ISLAMABAD, Jul 4 (APP): As many as 10 villages will be selected across the country jointly by Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDCP) to develop them as model rural tourism destinations.
According to details, these ten selected villages would also be placed on the map of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Best Tourism Villages, said a statement issued here.
Recently, UNWTO had launched the Best Tourism Villages initiative at global level to advance the role of tourism in valuing and safeguarding rural villages along with their associated landscapes, knowledge systems, biological and cultural diversity, agriculture, forestry, livestock and traditional cuisine”.
For this purpose, awareness sessions, seminars, research projects, Agri-tourism festivals, training workshops, project development sessions and promotional activities will be jointly organized with active engagement of other key stakeholders including provincial tourism organizations, farmer associations and private sector bodies.
In this regard, PTDC and ATDCP had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the concept of Sustainable Rural Tourism in Pakistan.
Managing Director PTDC, Aftab ur Rehman Rana said “Pakistan is mainly a rural country and tourism can greatly contribute for the socio-economic development of our rural areas which are otherwise neglected in the overall development agenda of government because usually more focus of government’s schemes is on the development of urban areas”.
He further said, “Rural tourism encourages local communities to revive and preserve their traditions, crafts, traditional festivals, architecture and other unique practices.
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