Pakistan Wants to Introduce a Single Tourist Visa for Pakistan & Central Asia

[Shahzaz ud din]

Pakistan Wants to Introduce a Single Tourist Visa for Pakistan & Central Asia
Posted 3 hours ago by Jehangir Nasir

• • Pakistan wants to introduce a single visa for tourists visiting the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) sub-region, to facilitate tourist movement and increase the likelihood of tourists doing multi-country visits, increasing the average time of stay and spending per tourist.
    
    This has been revealed in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) report “Asian Economic Integration Report 2019-2020, demographic change, productivity, and the role of technology”.
  • The report further maintained that strengthening the intra-subregional ties would also help CAREC “brand” itself better as a future tourist destination for visitors from other countries in Asia, which makes up at least 60% of its market.
    
    Pakistan has recently introduced changes to its visa policy — 50 countries are eligible to apply for a visa-on-arrival under the tourist category, while its online visa system is open to 175 countries.
    
    Visitors from Southeast Asia have become more Asia-centric. Its shares of intra-subregional (38.7%) and inter-subregional (43.4%) tourism have grown relative to 2010. Intra-subregional visitors increased by around half a million in 2017, while inter-subregional arrivals recorded brisk growth (7.2 million visitors more than in 2016), especially Myanmar and Vietnam.
    
    Exports in the Region
    The report further stated that across Asian economies, Bangladesh has the highest intensity ratio, exceeding 1 which indicates stronger trade linkages with regional value chain (RVCs) than global value chain (GVCs). It was followed by Nepal with an intensity score of 0.88 and Pakistan at 0.87. These countries highly specialize in the textiles and textile products sector, and the leather and footwear sector. Their production networks are mostly linked sub-regionally with India and intra-regionally with the PRC.
    
    Among Asian economies, Myanmar saw its soybean exports to the PRC grow fivefold (from $16.9 million to $115.7 million), while Pakistan (52.6%) and Hong Kong, China (23.5%) also recorded higher growth. Meanwhile, some Asian countries—Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Viet Nam—also benefited from the reallocation of US soybean exports.
    
    The countries received a combined share to US total soybean exports of 26.2% in H2 2018, an increase from 17.1% in H2 2017 (equivalent to $584 million).
    
    Large declines in PRC imports from the US also occurred in cotton, particularly on yarns used as intermediate goods. US bilateral cotton exports declined by 27.1% in H2 2018 ($89.5 million). The PRC also reduced its imports from Pakistan, Australia, Japan, Italy, and Turkey (worth $385.3 million). However, this was more than offset by large exports of $534.9 million from India; Hong Kong, China; and Kazakhstan, and $388.1 million from Brazil. The US, on the other hand, diverted $163.4 million in cotton exports to the top Asian textile and garment exporters—Viet Nam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
    
    CAREC 2030
    The report further maintained that CAREC 2030 has a broader agenda which focuses on five operational clusters:
    
    • Economic and financial stability;
    • Trade, tourism, and economic corridors;
    • Infrastructure and economic connectivity;
    • Agriculture and water;
    • Human development.
    In August 2019, the First CAREC Capital Market Regulators’ Forum was convened with co-sponsorship of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, where senior officials from CAREC member countries and business leaders discussed reforms promoting financial access and private sector development through strengthened regional cooperation and integration in capital markets.
    
    In the energy sector, the flagship Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan–Tajikistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan power interconnection framework and Central Asia—South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project continue to progress. Also, the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Natural Gas Pipeline Investment Agreement was signed among pipeline shareholders in 2016, and investment for the first phase of TAPI project is under discussion.

 

[Imran Khan]

good we should stay away from gutter called south asia now

 

[American Pakistani]

good we should stay away from gutter called south asia now

Pakistan have vast majority of land and population that falls into Central Asian region. We have always ignored that fact.

 

[313ghazi]

Good idea. The travel trends nowadays are to go to destinations nobody else has been too, the 'Stan states are popular in that sense. We're never going to attract the European who wants a cheap resort holiday in Spain or Greece, or the American who's wanting the same in Cancun, but for those who are willing to travel for adventure, the backpackers, the students doing SE Asia, those types we could get into Pakistan and this multi-visa might make it even more enticing.

 

[fitpOsitive]

Pakistan Wants to Introduce a Single Tourist Visa for Pakistan & Central Asia
Posted 3 hours ago by Jehangir Nasir

• • Pakistan wants to introduce a single visa for tourists visiting the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) sub-region, to facilitate tourist movement and increase the likelihood of tourists doing multi-country visits, increasing the average time of stay and spending per tourist.
    
    This has been revealed in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) report “Asian Economic Integration Report 2019-2020, demographic change, productivity, and the role of technology”.
  • The report further maintained that strengthening the intra-subregional ties would also help CAREC “brand” itself better as a future tourist destination for visitors from other countries in Asia, which makes up at least 60% of its market.
    
    Pakistan has recently introduced changes to its visa policy — 50 countries are eligible to apply for a visa-on-arrival under the tourist category, while its online visa system is open to 175 countries.
    
    Visitors from Southeast Asia have become more Asia-centric. Its shares of intra-subregional (38.7%) and inter-subregional (43.4%) tourism have grown relative to 2010. Intra-subregional visitors increased by around half a million in 2017, while inter-subregional arrivals recorded brisk growth (7.2 million visitors more than in 2016), especially Myanmar and Vietnam.
    
    Exports in the Region
    The report further stated that across Asian economies, Bangladesh has the highest intensity ratio, exceeding 1 which indicates stronger trade linkages with regional value chain (RVCs) than global value chain (GVCs). It was followed by Nepal with an intensity score of 0.88 and Pakistan at 0.87. These countries highly specialize in the textiles and textile products sector, and the leather and footwear sector. Their production networks are mostly linked sub-regionally with India and intra-regionally with the PRC.
    
    Among Asian economies, Myanmar saw its soybean exports to the PRC grow fivefold (from $16.9 million to $115.7 million), while Pakistan (52.6%) and Hong Kong, China (23.5%) also recorded higher growth. Meanwhile, some Asian countries—Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Viet Nam—also benefited from the reallocation of US soybean exports.
    
    The countries received a combined share to US total soybean exports of 26.2% in H2 2018, an increase from 17.1% in H2 2017 (equivalent to $584 million).
    
    Large declines in PRC imports from the US also occurred in cotton, particularly on yarns used as intermediate goods. US bilateral cotton exports declined by 27.1% in H2 2018 ($89.5 million). The PRC also reduced its imports from Pakistan, Australia, Japan, Italy, and Turkey (worth $385.3 million). However, this was more than offset by large exports of $534.9 million from India; Hong Kong, China; and Kazakhstan, and $388.1 million from Brazil. The US, on the other hand, diverted $163.4 million in cotton exports to the top Asian textile and garment exporters—Viet Nam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
    
    CAREC 2030
    The report further maintained that CAREC 2030 has a broader agenda which focuses on five operational clusters:
    • Economic and financial stability;
    • Trade, tourism, and economic corridors;
    • Infrastructure and economic connectivity;
    • Agriculture and water;
    • Human development.
    In August 2019, the First CAREC Capital Market Regulators’ Forum was convened with co-sponsorship of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, where senior officials from CAREC member countries and business leaders discussed reforms promoting financial access and private sector development through strengthened regional cooperation and integration in capital markets.
    
    In the energy sector, the flagship Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan–Tajikistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan power interconnection framework and Central Asia—South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project continue to progress. Also, the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Natural Gas Pipeline Investment Agreement was signed among pipeline shareholders in 2016, and investment for the first phase of TAPI project is under discussion.

I am filled with joy on these news.
We should concentrate on online hotel booking, money exchange(probably common currency) and overall clearness.
@ps3linux @Mangus Ortus Novem @graphican

 

[graphican]

I am filled with joy on these news.
We should concentrate on online hotel booking, money exchange(probably common currency) and overall clearness.
@ps3linux @Mangus Ortus Novem @graphican

It's a very good move and will bring lots of business and recreational tourism in Pakistan.

To make the most use of tourism potential, Pakistan should focus on "value" as well as "leverage". By value, I mean availability of quality (valuable) places to stay in; like 3, 4 and 5-star hotels, and by leverage I mean excessive and wide-spread availability of these facilities. This is where easy booking, easy discovery and easy commuting to those places matter.

Pakistan is an inexpensive economy and most of the tourists visiting from better economies will have high buying and spending power. Think this way that if someone can afford an air ticket, they can definitely afford to pay for living and nice dining - thus Pakistan should focus on the quality of services even if they come at higher costs.

I am finding the Government is thinking on the right tracks. Pakistan is playing bigger games and initiatives like common visa lay the right foundations. Alhamdolillah that we are witnessing this time.

 

[Goenitz]

like 3, 4 and 5-star hotels, and by leverage I mean excessive and wide-spread availability of these facilities. This is where easy booking, easy discovery and easy commuting to those places matter.

IK vision is opposite.. He clearly stated not as tourist industry but like explorer... like difference between tourist and traveller.. The hospitality people receive in Hunza and further north bcz still these are not commercialised.. look at murree and swat people behaviour.. they want your money just...
Found it

 

[Baz]

I am filled with joy on these news.
We should concentrate on online hotel booking, money exchange(probably common currency) and overall clearness.
@ps3linux @Mangus Ortus Novem @graphican

online hotel booking I would never do an online hotel booking to a Pakistani hotel. firstly 99% wouldnt have that facility. even if they do, bloody fraudsters