2 weeks Ago By OUR STAFF REPORT
Peshawar - In a landmark initiative to promote tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the “Maizban” Homestay Project has been finalized and is set to launch on the ground by December 15th this year. Initially, the project will be launched at a cost of Rs395 million, providing interest-free loans of up to Rs3 million to local homeowners in tourist districts to offer quality accommodation facilities to tourists. This was decided in a meeting of the tourism department held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Advisor to the Chief Minister for Tourism Zahid Chan Zeb, Secretary of Tourism Bakhtiar Khan, DG KPCTA Tashfeen Haider, and representatives of other relevant departments attended the meeting. The meeting thoroughly reviewed various aspects of project implementation and made important decisions in this regard. KP CS for joint efforts to promote inter-religions harmony It was decided that local residents interested in providing accommodation to tourists would need to either build at least two new rooms or renovate existing ones according to the standards set by the department.
These rooms will offer essential facilities for tourists, including bathrooms and kitchens. Initially, the project will be launched in Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Swat districts. The loans provided to local residents will be distributed through the Bank of Khyber, with a repayment period of five years, starting from the second year after receiving the loan.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, expressing his views on the project, highlighted the vast tourism potential in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stating that “utilizing these opportunities effectively could not only enhance the province’s revenue stream but also create employment opportunities for locals.” He termed home-stay tourism an ideal project for promoting tourism and the traditional hospitality of the province. CM aide visits under-construction Child Health Care Hospital He directed the relevant officials to ensure progress on the project according to the stipulated timelines, as well as to implement plans for providing washrooms along the roads to tourist areas before the commencement of the next tourism season.
The Chief Minister also directed an increase in the number of Tourist Facilitation Centres in tourist regions, emphasizing that the current provincial government is investing substantial resources to develop tourism as an industry in the province. He stressed that all ongoing projects should be completed on time and that new projects should be launched without delay. All stakeholders must fulfil their responsibilities promptly for this purpose, he added.
Tags: govt launch maizban stay.
