American Tourist Ranks Pakistan Among Top 10 Favorites After Visiting 196 Countries

[RiazHaq]

http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/02/us-tourist-puts-pakistan-among-top-10.html

Cassie De Pecol, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for traveling to all 196 countries of the world in shortest time, has put Pakistan at number 5 among the top 10 "must visit" countries.

Other countries on De Pecol's top 10 list are: Mongolia, Bhutan, Maldives, Vanuatu, Oman, Tunisia, Peru, Costa Rica and USA.


Lahore Fort Source: Telegraph

De Pecol said people must visit Pakistan “to get a true sense of raw, authentic Asian culture, and for the food.” Earlier, in an Instagram message at the start of her Pakistan visit she wrote: “My time here in Pakistan has just begun and has been one of the many wonderfully educational and culturally enriching experiences…. Don’t judge by its color or a country by the media", according to media reports.

De Pecol, a Connecticut native, left the United States on July 14, 2015, and just completed her 196-country tour Feb 2, 2017 — beating the current Guinness record of three years and three months, according to Today.com.

De Pecol needed money to finance her expedition. She found her first nonprofit endorsement through the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, and after that, she decided to reach out to big and small companies and independent investors to contribute to her mission. “A lot of people think it’s so easy to find a sponsor to travel,” she today Today. “One of the most difficult aspects of this expedition was trying to find funding through sponsorship.”

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http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/02/us-tourist-puts-pakistan-among-top-10.html

 

[RiazHaq]

Beyond the headlines of #terrorism, #Pakistan’s #economy is on the rise - The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...conomy-is-on-the-rise/?utm_term=.7d38ea777fe2

Afshin Molavi is co-director of the emerge85 Lab and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Shortly after Egypt’s 2011 uprising ended with the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, prominent Egyptian investor Ahmed Heikal said: “If we get things right, we could be Turkey in 10 years. If we get them wrong, we could be Pakistan in 18 months.”

Everyone understood the subtext: Turkey was the model; Pakistan was the train wreck. After all, at that time Turkey had come off a decade of high growth, doubled its gross domestic product over the previous decade, tripled its per capita income and was still seen as an emerging-market darling. It even lent its first initial to the latest and newest acronym by Goldman Sachs’ Jim O’Neill (he of BRICS fame) — Turkey was the “T” in MINT: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey.

As for Pakistan, well, it was Pakistan, known mostly for terrorist attacks like the one perpetrated last week by an Islamic State suicide bomber that left at least 80 people dead and incited a furious government crackdown on militants. Headlines of terrorism, coups and instability, plus years of underdevelopment and poverty meant that no one was going to add Pakistan to a catchy acronym.

But not so fast. Look beyond the headlines and see Pakistan today. It boasted the best stock market in Asia in 2016. The high-flying Karachi Stock Exchange Index is up more than 52 percent over the past year — and rising. The exchange broke through the vaunted 50,000 mark last month — a first in history. What’s more, Pakistan is winning plaudits from the International Monetary Fund, and its economy is forecast for a healthy 5.2 percent growth rate in 2017, according to the World Bank.

As Pakistan turns a corner, Trump administration policymakers fixated on the terrorism threat just might miss this extraordinary opportunity in a country that has long been a terror bane. Three key factors are driving Pakistan’s economic awakening: an improved security climate even despite the most recent attack, relative political stability and a growing middle class. These three interlocking pieces are fueling Pakistan’s growth story — a vital story given the size and geopolitical weight of the nuclear-armed South Asian nation of nearly 200 million people.

In mid-May, the world’s largest research-based provider of index funds, MSCI, will officially “graduate” Pakistan from its frontier-market category to the more prestigious — and well-capitalized — “emerging market” index. It will join 23 other countries on the index that represents 10 percent of world capitalization.

Turkey is also on that index, but its fortunes are diverging rapidly. It is no longer the emerging-market economy on the rise, as it slows under the weight of political uncertainty, a deteriorating security situation, questions over its relations with the European Union and an intensified Kurdish militant insurgency in the southeast.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the generals may finally have gotten a reasonable handle on the deteriorating security climate — although attacks such as the suicide bombing at the Sufi shrine last week are likely to persist. And in 2013, when Sharif was elected, it marked the first democratic transition of power in the coup-prone country. Sharif entered office as the great global transformation taking place worldwide — of technological connectivity, rapid urbanization and rising middle class consumption — continued to churn. And Pakistan has not missed that train.

 

[AUz]

Offcourse she ranked Pakistan in her top 10 after visiting every single country on planet.

Pakistan's social culture, authentic civilization, mesmerizing geographic features, and dynamic people makes it one of the most unique/awesome country in the world.

All we need is economic development and political stability/improvement.

Pakistan is a growing, dynamic, unique Islamic Republic trying to carve it's path to the future without losing it's current heritage.

What's India? An increasingly Westernized nation that prides itself of being "secular" to please Western audience. Lol, totally bland in terms of civilisation.

 

[my2cents]

Offcourse she ranked Pakistan in her top 10 after visiting every single country on planet.

Pakistan's social culture, authentic civilization, mesmerizing geographic features, and dynamic people makes it one of the most unique/awesome country in the world.

All we need is economic development and political stability/improvement.

Pakistan is a growing, dynamic, unique Islamic Republic trying to carve it's path to the future without losing it's current heritage.

What's India? An increasingly Westernized nation that prides itself of being "secular" to please Western audience. Lol, totally bland in terms of civilisation.

This is not about India and as the OP said don't go by media.

 

[Jackdaws]

Offcourse she ranked Pakistan in her top 10 after visiting every single country on planet.

Pakistan's social culture, authentic civilization, mesmerizing geographic features, and dynamic people makes it one of the most unique/awesome country in the world.

All we need is economic development and political stability/improvement.

Pakistan is a growing, dynamic, unique Islamic Republic trying to carve it's path to the future without losing it's current heritage.

What's India? An increasingly Westernized nation that prides itself of being "secular" to please Western audience. Lol, totally bland in terms of civilisation.

The irony of you being happy that a western tourist has rated Pakistan highly and then commenting on how India "pleases Western audience" is hilarious.

And I am sure Pakistan is beautiful - I've always wanted to visit the remote region where the Kalash people live.

 

[R Wing]

Offcourse she ranked Pakistan in her top 10 after visiting every single country on planet.

Pakistan's social culture, authentic civilization, mesmerizing geographic features, and dynamic people makes it one of the most unique/awesome country in the world.

All we need is economic development and political stability/improvement.

Pakistan is a growing, dynamic, unique Islamic Republic trying to carve it's path to the future without losing it's current heritage.

What's India? An increasingly Westernized nation that prides itself of being "secular" to please Western audience. Lol, totally bland in terms of civilisation.

The India comment in the end wasn't necessary.

Let's celebrate Pakistan for what it is --- a beautiful place with the most brave, resilient and hospitable people on the planet.

 

[Hussain Farooqui]

The irony of you being happy that a western tourist has rated Pakistan highly and then commenting on how India "pleases Western audience" is hilarious.

And I am sure Pakistan is beautiful - I've always wanted to visit the remote region where the Kalash people live.

Bharat is also a great country no doubt. Bharat shares the same history and the same historical heritage. There are no permanent foes and friends in international politics. Now the time has come when the countries of SAARC must tie up their interests together with China wisely and work for the common interests of all.

 

[saaju]

No doubt my Pakistan is beautiful ... But our enemies cant digest this truth and want to spread terrorism in our country .

 

[krash]

Shortly after Egypt’s 2011 uprising ended with the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, prominent Egyptian investor Ahmed Heikal said: “If we get things right, we could be Turkey in 10 years. If we get them wrong, we could be Pakistan in 18 months.”

They must have gotten them really really wrong then.

 

[war&peace]

Of course, I haven't travelled as much as she, but still I have visited almost all of the western EU, 50% of Eastern, most of US and some parts of South America...and I honestly felt that the amount of diversity Pakistan presents within its 881913 m^2 is unmatchable.

 

[Khan_21]

I think the 9 million tourists who visited India during 2016 says otherwise.

You can thank visa on arrival for that . Indian government has e-visa/visa on arrival for 180 countries . Pakistan doesn't have that for tourists . Everybody likes a visa free travel . Also what does that have to do with anything ? Iceland , Sweden , Denmark , Norway a, Australia get fewer tourists than India . Does that mean they are lesser than India in any way ? It might mean fewer people visit them because of the tough visa regime .

 

[ideasexchange]

Wow a tourist praises Pakistan and the Pakistani members here bring India into the discussion. Obsession ?
And now the facts . Sponsored by ...... read the article.
http://images.dawn.com/news/1176752

 

[RiazHaq]

#CPEC is world's most significant geopolitical & geo-economic project. #Aman17 #China #Pakistan http://www.afr.com/news/world/asia/...by-economics-and-the-military-20170220-gugxnr … via @FinancialReview

The Pakistan port of Karachi has just played host to a multi-national naval exercise, involving military ships from 36 countries including from the Royal Australian Navy. The exercises was focused on defending sea trade routes; the all-important Indian Ocean lies to the south of the Arabian Sea.

AMAN-17 (aman means 'peace' in Urdu) was a chance for the nuclear-armed and fast-growing Pakistan Navy to show off its latest acquisitions, which include two new Chinese built warships.

The objective in bringing together vessels from the UK, US, Indonesia and China, among others, was to build a coalition on maritime issues and develop tactics against non-traditional threats such as smuggling.

India was conspicuous by its absence — not surprisingly given 70 years of war tension on both sides over Kashmir, nuclearisation and state-sponsored terrorism.

Apart from the normalised security threat, it was the opportunity for discussion of the massive economic and geopolitical challenges which informed much of the talk, especially with a view to China.

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an audacious project funded by more than US$56 billion in loans from Beijing to give China trade access to a new mega-port called Gwadar in Pakistan.

The project involves railways, roads and power stations leading from the south of Pakistan through some of the most rugged and unstable parts of the country to the border with China in the north. It is, in the words of Pakistan's defence minister, Khawja Muhammad Asif, a 'game-changer'.

The land link, and the transformation of Gwadar into a large and secure hub, would shave two weeks off the travel time of shipping from China's east coast to the Middle East and beyond.

----


A maritime conference being held in tandem with the AMAN 17 exercises pointed to the CPEC project as a key to the overdue economic development not just of Pakistan but also the western Indian Ocean region.


-----

Dennis Rumley, professor of Indian Ocean Studies at Curtin University in Perth, says if the sums add up CPEC could be one of the world's most significant geopolitical and geo-economic projects.

"Of course the Chinese want access to the Indian Ocean and why not? The problem with that access is it's going to take billions of dollars, it's going to the construction of railway that'll take at least five years in the best-case scenario and it's going to run through a region which is highly insecure," he said.

"You have to solve all those problems first and of course the money is not a grant it's a loan and there's a real possibility that given the economic situation in Pakistan they may be unable to repay the loan. So the long-term issues are rather fragile."

But Sydney-based funds manager Jack Lowenstein of Morphic Asset Management, who is a keen investor and visitor to Pakistan, has a more bullish take on the project.

He predicts the country's economic growth will pick up from 3-4 per cent to 5 per cent within a few years and CPEC will bring much-needed investment particularly to correct the nation's chronic power shortage.

"We believe the Chinese have far too much 'face' at stake to pull out and we see no evidence of the Pakistanis doing anything other than rolling out a very large red carpet," he said.

Almost 40 per cent of the world's trade passes through the Indian Ocean including most of Australia's fuel and food and the RAN has been active in the region and the Gulf since 1990.

 

[india2050]

Offcourse she ranked Pakistan in her top 10 after visiting every single country on planet.

Pakistan's social culture, authentic civilization, mesmerizing geographic features, and dynamic people makes it one of the most unique/awesome country in the world.

All we need is economic development and political stability/improvement.

Pakistan is a growing, dynamic, unique Islamic Republic trying to carve it's path to the future without losing it's current heritage.

What's India? An increasingly Westernized nation that prides itself of being "secular" to please Western audience. Lol, totally bland in terms of civilisation.

First of all, the thread is about Pakistan . Great that someone puTs Pakistan in their list of top 10 countries to visit.Secondly, "bland in terms of civilisation " ...really.? !!i think it is so very unfair to call India that . Each state in India has a separate culture and rich history . If one wants to visit India , then he will not do justice to any of the states if they try to cramp in a pan India tour . There are some long term settlers in India (more,than 10 years ) who still believe that they have only merely grazed the top of the melting pot that is India

Wow a tourist praises Pakistan and the Pakistani members here bring India into the discussion. Obsession ?
And now the facts . Sponsored by ...... read the article.
http://images.dawn.com/news/1176752

In Pakistan, Cassie, as she likes being called, is a guest of the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s (PATA) Pakistan chapter on a request of the PATA headquarters

All tourism organiZations do that, with the help of their respective governments to boost tourism in their country , nothing wrong in it ...

You can thank visa on arrival for that . Indian government has e-visa/visa on arrival for 180 countries . Pakistan doesn't have that for tourists . Everybody likes a visa free travel . Also what does that have to do with anything ? Iceland , Sweden , Denmark , Norway a, Australia get fewer tourists than India . Does that mean they are lesser than India in any way ? It might mean fewer people visit them because of the tough visa regime .

The context was a reply to a Pakistani post on how bland or tourist unpopular India was , as compared with Pakistan !!

 

[Khan_21]

Or there is not much to enjoy. Europe is almost the same everywhere. Those Scandinavian countries are not much different. I've studied in Canada and there isn't much difference between US. Westerners choose Asia (South Asia, China to Japan) to experience the cultural shock.

Speaking of Pakistan, it's not about visa on arrival or e-visa. It's the travel warning that is hampering tourist inflows.
Other thing has to do with relation with the country. India receives a lot of Tourists from USA, UK, France. All these countries put a travel warning. That is the main reason. You might remember Nirbhaya rape case. This caused dip in the number of tourists to India as countries put travel warning. As soon as this warning was removed it came back to normal.

India experienced a spike of more than 200 % when it introduced e visa for everybody . US and Canada are poles apart . US especially has much more variety .