Who is Pakistan’s tourism industry’s biggest enemy in 2020?

Over the last few decades, Pakistan’s economy has been facing the harsh consequences of terrorism. Pakistan’s tourism industry has been one of the many victims of the instability and unrest that has spread like wildfire across the country. However, fortunately Pakistan was able to fight against the odds and improve its image globally, helping the tourism industry rebound.

In December of 2019, Condè Nast, one of the world’s best travel portals, listed Pakistan as one of top tourist destinations for 2020. Furthermore, in October 2019 the visit of the royal couple, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton and the maiden visit of the Buddhist Monk, the Most Venerable Arayawangso to Pakistan received positive international media coverage. The government also eased its visa application and the NOC requirement, allowing more tourists to easily enter into the country.

Unfortunately, this positive rise in the tourism industry that was seen after many years in Pakistan was brought to an unprecedented halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. The global spread of the virus adversely impacted the newly reclaimed tourism industry within Pakistan. Major tourist destinations were stripped of their steady flow of tourists, and following the Government’s decision in March 2020, airlines were halted from operation. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has stated that the pandemic could lead to a loss of $ 300-500 billion in tourism receipts globally. Furthermore, Pakistan's state-owned airline (PIA) alone has suffered a loss of 4 billion rupees so far.

The timely emergence of this virus has also proved to further deepen the economic losses that the country has had to face. The months of May to August are known for its influx of foreigners entering into the country allowing the tourism industry to greatly benefit from international revenue. However, with coronavirus cases exponentially increasing, Pakistan will be indefinitely deprived of its guests. It is feared that KP’s tourism sector alone will face a loss of $20 million in revenues and could slash around 260,000 formal jobs. This can further lead to increased amount of poverty within the country which would ultimately feed the spread of the virus. A surge in poverty can be linked to lack of normal living conditions and proper sanitation thereby increasing the likelihood of infection by the virus.

Once again, this virus has been proven to be deadly and like no other. Not only does it possess the ability of being fatal to human beings but can also rattle the very infrastructure that a country is built on. The coronavirus has single handedly shut down perfectly functioning nations, causing them to face economic blight. It is unknown how Pakistan will be able to combat the losses that it has had to face but with a thorough plan that is well executed and supported by the government, Pakistan has the ability to once again open its arms to several tourists.