China lifts ban on outbound group tours to Pakistan, other countries

Beijing has resumed outbound group tours for its citizens to around 80 countries, including Pakistan, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced Friday.

The move to expand the number of destinations comes as China’s overseas tourism industry has been on a firm trajectory of quick recovery during the past month, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.

It was the third batch of destinations in China’s pilot programme for outbound group tours.

The return of more Chinese travellers is also expected to provide a much-needed boost to the global tourism industry and channel optimism into the global economy, observers pointed out.

“The outbound tourism sector is a market-driven one, and many service products need to be prepared in advance,” suggested Jiang Yiyi, a professor of leisure sports and tourism at the Beijing Sport University.

To enhance Pak-China cooperation in the tourism sector, the Pakistani Embassy in China launched a website called Discover Batie, which contains information about the main tourist attractions in Pakistan and links to the official websites of major museums, malls and hotels.

Gandhara Art Exhibition

Earlier, a Gandhara Art Exhibition was held at Palace Museum in Beijing, which showcases 173 artefacts come from Pakistan. “It’s a step to tell the Chinese brothers and sisters what Pakistan can offer.” Sardar Muhammad, Consul General of Pakistan in Guangzhou, commented.

“Pakistan is the topographic heaven for tourists. There are snow-covered mountains, lakes, pine trees and waterfalls, which are especially attractive to those who are keen on adventurous tourism. Tour guide training in Pakistan has started to promote tourist visits from friendly countries.” Sardar Muhammad noted Pakistan’s current efforts in promoting travel facilitation.

Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Managing Director Rana Aftab said, “The Task Force on Tourism had already been formed to achieve milestones in the tourism sector. We need to ensure a better and more secure environment and ease of travelling for international tourists. We can promote group tourism through registered and licensed tour operators globally, ensuring an amicable environment for international tourists.”