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Key Indicator : Hotel Rooms, Presence of major car rental countries, Automated teller machines per adult population
Tourists are more inclined to travel to a country if adequate service infrastructure exists which facilitates them in their travels. Pakistan faces a shortage of such infrastructure and barely caters to the services demanded by domestic tourists. Not surprisingly, regarding this aspect, the country is positioned at 100 with a score of 2.2 in the 2021 T&T Development Report.
The presence of accommodation for travellers and tourists needs to be compatible with the growing population in Pakistan. The data for the number of hotel rooms per 100 population is not available. Access to travel services for tourists is also an important
the country is positioned at 100 with a score of 2.2 in the 2021 T&T Development Report.
aspect and is seen through the main car rental companies (named in T&T Report 2019). Of these seven, four were found to be operating in Pakistan in 2018.[193] Moreover, in 2018-19, PTDC was the provider of transport services to more than 9000 Pakistani and international tourists in comparison to 4000 a year earlier. Ease of access to money is significant for travellers as well, however, in 2019, the country only had 10.8 automated teller machines for every 100,000-adult population.[194] With the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism industry has suffered considerably and has been under pressure to stay afloat. The previous government has focused on showcasing Pakistan as a tourist destination, but attention also needs to be given to developing tourist service infrastructure to deal with the future growth of domestic and international tourists. In its manifesto and 100-day agenda, PTI aimed to introduce a framework for providing incentives to the private sector for it to invest in updating and developing new facilities in the tourism sector.
The current key players in the hotel and lodging industry include Pearl Continental, Marriott Hotels, Avari Hotels, Serena Hotels, Nishat Hotels, and Mövenpick Hotel. These international and national chains provide around 5000 rooms and are operational across 39 cities.[195] By 2025, The Radisson Hotel Group aims to develop 10 hotels with a total of 2,000 rooms across Pakistan.[196] Public Private collaborations have also begun in the hospitality and tourism sector. PIA and the International Hospitality Investment Group (IHIG) have partnered to promote tourism in the country.[197] Another recent example is where National Logistics Cell (NLC) and Hashoo Group have joined hands to set up world-class resort hotels at Attabad lake and Gilgit Baltistan, and also in other regions of Pakistan after that.[198] In 2021, Hashoo Group signed an MoU with Road and Story (a tourism development firm) to open a Pearl Continental hotel at Attabad lake, Hunza.[199] However, recreational facilities are also much needed but not being given due attention despite the presence of great potential for public-private partnerships and profits present in generating amusement for tourists.[200]
Public-Private Partnerships are indispensable to Pakistan’s tourism sector. Such partnerships for developing tourist service infrastructure will lead to more tourist services of international standards and rapid progress in the tourism sector.