Record 9.3 million tourists flock to Pakistan’s northwest between May through July

ISLAMABAD: A record number of 9.3 million people visited tourist destinations in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province during May, June and July this year, an official statement announced on Tuesday.

This was despite heavy monsoon downpours that caused landslides and were expected to hamper tourist activities in the region.

Torrential rains in the country killed at least 24 people last week in KP, with the provincial disaster management authority urging people to exercise caution.

In the past, tourism in the region was also affected by militant violence.

“A record number of people visited tourist destinations in the province this year,” KP’s Home and Tribal Affairs Department said. “From May 1 to July 31, more than 9.3 million tourists visited the province.”

The details were shared in a meeting chaired by Zahid Chanzeb, the adviser to the KP chief minister on culture and tourism.

He urged all stakeholders interested in adventure tourism to register with the province’s tourist services wing.

Chanzeb also instructed the authorities to update the data on the province’s tourism website and mobile application.

In March, a night tourism event in the city of Peshawar allowed tourists to explore the rich history of the city, organized by a local group called “Tour Da Pekhawar,” marking the city’s first night tourism event.