilitating road access.
“The MoU will help develop new tourism sites and the entire tourism infrastructure. It will help rehabilitate roads and prove beneficial in environmental protection and preservation of heritage sites,” Muhammad said.
The cultural heritage sites include places of worship, as the province also aims to revive religious tourism.
Environmental and regulatory initiatives under the World Bank-funded program are also expected to draw the private sector to tourism and facilitate planning for infrastructure development, electricity supply, and waste management.
Integrated tourism zones will be developed in Chitral, Swat and Hazara regions to offer international-standard amenities.
“Under the MoU, in the first preference integrated tourism zones will be established in Chitral, Swat and Hazara regions and then more will be built in the province,” Muhammad said, adding that integrated tourism zones are ones that have not only hotels but also car workshops to assist those who travel by road.
The World Bank funding, according to Muhammad, is also going to help create new jobs and will have a multiplier effect on the economy.
“All these efforts, including injecting fresh investment in the tourism sector, will have a far-reaching impact in terms of revenue generation. The provincial, as well as the federal government, are striving to promote tourism to enhance revenue and create job opportunities. These all steps will ultimately strengthen our country’s economy,” he said.