Gilgit-Baltistan has the potential to attract millions of tourists because of its unique natural landscape and beauty. It is home to the world's largest mountain ranges, like the Himalayas, Karakorum, and Hindu Kush. It is also an important region because of its geostrategic location, with China to the north and India to the east. It is the gateway to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), where the Karakorum Highway connects China with Pakistan.
Over the last many years, thousands of foreign and local tourists have visited Gilgit-Baltistan and immersed themselves in its beauty. The north of Pakistan has a rich culture, heritage, archaeological sites, and multiple ethnicities. The local people are very welcoming, honest, and courteous. It is also home to many unexplored languages like Shina, Balti, Khowar, Burushiski, and Wakhi.
The local population is increasingly witnessing the arrival of thousands of tourists every year. Tourism is one of the main sectors of earning income for the local population. Thousands of local tour companies, hotels, and labourers are associated with the tourism sector of Gilgit-Baltistan. Whenever the summer season comes, the arrival of thousands of tourists brings a lot of happiness, prosperity, and blessings to many indigenous communities.
The Cultural Cost of Commercialisation
When we observe the positive side of tourism, it brings livelihood opportunities, creates jobs, and drives development. However, it also creates a lot of cultural threats, may lead to criminal activities, establishes new criminal networks, and nurtures cultural challenges which can lead to the destruction of local cultures, local values, and religious harmony.
Gilgit-Baltistan never says 'No to outsiders,' but its people demand an approach to tourism that protects their cultural sensitivity and religious beliefs
In cities like Skardu and Hunza, thousands of brands and companies visit famous tourist spots and make commercial advertisements for the promotion of their products. The content they shoot does not align with the local cultures and values. The inappropriate nature of these promotional videos and ads only angers the local population and violates the norms and standards of the indigenous population. These corporations and brands do not know how much the local population gets negatively impacted by their so-called ads.
When such activities persist and do not get addressed, they will only create divisions between the local people and the tourists, which is indirectly a threat to the tourism sector of Pakistan. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan are highly connected and attached to their local values and religious beliefs. They always demand a kind of tourism which protects and shows respect for their cultural sensitivity and indigenous reality. If such activities are not addressed and regulated by local authorities, then it will risk the influx of tourists at a large scale, and the probability of confrontation between the local population and the authorities will rise.
Unregulated tourism and inappropriate commercial practices are the greatest threats to the tourism sector of Pakistan. The government must adopt a people-centred approach to regulate the tourism sector and must ban all those activities which are threatening to both the local population and the tourism sector.
A Framework for Responsible Tourism
There is an urgent need for the creation of a tourist guidance framework by the Government of Pakistan. This framework must highlight the local values, norms, and culture of the indigenous population, the kind of religious sentiments people have, and the actions and activities that are associated with local values and beliefs and are required of visitors.
The framework must also highlight the expectations of the local people regarding tourists whenever they visit their villages and neighbourhoods. It must guide tourists to respect local cultures, values, and religious beliefs, and prevent them from engaging in any activity which disturbs the peace and comfort of local people.
Local authorities must create a mechanism for creating awareness about local cultures, values, and religious beliefs. The main highways, like the Karakorum Highway and Juglot-Skardu Road, must have billboards installed along them, depicting the importance of local cultures and values through art. Tour companies and hotel owners must be encouraged to make tourists aware of cultural sensitivities and indigenous beliefs, and to prevent tourists from doing any activity which badly affects local values.
Gilgit-Baltistan never says "No to outsiders" but demands a people-centred approach to adopt policies which protect their culture and values, and benefit the local job market as well. Switzerland earns approximately 22-25 billion USD per year from the tourism sector. Pakistan also has the potential to ramp up its GDP through tourism. However, it must focus on a people-centred approach to adopt policies which are beneficial for the local population and which revive the trust of the people in the tourism sector, ensuring their cultural identity and values are preserved.