PAKISTAN'S TOURISM POLICIES AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS: AN ANALYSIS

Abstract

Pakistan has been a known tourist destination for decades. The current ranking of the country is 101st out of 119 destinations all over the world as listed by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). However, in 2023, Pakistan was declared by UNWTO as the best performing touring country all over the world as one million tourists visited Pakistan in the first nine months of 2023. Pakistan tourism industry has vast growth potential due to its picturesque natural beauty, high peaks, rivers, sea, waterfalls, and cultural and historical heritages. Despite its potential, the tourist country faces a number of challenges. The public and private partnerships (PPP) have laid down certain policies and regulatory frameworks to rectify those challenges. This will help Pakistan generate more revenue through tourism. This paper highlights the gaps in the policies and their implementation, lack of resources and interest and it contributes to presenting an overall scenario, and offering recommendations for further improvements by looking into the policies and regulations being adopted by the top ten tourist countries all over the world. The authors hope that the recommendations will help unlock Pakistan tourism industry's full potential.