The Patriot

News: Pakistan to focus on sustainable environment to enhance travel and tourism competitiveness
Name of the Newspaper: The Patriot
Date of publication: Tuesday, 04 March, 2008

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan should focus on sustainable envirornnent to enhance travel and tourisim competiteveness, the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 (TICR) said.

The World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 (TTCR) in its reports has highlighted the competitive advantages and disadvantages in Pakistan's tOUlism and reinforced the impoltance of Environmental Sustainability.

The World Economic Forum was launched its annual Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report on on Monday, provides a full cross-country analysis of the drivers of competitiveness in travel and tourism, providing useful comparative information for making business decisions and additional value to govemments wishing to improve their travel and toutism environments.

Despite showing certain competitive disadvantages in the Travel and Tourism industry, Pakistan ranked well on the air (40) and grounad transport infrastructure (39).

The price competitiveness in the industry maintains a very viable position based on the low fuel price level (23), purchasing power parity (25) and the extent and effect of taxation (33). Pakistan will however like many other countlies need to focus on the sustainability of its natural environment.

The data for Pakistan has been prepared based on a combination of data from publicly avaliable sources. international Travel & Tourism institutions and expel1s as well as the results of the Executive Opiilion Survey, which was callied out last year by the Competitiveness Suppon Fund (CSF) in Pakistan.-APP