The travel and tourism industry has an amazing and enormous capacity to grow in Pakistan. It has enormous potential as a well-known destination for travellers from both inside and outside the country. Pakistan contains some of the highest mountains, lakes, and natural sceneries with breathtaking landscapes on the globe. The country is working towards becoming a developing and growing nation, with recent efforts made to boost economic development and improve people's lifestyles through the travel sector. Reports indicate that Pakistan is now observing the best growth rates in the world in terms of tourist arrivals. As a result, the travel industry should be seen as a crucial component of the country's economic growth plan. Travel and tourism should be considered a key element of Pakistan's economic growth strategy. Reports indicate that Pakistan is currently experiencing the world's highest growth rates in terms of tourist arrivals.
Condé Nast Traveller's list nominates Pakistan as one of the top 20 holiday destinations for the year 2020. Lonely Planet, which is one of the best travel guide platforms, declared Pakistan as the next big thing in the tourism sector. Pakistan was also nominated as one of the "10 Coolest Places to Visit in 2019" by Forbes International. Pakistan has been named the third-best travel destination worldwide for 2020 by the British Backpacker Society (BBS). The BBS stated that Pakistan was "at the top of the list of the world's best tourism capacity in the previous year and described it as "possibly one of the most beautiful countries on the earth." In this stunning country, which covers the highest mountains in the north to the valleys and deserts of Pakistan's central region and the Arabian Sea in the south, the landscape is remarkably diverse. The four regions of Pakistan are known for their breathtaking natural scenery as well as their warm hospitality and welcoming nature towards travellers from other countries.
Five places to visit in Pakistan:
Pakistan is full of sights from south to north that are enriched in natural beauty, culture, landscape, and history. But there are five places you should not miss.
Islamabad
Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is a beautiful city worth visiting for holidays and relaxation. The whole city is surrounded by greenery and has clean, peaceful roads. You'll like and love it after exploring the amazing city with a moderate population. The Pakistan Monument Shakarparian, Damnekoh, LokVirsa, and the Faisal Mosque are among a few of the most visited and important cultural heritage sites in the capital to explore. We can drive up to Monal, a beautiful restaurant and viewpoint. Instead of driving, you can also trek up the beautiful trails of Margala Hills using different points. You might capture the stunning scenery of Islamabad and the nearby areas of cities at Monal Point and take beautiful pictures for your Instagram and memories.
Islamabad offers countless varieties of food, including Chinese, Continental, Pakistani, American, English, or Italian dishes for food lovers. Many visitors can't resist falling in love with the beautiful Shakarparian, the old small Saidpur Village, and Lake View Park.
Lahore
Lahore is known as the most prominent and most visited place in Pakistan due to its unique activities, shopping areas, historical sites, busy streets, and famous foods. Lahore is the second-largest city in the country and was once the center during the Mughal period. That's why there are a lot of historical sites that still remain from that period. There is a common saying about Lahore: "You are not born if you have not visited Lahore."
Lahore Fort is a must-visit place for people who are architecture and history lovers. It was partially built in the 16th century by the Mughal emperor and is a good example of Mughal architecture. The famous Badshahi Mosque is another iconic and beautiful mosque from the Mughal period that can be visited by tourists. Some other iconic sights of unity and national pride are located nearby, such as Minare Pakistan, Shalimar Garden, and Lahore Museum. Other famous and memorable places to visit include the Anarkali Bazaar, the tomb of Emperor Jahangir, and the Wagah border.
Peshawar
Peshawar is a historical city situated in the northwest region of the country and is very famous for its hospitality and culture. The history of Peshawar dates back to almost 530 BCE, making it the oldest city in Pakistan and one of the oldest and most historical in Asia. Peshawar City is also called the City of Flowers. It is not famous for its fancy buildings or extraordinary infrastructure, but it is famous for its culture, tradition, and roots, which make its people live with pride. The weather of Peshawar varies in all four seasons of the year, with temperatures in summer reaching up to 43 degrees Celsius and dropping down to 2 degrees Celsius in winter.
Peshawar is the capital of KPK province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and is very famous for its local food. People here are meat lovers. If you are fond of lamb meat, you must try the lamb meat at the famous Namak Mandi street of Peshawar near Khyber Bazaar.
Peshawar is famous for its old bazaars, food markets, and museum. You can buy anything at a cheap price in Peshawar, which is famous for its wholesale markets.
Skardu
Skardu is the most visited place in the 2021-2022 post-COVID season due to its cold chilly weather, greenery, dry mountains with snow-covered peaks, the international airport in the middle of high mountains, beautiful lakes, lush green meadows, breathtaking views of the Indus River, cold deserts, and, most importantly, loving people.
Skardu is a very busy place for international tourists, especially trekking lovers and mountaineers. Skardu has some amazing treks through glaciers, and the base camp of the world's second-highest mountain, K2, is located in the Skardu region. Other must-visit places include the 600-year-old Kharpocho Fort, Skardu Bazaar, Deosai National Park, and Satpara Lake.
Hunza
Hunza is the most popular place in all of Pakistan, visited in almost all four seasons of the year due to its amazing diverse weather. In Hunza, you will find amazing, loving, hospitable, educated, and liberal people. Besides the Karakoram mountain ranges and Karakoram highways, Hunza has many small towns where the people's source of income is mostly tourism and agriculture.
Hunza is famous for its high mountains, some of which are over 7000 meters high, glaciers, old wooden bridges, green meadows, and snow-capped peaks. Hunza has a variety of different fruits in all seasons, especially dry fruits. You will also see varieties coming from China as well because Hunza is the first major city near the China border in the north.