CHITRAL: Stakeholders working in the tourism sector gathered at a local hotel on Thursday and discussed ways to protect their interest keeping in view the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the losses and issues they have been facing for over a year.
The participants of the meeting, chaired by prominent tour operator Mr Harir Shah, included hotel owners, tour operators, travel agents, tour guides and transporters.
They discussed the impacts of the pandemic since March 2020 when a lockdown was initiated.
Due to the absence of an umbrella platform, the stakeholders could not convey their issues to the government and get them resolved. Problems and issues have been highlighted and taken up with the government departments by the stakeholders individually but they are not taken seriously.
As a result, the need to have an umbrella platform representing all the stakeholders is being felt.
The participants agreed to form Chitral Tourism Association and constituted a committee to come up with its bylaws and other recommendations next week.–Muhkam Uddin Ayuni