Ali Sadpara K-2 Winter Summit 2021

Hope to See The Missing Mountaineer on K-2 Winter 2021

Day by day our hope to see Ali Sadpara and the two other climbers missing on K-2 getting hopeless, but officially it has not been announced about the situation. For the last five days, the top trend on the media all over the world is the missing climbers on the second-highest mountain K-2. Different assumptions are top and waiting for the miracle of the safe return of the missing climbers.

Expert Opinion:

 This morning I was watching an interview of one of the top Pakistani climbers Mr Nazir Sabir the first Pakistani on Everest and several other high mountains climbed by him. His statement about surviving at an altitude of 8,000 is a maximum of 12 hours and even in the winter is less, he also explained the information from Ali's son who was part of this team who returned from the because of some technical issue with an oxygen mask. Sajid already said that the chill wind was on the mountain by that time and the temperature was around minus 50. Mr. Nazir Sabir with his huge experience explained that the survival of the missing mountaineer could not believe as Sajjid already said to search for the bodies is better than finding them alive. 

A heartbreaking post from the wife Jhon Soneri was there on Facebook this morning saddened all those who come across the post.

The Words of The Families

#K2winter2021 

From Lína wife of Jhon Sonerri

"Searching and rescuing my love is still going on 

#K2winter2021 

From Lína wife of Jhon Sonerri

Searching and rescuing my love is still going on in my heart it is a miracle and it will come back.  I have not given up and know that there is still room for miracles because the week is not over, his camp will be open until Saturday.  Those who know John Snorri Sigurjónsson know what strength he has and I hope that more people out there will give me the strength to try until it is fully tried in my heart it is a miracle and it will come back.  

Elia Sakaily just posted this a while ago on his Instagram with the following text.

"Ali Sadpara - my last portrait taken in our tent right before the final summit push on K2.

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‘K2 is King of Mountains’ he would constantly tell me. Ali had the deepest respect for the crown jewel of Pakistan’s Karakoram. Every time he spoke of his vast experience on 8000m peaks in winter, I listened intently and absorbed every word.

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Pasang Kaji and I were only with Ali, John, and Sajid for 3 weeks, but what was evident was the respect and love these men had for one another. There was no employer/employee relationship - they were a team. They were equal. They cared deeply for one another and respected each other tremendously.

Winter K2 was a common dream that belonged to Ali, John, and Sajid. As John constantly put it: it’s Iceland working in partnership with Pakistan - to celebrate Pakistan.

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Ali knew everyone at basecamp and was adored by so many.

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As Sajid put it: ‘My father is like a Snow Leopard. He moves incredibly fast in the mountains.’ He commanded your respect for his incredible talent and won over your heart with his charm and beautiful soul.

Whether dancing at basecamp, joking around with John and the kitchen staff - his smile, charm, warm heart, sense of humor and one of a kind spirit will always be what defines this great man.

Ali is one of Pakistan’s greatest heroes and his pioneering accomplishments in the throne-room of the heavens will always be remembered."

Reading the statements of Jhon Soneri's wife and Ali's son make every eye tearful but none can do nothing only God has the power to make sure and fulfil their hopes.

The Mountaineers and Love of the Mountains

The mountaineers born for the mountains and their lives go on the mountains. Being a guide for 30 years of my life I have seen many climbers lost their lives in the love mountains. I have been guided thousands of climbers to the base camp and their determinations and love of mountains seem their rush towards reaching the base camp and start climbing is more than anything else for them. I remember many climbers who used to say when do we reach the mountain we are going to climb we don't want to sleep until to reach and see that peak. You will imagine the adventure lovers always put their lives in the danger especially on the 8,000s there is 99% risk and you see all the mountains claim some lives from the climbers who reach to the summit that is custom of the high mountains.

As Nazir Sabir "said this morning the mountains have spiritual power and keep a great place for their lovers and they give them place who love them, that's why some of the climbers disappear on the high mountains".

We are not disappointed still now pray for the safety missing climbers and for those who are on their way to search on K-2 nowadays.

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Ali Sadpara and the K-2

The King of Mountains and the Lover of Mountains ( Ali Sadpara our legend)

" I still remember the words of Muhammad Ali Sadpara about his brave commitment in a training camp if you get lost somewhere in the mountains, you must have the courage to build a house in the mountains for few days and survive, not to the destination of the loser. Now I can believe the one whose spirits were higher than K-2 must have given ( or his determinations and love of Mountains gave him a house forever). The intentions of lovers are higher than mountains".

"Imtiaz and Akbar, Ali Sadpara’s cousin, and nephew arrived at base camp a little more then 24 hours ago, both incredibly talented Pakistani climbers who have summited K2, to assist in bringing Sajid Sadpara down from the base of K2.
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It was an emotional arrival just after dark as Sajid, who turned back at the bottleneck due to an oxygen failure, returned alive after a monumental descent to base camp without his Father Ali.
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Imtiaz and Akbar are heading up K2 today, boots on the hill, by their own will, to see if they can possibly locate John Snor, Ali and JP.
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Imtiaz said:
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‘Ali is a brother to us. A hero for Pakistan. We will climb as high as we can within our limits. There is hope, but we know the reality of the mountain, especially in winter.’

Muhammad Ali Sadpara ........ A living example of our mortals 

 When did we appreciate the work of Muhammad Ali Sadpara?  When he didn't need it anymore.  When he was missing,  Muhammad Ali Sadpara was not doing this for the first time but our misfortune is that no one considers him a hero except some movie stars and cricketers and the media does not give time to people from other walks of life.

 Why do writers, intellectuals, musicians, artists, educators ... and other life experts read news about his death?

  Muhammad Ali Sadpara is a living example of our moral behavior.  A short list of his accomplishments in mountaineering

 List of mountains ascended by Muhammad Ali Sadpara

 Gashebrum II   8035 m                             Pakistan in 2006

 Spantik Peak  7,027 m                               Pakistan in 2006

 Nanga Parbat    8,125 m                           Pakistan in 2008

 Muztag Ata                                                 China in 2008

 Nanga Parbat 8,125 m                               Pakistan in 2009

 Gashebrum I  8,068                                    Pakistan in 2010

 Nanga Parbat 8,125 m                              Pakistan first winter ascend in 2016

 Broad peak   8,035                                  Pakistan in 2017

 Nanga Parbat  8,125 m                           Pakistan first autumn in 2017

 Pumori Peak  7,161 m                             first winter Nepal in 2017

 K2 8,611 m                                               Pakistan in 2018

 Lhotse  8,516 m                                        Nepal in 2019

 Makalu   8,485 m                                      Nepal in 2019

 Manaslu  8,156 m                                    Nepal in 2019

 K2                                                          First Winter Pakistan in 2021

 From 2006, he began to climb 8,000 meters high peaks.  With his encouragement and support. 

my personal experience with Ali's courage and braveness were extraordinary he always used to talk about challenges and dangers once sit for adventure stories. 

I am very sad to write this after his loss and the thing that makes me mourne is about the separation of a son and father he wanted to make his son the youngest climber on the K-2, unfortunately, it was not his luck to see him as he wished. But I am sure Sajjid Sadpara will carry on his great father's mission and one day he will have the same popularity as his father. 

Millions of Pakistanis like me have been waiting all night and the last day for some promising news.  These love and prayers for Muhammad Ali Sadpara, but there is no such thing.  Ali Sahib has subdued these mountains by keeping the flag of Pakistan in his pocket when millions including me did not even know his name.  And this devotion to the green flag is enough to buy the love of all of us ...

 Social media introduce us to such heroes ...  I read in the same group that Muhammad Ali Sadpara once told a friend that if I ever got lost in these mountains, I would build an ice house and stay in it for many days.  May Allah gives you courage, and strength Ali Bhai ...  I have heard the news of Nazir Sabir's achievements in my childhood.  But the real meaning of these achievements has been introduced in the last 24 hours.

 Choghori (K2) is also here and winter will come again next year, God willing.  Just come back ...  This nation has rarely valued its heroes ...  I sincerely wish that when you have finally got the appreciation after so many years of exercise, you can sit among them and enjoy it and feel these loves.

 

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Hidden Treasures of Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan

 Winter Tourism Promotion Walk of the Ghizer Team into the Hidden Treasures of GB.

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The team kicked off from the Yad-e-Gar-e-Shohada Chinar Bagh Gilgit on 27th January 2021 at 8:30 a.m. The honorable Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmad see off the team it was a great encouragement for each member.

The team members were all energetic except two professionals +45 of the Directors of Hindukush Karakoram Tours and Treks the first and only tour agency from Ghizer. Traveling 41 km on the first day ended at Japoke Bridge. All the team members were very tired of the long walk without proper exercise, however, the morale of the team members was high due to the love and encouragement received from the locals. The journey started from Japoke Bridge the next day and ended at Hatton
bridge that evening. On the third day, as usual, the team members got up at 6:30 a.m and all of them were at the breakfast table at 7:00 a.m. The team members had breakfast before eight o'clock and left for their destination.

The third day's walk began at Hatton Bridge. Traditionally, the team members took a picture while standing next to the signboard of Hatton village so that the record would remain. The speed was still about six kilometers per hour. Senior members Murad and Amin kept urging the youths to walk slowly and for a long time but the youths never listened to them and the caravan moved on their pace as usual.

On the way, we passed Heim and Hopper and reached Samal. A community team of Small Village and elders greeted the team on the bridge. Humiliated with traditional paratha (fried chappati), traditional roti (shepak), needles, boiled and fried eggs it was a freezing morning with the wind so they sat in a cave-like place in front of the Sumall bridge and ate and drank to their heart's content. Then say goodbye to the elders and move on. Along the way, vendors greeted the team members and offered chewing gum and sweets. In the village of Raushan, tea was arranged by the community in the Jamaat Khana. The elders of the village greeted the team at the entrance of the Jamaat Khana. The Boy Scouts saluted and were greeted with a variety of sweet and savory gifts along with tea.

The next reception was given by the local Boy Scouts and the community at Hawks Village. Where team members treated to fresh and dried fruits.

The next stop was Gopis where the team members were initially garlanded by Junaid Hotel and humiliated for tea. The team was received by Gilgit-Baltistan Sports Director Hussain Ali near the historic Gopis Fort.

Then Blossom Inn had arranged a fantastic lunch with warm welcoming reception by the manager Sardar.

From there, the team asked for leave and continued on. The day was getting darker and darker. When Gopis crossed the Nala bridge and reached the bazaar, the vendors of DJ School Market greeted the team with music and enthusiastic slogans. Humiliated with sweets and tea. Team members also performed a traditional dance. Thus the team continued to walk and reached the place called Ziarat and the walk ended. Thus, on the third day, the team covered a distance of more than thirty kilometers in nine to ten hours. From there, the team proceeded to the house of Khan Akbar Khan, a well-known politician and public servant of Gopis. Khan Akbar Khan had arranged the best dinner and stay. The team members were busy with music, country songs, and gossip till late at night. Thus the third day came to a happy end.

The nighttime temperatures at Gopis, Gendroot, and Khalti were minus 9 and minus 12 degrees Celsius, but the daytime sunshine did reduce the cold a bit, but the morning breeze was accompanied by warm gloves, hats, mufflers, and warmth. It was not possible without a mask.

At seven o'clock in the morning, as usual, all the team members got up and after breakfast left Khan Akbar Khan's house at eight o'clock. It was the fourth and final day so the team members looked cheerful and happy. The journey was shorter than the last three days and the team members were eager to reach their destination. Before departure, the team offered Fateha at the mausoleum of renowned singer Muzaffar Ali Begana Shaheed and started their fourth-day walk from there. Far from Ziarat, Khan Akbar Khan walked with the team to Chartoe (shrine of the Fairy) to show solidarity.

When arrived some of our mothers and sisters offered our team Ashpri is a common and ancient tradition of almost all areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. Ashpuri (desi ghee on top of traditional bread) is offered on every happy occasion.

Now the team was pinched very close to their destination. Fida Hussain, Secretary Information and Rescue, near Khalti PTDC, got out of his vehicle to show solidarity with the team and joined the walk with our team.

Near PTDC, hundreds of locals, local volunteers, boy scouts, girl guides, and others greeted the team with garlands. The desi band continued to lead the team and from there the team reached the venue in the form of a procession with ladies and gentlemen. At the gate of the venue, the local volunteer women then presented Ashpri and welcomed the team. Along the way, people danced to the tunes of a local band. Thousands of people standing on the side of the road waved and greeted the team warmly. The scenes of this historic reception were spectacular. Upon entering the venue, thousands of ladies and gentlemen stood up and greeted the team warmly and enthusiastically. Reaching Khalti on foot from Gilgit for 128 km was certainly no less than a feat, so the locals were generously praising the team's courage and enthusiasm.

The team was taken to the middle of the venue where the team members performed a traditional dance. From there, the team members walked from the top of the frozen Khalti Lake to the middle. The team met with ice hockey, ice football, and skating racing teams.

From there, the team members came and sat on the stage. Meanwhile, Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Raja Nasir had also reached there. Raja Nasir first garlanded the team, then presented a bouquet of flowers and later presented a shield and a certificate That received by the team leader. Meanwhile, the Tourism Minister appreciated the mission of the team.

Meanwhile, the Skardu Team team led by renowned Baltistan journalist Qasim Butt entered the venue. Minister for Tourism and our leader welcomed the Baltistan team. Later, the Minister also gave shields and certificates to the Baltistan team and appreciated their walk from Baltistan to Gilgit.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of Winter Sports Festival Khalti. After his arrival, the game of ice hockey Played. In ice hockey, there was a competition between Hunza Ibex and Hunza Leopard, in which the Hunza Ibex team took the lead.

After the closing ceremony, the team leader and members of Ghazar Winter Tourism had a brief meeting with the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan. The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of the team and invited the team to present its recommendations on which the government would work.

On their return from Khalti, the team attended a lunch hosted by Blossom Inn Gopis. The team members then left for their respective homes. Thus, the four-day historical and extremely important journey came to an interesting and memorable end, the memories of which will live on forever.

For more information go to (www.hkttreks.com)

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What is Impact of Tourism Flow in Gilgit-Baltistan after long Halt because of COVID-19

The reopening tourism in Pakistan is encouraging for the stakeholders of the tourism industry such as tour agencies, transport companies, hoteliers, etc; are celebrating this. But it seems the Corona Pandemic not yet over and SOPs are not followed by the people that arose danger in the country. We see thousands of visitors in the touristic regions like Kaghan and Naran Valleys, Gilgit-Baltistan, Ghizar, Hunza, Skardu, and other parts of the country. The government has reopened tourism owing to the economical crises in the country with proper SOPs and safety measures, but unfortunately, we are not following all those safety measures to be safe from this pandemic. 

Fearless in the Mountain Communities of Gilgit-Baltistan

We the mountain communities of Gilgit-Baltistan appreciate the decisions of tourism by the government to cope with economical crises that occurred during the corona pandemic 2020. It has left the worst impact on the economy of the region. The people of the north have been out jobs during this pandemic, they do not have anything if they fall in any sickness and the health has been quite expensive if someone the visitors transmit corona to the locals then it will add to the worries and difficulties of the people. The people are afraid of the current situation where we see none is following the SOPs since the last few days opening of tourism many visitors move towards the north and visit the areas without safety measures. This is a thread for the locals and for the government as in north Pakistan.

Contribution of Tourism Industry in the North

  71% of the annual economy is dependent on the tourism industry, thousands of national and international visitors visit the north of Pakistan which is full of natural beauty that adds to the economy. Hundreds of guides and cooks, thousands of porters, and numerous hoteliers, transporters, and supply chain of the tourism industry benefit of this industry it does not only contribute to individuals but to the whole society. In last few days we see on social media that many people moved towards the north, the roads along the Naran and Kaghan Valleys are full of traffic jams many people struck on the road it takes hours and hours to move forwards in the crowds which seems dangerous of the pandemic, visitors need to be very very cautious during the traveling about the pandemic which has not been over yet we need to be careful. Everyone needs to follow up on the SOPs and safety measures in order to avoid the attack of the Crazy Pandemic that destroyed the economy of the whole world for the last 8 months. The globe is suffering from it and none could be able to reach the reality of it and tell about it when we will free of it in this entire world.

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The Perception of the people on Re-opening of Tourism

Nowadays the Social Media in Pakistan is hit with the different news and perception of the people about the reopening of tourism in Pakistan. Most of the people who directly or indirectly connected with the tourism industry are favoring it and throwing positive news and some of the people who have not any concerns with the tourism industry are against this decision and put negative news. But the reality is not seen anywhere what is the result of this decision. The tourism industry no doubt plays a pivotal role in the economy in any country where all the people benefit from it directly or indirectly. To me, it benefits 90% of the population in Gilgit-Baltistan from the lower class to the upper class. Pakistan Association of Tour Operators (PATO) WhatsApp group is full of different perceptions and debates are lived 24/7, to make sure the positive impact in the society by this decision that will lead to a restart of the tourism industry this year and for especially next year, because the peak tourist season in Pakistan is almost over now and we need to pave the path for the next year. If it leaves a positive impact then we will be able to ensure our clients visit Pakistan now and next if it goes against then we will be back to 9/11 and COVID-19 the worst experiences of the industry.

For the positive impact, each individual weather we are service providers or visitors needs to make sure the safety measure following the SOPs and other safety measures set by the entire authorities context to context. Being responsible citizens of the country we all of should respect decisions of law enforcing institutions following their set rules and regulation in any factor especially the SOPs to avoid suffering from this pandemic and other such negative impacts on the society and the tourism industry.

Ground Realities after the opening Tourism in Pakistan

Soon after the reopening of the tourism thousands of domestic tourist fled towards mountainous North Pakistan, Kashmir, and parts of Khyber Pukhtun Khwa to beat the scorching heats of plains of Pakistan to enjoy the natural beauty, but unfortunately, the tourism was opened with specific and PROPER SOPs to be followed. We see thousands of people without any safety measures are moving in the touristic regions. The law enforcement authorities advise the visitors to follow the safety measures and try to make them safe. But still, the visitors' responses do not seem positive. For the last few days, we see many unethical actions towards the law enforcing institutions are individuals are pointed with negative comments in response to their respective duties. Hundreds of people on the road are gathering on traffic jams without masks, social distances, and other safety measures and voicing against the law-enforcing authorities which are completely unethical and against human behavior. Tourism flow of domestic visitors is on its top in these days, fortunately for last few days since the tourism reopened, we have not got any news of CORONA PANDEMIC positive cases happened in the visitors and the local communities where thousands of tourist and local interactions.

Until now we have not seen any negative impact of the reopening of tourism.

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THE COST OF CLOSING TOURISM IN PAKISTAN DURING COVID-19

ENCOURAGING NEWS FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY IN PAKISTAN ESPECIALLY FOR GILGIT-BALTISTAN IN THE PANDEMIC CRISES

Seeing in the Dawn News on 12^th July 2020, about the tourism reopening and the situation in the bustling touristic parts Gilgit-Baltistan without people, is surprising during the pandemic which hit the tourism industry not only in Pakistan but in the whole world is unbelievable. It is unfortunate for Pakistan because it was declared the top tourism destination in the world for the year 2020 in the whole world. For Gilgit-Baltistan it is more unfortunate because it has a very short season of tourism and 70% tourism in Pakistan is in Gilgit-Baltistan, right at the beginning of tourist season the pandemic broke out. It forced to cancel the people of their trips and some delayed wishing for possibilities of visiting later on, but unfortunately, this almost going to be the end of the tourist season still there are no possibilities for the tourist visit to their planned areas in Pakistan. Most countries in the world have opened tourism properly with clear guidance for the safety and security of travelers and locals. But Pakistan has been one of the misfortune countries nothing has been done for the reopening of tourism properly. Every week we get different notifications of opening and then ban nothing understanding.

How does the Dawn Report On the Situation?

As the country reels under a pandemic, tourism in GB has been hit particularly hard. The prime minister announced the reopening of tourism, hoping it will provide some relief. But was the solution too simplistic in its haste?

It’s rare to see Karimabad so quiet this time of year. In a video posted by popular Instagram account @IncredibleHunza, the cameraperson walks through the uncharacteristically still streets of one of Hunza’s most visited neighborhoods. To see a popular tourist destination without swathes of people during peak tourism season is the dream. But this is no dream scenario.

Soon one notices the closed shops. The guesthouses without the guests. And clothes hanging idly with no customers at the usually bustling market.

Karimabad looks like a ghost town.

The caption on Instagram, video carries the hashtags #visitPakistan and #travelPakistan. But as Covid-19 disrupts tourism around the world, one wonders when #travelling will even be possible again.

As I replay the 32-second video over and over, I can’t help but remember my walks on these very streets years ago. Sitting in my bedroom in Karachi, working on a piece about Covid-19’s impact on tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), the sound of local Hunzai music plays in my head. I am reminded of how one could hear music from across the valley as if it were being played right in front of one — something to do with the acoustics of the mountains.

I am reminded of tourists losing their breath climbing up the incline on the main streets. And local grandmothers, with babies strapped to their backs with a sling fashioned from a dupatta, doing the same climb almost effortlessly.

Younger people would converge at Cafe de Hunza, a place that guaranteed free ‘working’ internet, real coffee, and their signature walnut cake. And then you’d spot the foreigners and among them ‘old’ mountaineers, who’ve been coming here for years. These foreigners seemed more at home in GB than you and clearly knew their way around this region like the back of their hand.

“After 9/11, we survived for 18 years. Those were difficult times,” says mountaineer Nazir Sabir. At that time, most of the tourists GB catered to were foreign and only a handful were domestic ones. After 9/11 they stopped coming. Until recently.

As my experience, we had not such crises during the period of 9/11 somehow adventure tourism was running during that time where most people the lower classes in the part to adventure tourism would get jobs as porters, cooks, and guides. This pandemic brought 100% unemployment to the country was in the first two months were too hard for the lower class people there were restrictions on daily laboring and compete for lockdowns in the country that led to crucial situations. The shops were closed; transports were off nothing open during the days.

 

The first Notification for Reopening Tourism was in the Early June (As Dawn Stated)

In early June, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the reopening of the tourism industry. He pointed out that this was the peak season for tourism and added that many livelihoods are entirely dependent on travel. A continued lockdown would only contribute to these individuals’ financial woes.

He wasn’t wrong. The tourism industry, much like practically every other industry, has been hit hard by the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, ironically, soon after the prime minister presented the reopening of tourism as a solution, the government’s own Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) announced the closure of all its motels in the northern areas. Employees of PTDC were also let go.

“Due to continuous and irreparable financial losses [and] having no other resources [during] the current Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government, and PTDC Board of Directors unanimously resolved to close down the operations of the company,” the PTDC’s notification said.

It was encouraging at the moment but it started delayed gradually week after week now we are moving towards mid-August still we are waiting for the day properly open the tourism. Most of the tour agencies in Pakistan are dependent on international customers, but this not possible now some of the domestic travelers wish to move towards Gilgit-Baltistan, but they are not allowed and make a stop on the entry points along the way. This makes disappointments in the people of Gilgit-Baltistan especially for tourism supply chains and stakeholders. The tour operators, Transporters and hoteliers from Gilgit-Baltistan condemn it but there is none to hear it.

As most tourism-dependent nations are reconsidering their dependence on foreign tourists, Pakistan finds itself in a unique position. Over 71 percent of all tourism here is domestic. While domestic tourism has been rising slowly since 2010, in the past four to five years, there has been an unprecedented boom. This is in part due to the fact that it’s very difficult for most Pakistanis to travel abroad — even for those who can afford it, visa application processes can be very discouraging.

 

 

About the analysis of Dawn about the tourism support to Locals is as follow    

Travel pages on social media have also helped the trend. The Karakoram Club (TKC), has over 332,000 members who share photos and anecdotes from their travels. Platforms such as @TravelBeautifulPakistan (TBP) and @IncredibleHunza have 211,000 and 173,000 followers on Instagram respectively. All they do is post photos of stunning vistas around the country — especially GB and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — whetting the appetite of a whole new generation of connected and moneyed aspiring adventurers.

Stuck at home for months in lockdown, many are now looking at those photos, planning their dream vacations. It’s only a matter of time before they start making their way to the north, especially come holiday season.

In fact, some already have, despite the lockdowns. “We drove all the way from Karachi to Nathiagali during Eidul Fitr break,” says Moin Ijaz, a Karachi-based businessman. “Lockdowns were lifted and we decided to take advantage of that,” he says. “How long can you stay cooped up in one place? We were careful — six people in two cars. We rented a house because every other guesthouse was completely booked that weekend. People need to get out.”

With a fancy newly-paved highway cutting the journey from Karachi to Islamabad from 25 hours to 16 hours, and having made that trip already, he’s now confident about going further. His group is aiming for the northern areas next if restrictions are lifted. And he is not the only one.

Tourism has proven to be very resilient in previous crises and has often shown a very fast recovery. According to data by the United Nations World Travel Organisation (UNWTO), when it came to previous global crises, tourism bounced back by 4 percent in the sixth month after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, by 2 percent in the fifth month after the SARS the outbreak in 2003 and by 4 percent in the tenth month after the global economic crisis of 2009. The UNWTO expects global tourism to increase by the end of this year.

Last year, 2 million domestic tourists visited GB, but there’s a chance that, with lockdowns lifting and continuing heavy restrictions on international travel for Pakistanis, this number could increase dramatically.

While some may think of this as good news, local operators such as Sabir and Ali also fear an uncontrolled boom. They believe that it will contribute to the degradation of popular sites in GB.

So, if we look into this survey we had great losses in the economy this year and it will take years and years to recover again. As years took to restart of international tourism since the 9/11 tragedy in the United States, Pakistan impacted more than the loss in the world trade Center because of it. Misconception spread all over the world about Pakistan. All western countries restricted their citizens to visit Pakistan. The coronavirus pandemic led to worst conditions than 9/11.

Our government needs to take positive steps looking to the situation like the other parts of the world.  

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COVID-19(The fear of human in crises)

Today I am thinking to express my views on the global crises in the world because of the crazy pandemic break out especially the tourism sector went into the worst position because of restrictions all over the world. I went through a post few days ago by Mr. Mike Atkinson on the above mentioned title mentioning about the impact of the global out break we hoped would never happen. It was encouraging that he had mentioned about our disappointments on such things happen in the life but we have face challenges in the life. As we believe that every human born on the planet earth comes with purpose of life and attending examinations in life.

I am being part of tourism industry see a great disappointments in those who related this industry directly or indirectly. To encourage my colleagues I would like to write this post for their kind information to be courageous and do not afraid of this situation we are not hopeless one day we will be again back to our position and enjoy the life, ‘’ there is always a bright morning after a dark night’’.

Mike Atkinson is the head of life sciences for Myrtle Consulting Group, a firm that drives operational transformation within global manufacturing, processing, and distribution organizations enlightens his views about such situations very interestingly.

It was encouraging, providing hope, reassurance and guidance for all of us. Among life science companies, continuity of supply is paramount, so it is like our organization planned for some level of crises it is guide for us to be preparing for the future. Most of never think about such up and downs in the life if have enough for our needs we play with it and never look down our heads always go up. Sometimes in such a circumstances we get below all, so this kind of events teach human to be human and look at each and we need adjust with life changing circumstances always the same. 

It recalls each year we would ‘’dust off’’ disaster recovery plan and take part in exercises simulating crises.  It is like the saying “Plan, but when the battle starts, know that plans must change.’’ How quickly you adapt to change is one of the key factors successfully getting through this situation.

If we have not already, recommend documenting as much as possible, ourselves  and our organization a great service by capturing and recording things that are happening in real time. Pour brains and memories can only recall so much, and the further we move away from an event, the harder is recollect what actually occurred. We all know the “postmortem” are coming, and we will need that documentation.

Data is changing fast, so, Should You?

Mike Atkinson writes, the world, our country, and the areas where we live and operate are changing rapidly. In such situations, we do not need to afraid of the change. Change is inevitable, and it may happen frequently. As leaders, we like to make decisions and stick with it. However, in crises situations, a great leader wouldn’t be afraid of to change as frequently as the data suggests. To do this we need steady access to data that we can review it often and reach quickly.

If we have not already, I encourage to create a data and information team. It’s too late. We can create a small core team and task it with mapping out and ensuring that we have clear understanding of the data and information that are more important for us, our team and our services or products and supply chain organizations and also stay focus on critical data sets.

Lastly, don’t wait for until the perfect data and information it is not going to be. The key point here is that we are able to react quickly to what is in front of us, but also take care not to be blind to what is coming. Continually scan the horizon of what could come and think about the information as well. While, that might seem like a tall task, thinking about what lies ahead will help clearing in our mind by getting out of the weeds and back into a strategic mindset.

            Your People Need You Now More Than Ever

As an operations or supply chain executive, there are many people in the organization that depends on the leadership, guidance, and communication. Our team needs our leadership now more than ever. In this pandemic the leadership could play pivotal role to encourage the whole team.

Consider the following words of Encouragement

Ø  Lead from the front- be strong positive, transparent and honest. People need to know you are sincere.

Ø  Communicate often---- Get information as quickly as possible and don’t hold back. Your people are waiting for your information as soon as possible

Ø  Don’t wait for all the answers- share what you know and be forthright in stating that it is not everything, but that more information will follow. People will appreciate that you are at least keeping them in touch and let them know about the current time.

Ø  Recognize that people are nervous and anxious-----this gives the team assurance that you are going to help them get through this.

Ø  Believe in yourself-----have faith and courage to know that you are doing the right things. Recognize that everything is going to going according to plan, and there will be mistakes, but don’t let those discourage you and get in the in the way of moving forward.

Your Customers Need You Too

As tour operators the services we are providing are either sustaining someone’s life or making it better. As such our services are needed in the market and our customers are depending on to keep in touch in order to update about the situation.

We probably won’t get all the kudos we deserve, but if we stick to our company’s purpose and vision, we’ll get the satisfaction we need because through all the adversity, challenges and hurdles, we and our team delivered on products that save or improve the lives of people.

In the end, your customers were able to count on your team and they, along with their families and friends, will thank you. If that doesn’t make it worthwhile, I don’t know what does.

There Is Hope, There Is A Tomorrow

At the time of my writing this, no one can accurately predict when the pandemic will peak, how severe it will get, or when life will start to resume some form of normalcy. But everyone agrees on one thing — it will end. We will get through this, and we’ll be stronger as a result.

When this goes over our organizations will likely conduct reflection. That review will look back at how we, our team, the organization, process and systems, and everything in between, responded during the crises. At that time, we will need to recount what went well and what didn’t, what we would have done differently, and anything else that would be of value to better prepare for future disasters.

I mentioned earlier that if we wait until “the dust settles” or to “catch our breath” to capture our thoughts, we won’t remember everything the way we would if we captured it in the moment. Understandably, things are happening right now at the speed of light and finding time in the day is a challenge. However, we would do ourselves and our organization a great service by taking a few moments out of the day or even every other day to reflect. Capture your thoughts while they are fresh and top of mind … they don’t have to be perfect.

In summary, thank you for all you’re doing. We are not alone. People everywhere are banding together and ready to help, so do not be afraid to ask for it. Stay positive and know that everyone is working together to get through this.

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COVID-19 (The journey of tourism industry from 9/11 to COVID-19 in Pakistan)

It is astonishing to this world the journey of tourism industry, why did I choose this topic to write on? You will be surprised to see this strange topic because some people are not related to this industry and even they don’t know tourism is an industry and its impact on the people and economy of a country. The ones who know about it and its impact during the years once the 9/11 happened the attacked on World Trade State in the United States of America on 11th of September 2001. The planes were hit in the world largest centre thousands of people died of it and billions cost of the materials destroyed because of the attack. It was one of the enormous lose for the United State of America. The news spread all over the world like fire in seconds many people in the world surprised on the strange event that was unbelievable and unexpected. Impact of the 9/11 on Tourism The terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States of America exposed the vulnerabilities of the tourism industry to changes in perception as to travel safety and security. Terrorism and threads to national security are documented to have impact on tourism demand. Tourism activities are multi pronged with mostly positive impact on any economy. The study attempts to investigate impacts of terrorists’ incidents in Pakistan. The proposed approach is stated OLS and Autoregressive distributed lag Modem Model from 1985 to 2008 taken at different points in time in relation to terrorists’ attacks. Result shows that the attacks caused a shock to tourists’ utility, and change the image profile of destinations. Moreover, it was found that destination experienced a strongly negative impact on their image and attractiveness. The impacts of terrorism on states on economy may enormous, leading to unemployment, homelessness, deflation, crime, and other economic social ills. According to Adam Blake and M. Thea Sinclair, two who have studied the impact of September 2001 Al-Qaeda strikes on the US tourism industry, ”The contribution of tourism and travel both industrialized in developing countries is now so great that any down turns in the level of activity in the industry cause of concern. The repercussions extend beyond activities directly associated with tourism notably airlines, hotels and catering, to sectors that supply intermediate or final goods that purchased by firms and employees in the industry, so that all sectors of the economy are affected to a greater or lesser extent,”. This comes to play an increasingly important role in many developing countries. In the late 1960s, and 1970s, tourism was often promoted as way to reduce persistent balance of payments deficit as a major source of foreign exchange. In the late 1980s, and throughout the 1990s, tourism was recognized for its direct and indirect impact on government revenue, national income and employment. In addition, tourism is recognized as means to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on traditional agriculture and industry. In a general tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the developed world and can be characterized as having multinational effects. Tourism is an industry where both demand supply can be sensitive to economy of the country. TERRORISM AND TOURISM IN PAKISTAN Pakistan became in the top list of welcoming war against the terrorism after 9/11 terror incident in the United States of America. Terrorist employ the extra normal violence or its threatened use to gain the political objective through intimidation or fear. The political turmoil, judiciary problem, high inflation, food and energy crisis created the uncertainty situation in the country. On the other hand Pakistan faced the terror and militants problems from 2001 in the borders linked with tribal areas. The military presence was growing by day and acute thread to security and had already altered the very face of our country and society. Harvey fighting in the area has also created damages to agriculture, to homes and to the environment. Worse still, the loss of tourism means source of livelihood have been badly hit. Throughout in the tourist areas special in Swat region, people can be found who have lost their jobs, incomes, and who curse the militant armies that have cursed havoc across their once tranquil valley. According to an official estimate that it may be years before tourism in the Swat valley can be revived. Tourism has been completely destroyed by the terrorist attacks and military operation against the militants, because tourist is very sensitive to the law and order situation of the destination and cannot take any risk about security measures. Later on the assassination of Banazir Bhutto on 27th December 2007, which led to another negative impact not only on tourism while on the whole economy of the country. The escalation of terrorism over the last five years may have had a significant impact of terrorism on the tourism trade in the country plagued with the terrorist incidents. There is much speculation on the economic of terrorism on tourist trade and other tourism related industries in the country, thereby imposing cost and pressure on the government through loss of foreign exchange earnings, employment and reduction of activities in the tourist areas.

  TOUERISM ACTIVITIES FROM 2001-2020 

Soon after this happened the eyes of the United States got on the Muslim countries blaming this was done by any of the Muslim countries in the world Afghanistan was the top in the countries and United States sent his huge troops military and attacks on Afghanistan because of the Taliban Net work in the country which was a net work against the non-Muslims countries and their culture. Secondly, our country Pakistan was also in the list of those countries Talibanization is actively working against the non-Muslim country especially UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Pakistan came into the list as a close neighbor Muslim country to Afghanistan. United States of America and all the non-Muslim countries in the world became against Pakistan and closed and restricted their citizen to visit Pakistan and the neighboring countries that impacted the tourism in Pakistan for years and many people still afraid to visit Pakistan. The western media put misperceptions news against Pakistan and the presence of Taliban in different part of Pakistan who are active against the foreign visitors and people in the country. It did not only impact on Pakistan but also other large Muslim countries in the world. Pakistan was on the top list because being close through geographical bordering with Afghanistan. Osama Bin-e-Ladeen of Afghanistan vanished from Afghanistan and was suspected to be in Pakistan and the US searched for him for years. The tourism industry in Pakistan impacted very badly and many of the tourism related people skip the tourism industry and adopted other professions because of the restriction on tourism industry. After decade tourism started to be recovered and every the number of visitors to Pakistan increased yearly but everyone with fear. Once we received a group the first surprise for them was the answer to their question is it safe to go here? Yes no problem. By end of the trip they used to declare Pakistan one of the safest countries in the world and friendly people. All these positive comments of the visitors make tourism flow in Pakistan and the year 2020 was declared the top tourist destination for tourism in the world. Thousands of foreign tourists had booked their tour trips in Pakistan for this summer but unfortunately, the breaking out of the crazy pandemic of Corona Virus band on all to go out of their homes that led to cancel the trips all over the world. There is the worst impact on tourism industry all over the world. It was misfortunate for Pakistan because there is seasonal tourism unlike the other parts of the world. Right the beginning of tourist season the pandemic broke out in Pakistan and spread speedily in the country but not this single country in the whole world got into the same situation. Being part of tourism industry I have been through different experiences of life the first 10 years after 9/11 we passed through hard times of the life then tourism recovered after long time but suddenly an incident happened with climbers at Nanga Parbat base camp killing 11 people by attacking unknown attackers again tourism industry of Pakistan especially, Gilgit-Baltistan suffered of it for next 7-8 years. Many of the people connected to tourism skip tourism and joined other activities disappointing by the tourism in these years. With efforts of tour operators in Pakistan and concerned authorities and the special interest of the Prime Minister Imran Khan with some great policies highlighted the tourism sector of Pakistan in the world. The online visa systems, visa on arrival made it easier for people to visit Pakistan. For last two years the number of tourism was increasing gradually encouraging the tourism industry and tourism related businesses. The corona virus impact is unlike the other years led to collapse the world economy not only the tourism Pakistan but also the whole world.

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