ISLAMABAD: Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab ur Rehman Rana Wednesday said that Pakistan was a land of great Buddhist heritage and there were millions of Buddhist who could be attracted to visit the country.
In a statement, he said that it was our moral responsibility to work individually and collectively for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and sites of religious significance to maintain their identity.
He said, Taxila , Peshawar, Swabi, Mardan and Lower Swat in KP could be become a hub for Buddhist tourism with right policy and plan, adding that millions of Buddhist tourists interested in exploring the rich Gandhara heritage would be interested to visit these areas.
He said that Gandhara civilization was a main source of attraction and preferred destination for Buddhist tourists.
“We need to engage all the stakeholders to provide an ideal environment for the promotion of religious tourism, especially for Buddhist religious tourism in the country”, he added.
He said, “We need to especially involve local communities living in the vicinities of heritage sites through the sustainable heritage tourism in the protection and providing custodianship of the heritage sites”.
Aftab ur Rehman Rana said that there was also need to create a self-financing mechanism through tourism promotion to better protect and manage the heritage sites of Buddhism which have great potential for attracting religious tourism.
