KP Govt Announces To Celebrate Tirch Mir Year, Annual Festival

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to celebrate the year 2024-25 as the year of Tirch Mir, the highest peak of the province, and to start the annual Tirch Mir Festival, for which the Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) has been tasked with immediate steps in this regard

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2024) The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to celebrate the year 2024-25 as the year of Tirch Mir, the highest peak of the province, and to start the annual Tirch Mir Festival, for which the Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) has been tasked with immediate steps in this regard.

This decision was made at a meeting on tourism promotion under the chairmanship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM's Advisor on Tourism and Culture Zahid Chanzeb.

The meeting held in the conference hall of KPCTA, here on Thursday, besides Director General BarkatUllah Marwat, General Manager Planning & Marketing Muhammad Ali Syed and General Manager Tourism Sajjad Hameed was also attended by Tour operators and other tourism stake-holders from serene areas of Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Dir and Guliyat.

The participants while welcoming the decision of the provincial government termed it a milestone initiative for the development of tourism and assured of their full cooperation in making this extravaganza the most successful feature of the province.

It was also decided to waive off the mountaineering royalty and trekking fee for the year 2024-25 and to include Tirch Mir mountain in the tourism symbols of the province. Henceforth Tirchmir peak will also be a tourism symbol of KP in future. It was further decided in the meeting that international mountaineers will be invited to climb the Tirch Mir peak, while the next meeting will be held in Chitral instead of Peshawar and then at other tourist district headquarters.

On this occasion, the stake-holders relating to the tourism industry apprised the Tourism Advisor about their problems and difficulties.

Zahid Chanzeb listened to their grievances very patiently and assured them of its redressal on priority basis. He also assured all the stake-holders of full cooperation in the efficient delivery of tourism services. He directed that tour operators and all other stake-holders should organize various programs for the promotion of tourism, while the govt will fully support them.

On the issue related to NOC for tourists, he said that it will be resolved soon after meeting with the concerned authorities. He further said that for better results Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Police is being upgraded with first aid boxes and provided with additional motorbikes besides extending more training to them.

The Tourism Advisor clarified that clearance of encroachment in tourist places will be ensured, for which the cooperation of the district administration will also be obtained in addition to making the authorities more streamlined. Similarly, the highways leading to tourist places will also be improved for which sufficient funds are being allocated in the new budget.

Zahid Chanzeb admitted that tour operators and all other stake-holders play a key role in the development of tourism and the provincial government will leave no stone unturned to encourage them at all levels. The participants of the meeting thanked the tourism advisor and the provincial government for encouraging the stake-holders and taking bold steps for the development of tourism as well as assured their full cooperation in achieving the goals set for the promotion of tourism industry in the province.

APP/vak