Mirpur: “By developing and branding destinations; preserving historical, cultural and natural heritage; and establishing heritage museums, Azad Jammu & Kashmir is poised to attract millions of tourists”, a study released by Center For Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR), a Kashmiri think tank/NGO said.
Executive Director CPDR Ershad Mahmood told media that the CPRD recently published the study titled, “Building Sustainable Tourism in Azad Jammu & Kashmir” authored by Dr. Shaheen Akhtar.
The research gives reader an in-depth view of multi-faceted yet largely under-developed Tourism industry in AJ&K . Tracing brief historical background of tourism in the region, the study demonstrates its immense potential to become one of the leading industries, capable of uplifting the local people, ensuring economic growth and financial stability of the region.
The Azad Jammu & Kashmir region has ten administrative districts. The northern region comprises Neelum, Muzaffarabad, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Poonch and Sudhnoti districts while Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber districts fall in the southern region.
Each region has its unique geography, climatic conditions, history, religious and archeological sites along with intangible heritage that is very attractive for the domestic, regional and foreign tourists.
AJ&K has a rich cultural heritage, tangible as well as intangible, evident in a number of archeological and cultural sites spread all over the region which attract domestic and foreign tourists.
The AJK region has an array of tourism destinations. Tourism as a major economic activity in the AJ&K region can be described as a post-independence phenomenon. Tourism is one of the most promising sectors for the rapid economic development of Azad Jammu & Kashmir along with Water Resources, Hydro Power development, Mines & minerals, Poultry & Livestock, SMEs and Information Technology. Blessed with abundant pristine beauty, spread over the entire AJ&K, the snowy mountains of the North from Muzaffarabad to Poonch and plain valleys of Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber surrounded all over by the hilly terrain with large water reservoir at Mangla offer variety of site seeing views. The rich land of AJ&K also offers great sports, hiking and paragliding opportunities to the incoming domestic & overseas visitors. To celebrate the day of world tourism “Nanga Pir Tourism Festival is going to be held at district Bagh Azad Kashmir from 23rd September to 27 September 2022. Different and very interesting events are organized accordingly to promote tourism industry. Nanga Pir is a hilltop area situated in Tehsil and District Bagh of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Its approximate elevation is about 8576 ft, above sea levels a beautiful, untouched Meadows and forest reserve in Bagh of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Base Camp of Nanga Pir is Bees Bagla, which is a town of Bagh District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, and it is in the middle of Pas Jhola. Pas Jhola has Meany small villages like banj, rati dhari, sanay bud, it is 25 km away from Bagh at North West and 8,000 feet above sea level. It is the central place of four sub villages, including Bhutti Sharif, Pass Jhola, Channat and Sokar.
The festival’s main purpose is to foster awareness among the domestic and international community of the importance of Naga Pir tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.
The festival will increase the importance of the place and would attract various tourists. The growing tourism in the region would open up significant employment and investment opportunities in this nascent sector which has gradually become one of the most important sources of earning for the indigenous people. Web Desk
