Tourism in shambles in Gilgit-Baltistan

Feb 09, 2023

Gilgit Baltistan, Feb 09 (ANI): Blessed with abundance of natural beauty, Gilgit Baltistan is one of the most captivating places to visit on earth. If the tourism potential of the region is tapped, then it can alone meet all the economic needs of the local population. The tourism industry is facing a downturn in a place like Gilgit-Baltistan due to Pakistan’s discriminatory policies. The region lacks infrastructure to make the tourists comfortable. Poor road connectivity, lack of accommodation and communication facilities are troubling the domestic and foreign tourists who are flocking to the illegally occupied Gilgit Baltistan region in the peak season. But to its dismay, neither the government nor the authorities are interested in the region’s infrastructural development. It’s quite ironic that even after being the hub of hydropower generation, the region suffers long and persistent power outages. Authorities that work under the command of Islamabad have been able to do nothing so far to get the region out of this situation. If developed properly, Gilgit Baltistan would have been figuring high on tourist itineraries today. Unfortunately, poor roads, unavailability of the internet and lack of electricity have only turned Gilgit Baltistan into a neglected, backward, and poor region of South Asia.