ISLAMABAD: International business publication Financial Times recently featured Pakistan in its list of 50 places worldwide to visit on holidays, citing its “dramatic mountain scenery” and an improved security situation as reasons worth visiting the area.
Gilgit-Baltistan, a sparsely populated northern region administered by Pakistan as an autonomous territory, is home to some of the tallest peaks in the world and a major tourist destination. Thousands of tourists and foreign climbers visit the region each year for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other sports activities.
The Financial Times is a UK-based international business publication that enjoys massive readership worldwide. The publication says on its LinkedIn profile that it has a record paying readership of one million, three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions. It recommended its readers to visit northern Pakistan for trekking in the mountains in the month of September in a report titled: “50 holidays to take in 2025.”
“Northern Pakistan boasts some of the world’s most dramatic mountain scenery and an improved security situation, easier access and better accommodation options mean that more visitors are discovering it,” Financial Times said in the report which was published on Saturday.
It noted that Pakistan began offering free visas online for citizens of more than 120 nations in August 2024 and that there were now “growing numbers of flights” to Skardu and Gilgit, gateways to the Hunza Valley and Baltistan in the country’s northern mountainous region.
“Wild Frontiers, which started out offering trips to Pakistan in 1998, is running a guided 14-day group tour that provides a deep immersion in the culture, history and landscapes of the region, and includes six days’ trekking,” it said.
Other places mentioned in the list include India’s Kumaon Himalayas, Italy’s Ischia Island, Bhutan and Greenland.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said the recognition was a testament to Pakistan’s commitment to promoting its diverse tourist offerings.
“As the country continues to improve infrastructure and facilitate travel, it is poised to become a leading destination for adventure and cultural tourism in 2025 and beyond,” it said.
Earlier this month, US-based broadcaster CNN curated a list of 25 destinations worth visiting in 2025, with the list featuring GB among the destinations.
While 2024 saw a surge in mountaineering expeditions in GB, nine mountaineers died last year in their attempts to summit various peaks in the South Asian country, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which arranges various expeditions. Of these climbers, five were from Japan, one from Russia, one from Brazil and two from Pakistan.
