Policy Recommendations

B-9 : Inclusive Tourism Sector Strategies to Support Post-Pandemic Recovery
  • The Government of Pakistan has been launching support programmes for affected tourism-related enterprises and daily wagers. However, targeted interventions for travel and tourism industry will also be required to protect jobs and restore travellers’ confidence.
  • All governments - federal, provincial and local - should play their part for adequate, safe and green development of the tourism sector
  • It is important to develop, communicate and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for workers, businesses and travellers.
  • Design, communicate and implement direct financial support and incentives for tour operators in the tourism value chains, including SMEs and microenterprises.
  • There needs to be guidance and support industry players such as restaurants, hotels, and transporters to disinfect and upgrade facilities. Tourists should also follow travel-related COVID-19 protocols and etiquette.
  • Local government officials, entrepreneurs, firms and workers should be trained to adopt and practice improved hygiene and health safety practices.
  • Technology can be used to introduce virtual tours of museums, heritage sites etc. both as a substitute to actual visits and as alternate sources of revenue.
  • The government needs to support, plan and upgrade tourist infrastructure and facilities (roads, museums, rest areas, heritage sites), offer tourism and hospitality training, and work on an overall policy and regulatory overhaul to enable private investment mobilisation with a focus on restoring livelihoods of small businesses linked to the tourism sector.
  • It is time to digitalise the tourism landscape of Pakistan, educate, empower and integrate thousands of underutilised service providers into the mainstream tourism ecosystem.
  • There is a need to move beyond homogenous policies that seek to provide guidance at a generic level. COVID-19 is affecting communities and places differently. It is important to start by building collaborative place-based responses, especially in the tourism sector.
  • Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) play a crucial role in the post-COVID-19 recovery process. Large hotel businesses often use data and technology. In Pakistan, smaller tourism enterprises are not tech-savvy and are unable to manage complex data analytics or undertake online domestic marketing. The Ministry of Tourism can help build capacity of OTAs and SMEs in this regard.
  • Cash grants to the daily wagers associated with tourism, relief package for travel and hotel industry, and concessionary loans for SMEs are the need of the hour to protect the sector to fight against the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
  • 2021 should be dedicated to domestic tourism to ensure its survival and 2022 for formulating future plans and extensive promotion and marketing to make sure the sector rebounds.
  • The coronavirus crisis presents an opportunity to rebuild the tourism industry in a more sustainable manner and advance its decarbonization, encourage themed tourism, such as eco-tourism.
  • With the promotion of its destinations, Pakistan needs to ensure that it elevates the level of services and activities offered in each destination to create customer and investor confidence.
  • There is also an urgent need to put standards and criteria on every part of tourism activity to ensure a secure and trusted service. The standards on tour operators, travel guides, mountain climbing etc. are all activities that should be administered through a set of firm implemented standards.
  • All the infrastructure that is going to be in place should be properly scanned for climate smart engineering, green footprint, and enhanced participation of community, so there is more awareness among all stakeholders.
  • Communities should be encouraged to protect and preserve their own habitat, heritage sites and local culture.
  • Operation and maintenance of government-owned tourism facilities should be properly looked after.
  • Both tourists and host community should respect each other and the host sites’ ecology.
  • There should be guidance from local governments and tourism bodies of Pakistan about how to visit a tourist site and how many people should be taken to it.