Domestic tourism surges during Eid holidays in NW Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 1 million people visited tourist destinations in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during the four-day Eid al-Adha holidays, the provincial government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Swat district experienced a significant influx, welcoming around 300,000 tourists, the statement said.

Other popular destinations such as Mansehra, Chitral, Abbottabad, Dir districts, and the Galiyat region collectively received approximately 700,000 visitors. Tourists expressed satisfaction with the security situation and the facilities provided by the government, it added.

Speaking to Xinhua, Adnan Malik, a local tour operator, said that the extreme heat in other parts of the country prompted many to opt for cooler, mountainous areas of the province for their holidays.

He noted that improved infrastructure, particularly the Havelian-Thakot road built under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has made travel to the region safer and more convenient.

"The growing trend of local residents offering rooms in their homes, due to high hotel rates and limited availability, is providing tourists with affordable alternatives and contributing to the overall rise in domestic tourism," Malik added.

According to the Pakistan Tourism Development Committee, the country's travel and tourism industry is expanding rapidly and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 6.75 percent from 2025 to 2029. ■