World Tourism Forum 2021 – how to prepare for taking max. advantage

News that “Pakistan will host World Tourism Forum in 2021 (WTF-2021) may be good but can be better if we prepare well. (Source:  https://www.researchsnipers.com/pakistan-to-host-world-tourism-forum-in-2021/)

Hosting an international event is more of a cost unless the host country makes preparations to take maximum advantage of the same.  Opportunity is that lots of people (not necessarily tourists) will be visiting Pakistan and will have their ears and eyes open to know about what this country has to offer, if any, for the world of tourism and why tourists should, or should not, consider spending their next tourism dollars in this country Vs tons of other options.

To get that kind of exposure is a risky.  The positive side is that tons of people will be visiting Pakistan either to speak at, to attend, to learn, to cover, to visit/see and/or to take advantage of the summit.  Additionally, lots of people will be watching or associated with the summit remotely.  Right people will be paying attention to what we share, how we present, how we conduct and how others perceive what we have to offer.  Everything will be under the microscope.  Some people/groups will be supportive some not.  It can go either way.  If we do a good job it may help making Pakistan visible and attractive to tourists.  Alternatively, it may turn them off and even reduce our chances further if we mess things up. 

Good or bad, we are in it now.  The only way forward is to do the best we can to prepare, to present what we have to offer and to make our offer a value proposition in terms of safety, fun, uniqueness, experience, ease and cost.  Our objective should be that each and every individual who visits Pakistan in relation to the WTF 2021 and each and every individual who sees or hears anything about Pakistan in relation to the WTF-2021 summit becomes a Visit Pakistan salesman and ambassador.

Let’s face it.  When we want to visit some place for recreational purposes, we want the place to be:

• Safe
• Fun filled
• Accessible
• Affordable
• Doable
• Unique
• Easy

If a place that one is considering or is suggested/recommended to consider meets all above criteria, it may get short listed, otherwise there are tons of other options that would.  So, the line of action for us between now and the time before or during the WTF 2021, and afterwards, is clear.  If Pakistani government and people want that WTF 2021 does not just become an expense rather a good investment they should be doing:

1. Identify, document and promote what they have to offer to the tourists’ community world over
2. Enhance and diversify the above list both in terms of nature and geographical locations
3. Make a case why it should be them and not others for each of above
4. Highlight how each of above meets, or even exceeds, the above defined criteria
5. Be prepared to share and present all above to all related with WTF 2021 they way they want to see/hear

By default, Pakistan and Pakistanis are very hospitable people.  I have no doubts about the professional way the actual conference will be organized and managed.  Comfortable and expansive hotels and venues will be used, log and fluffy speeches will be made, luxury vehicles for the key personnel will be provided, lavish feasts and parties will be organized, and attendees will be provided with well organized and orchestrated tours of select places.  We have done it several times and we do a good job of doing the above.

It is the groundwork of the contents that we need to pay more attention to.  Decision makers and key players may have already figured out things and would have a comprehensive plan and tasks list.  Based on the recent experience of visiting few places including some where language was a barrier, following are some of the actions that, this blogger thinks, we should be taking are:

1. Facilitate /guide foreign visitors about tourism at all points and modes of entry to Pakistan.  Some of the following steps may help:

• Include a tourism info brochure on each seat on all inbound flights
• Print or attach basic tourism contact info (Tourism Portal URLs, PTDC contact info) with all inbound flight/train/bus tickets
• Introduce a tourist’s info corner (manned/unmanned) and place tourism info brochures at all points and modes of entries to Pakistan
• Introduce a 24/7 multilingual tourist helpline phone on all tourist’s info corners
• Train all staff on points of entries to point tourist to tourist’s info corners and resources available to them
• Make signage on all points of entries more tourists friendly

2. Facilitate /guide foreign and local visitors about tourism on all major regional airports, train and/or bus stations.  Some of the following steps may help:

• Print or attach regional Tourists attractions/Places of Interests (POIs) and basic tourism contact info (Tourism Portal URLs, PTDC contact info) with all inbound flight/train/bus tickets
• Introduce a tourist’s info corner (manned/unmanned) and place tourism info brochure at all points and modes of entries to Pakistan
• Introduce a 24/7 multilingual tourist help line phone on all tourist’s info corners
• Train all staff on major regional airports, train and/or bus stations points of entries to point tourist to tourist’s info corner and other resources available to them

3. Make signage on all airports, train and bus stations more tourists friendly3. Facilitate /guide foreign and local visitors reaching POIs.  Some of the following steps may help:

• Add tourism related highway signage on all highways
• Make signage on all highways more tourists friendly

4. Facilitate /guide foreign and local visitors after reaching POIs.  Some of the following steps may help:

• Introduce a tourist’s info manned or unmanned corner
• Place a board near the main entrance with Name a brief info about POI for photo op
• Provide separate and clean washrooms for men/women, even if at a charge

5. A central Pakistan Tourism web portal to be created and promoted by the PTDC.  This portal should serve as one stop shop for all tourism related services such as:

• Overview of Pakistan
• Overview of major cities
• Tourists resources
• Links to provincial tourism web portal
• General Dos and Don’ts
• Major Tourists Attractions/Places of Interests (POIs) in each city
• How to get there
• Timings & applicable Fees
• Should be multilingual
• Link to all travel or tourism related companies
• Links to all related videos
• Links to all related Pictures

6. A provincial Tourism web portal to be created and promoted by the provincial TDC.  This portal should serve as one stop shop for all tourism related services such as:

• Overview of the province
• Overview of major cities/markets
• Tourists resources
• Major Tourists’ attractions/Places of Interests (POIs) within the province
• How to get there
• Timings & applicable Fees
• Where to buy souvenirs
• Dos and Don’ts
• Should be multilingual
• Link to all regional travel related companies
• Links to all related videos
• Links to all related Pictures

7. Major cities’ Tourism web portal to be created and promoted by the provincial TDC.  This portal should serve as one stop shop for all tourism related services such as:

• Overview of the city
• Overview of major areas/markets
• Tourists resources
• Major Tourists’ attractions/Places of Interests (POIs) within the city
• How to get there
• Timings & applicable Fees
• Where to buy souvenirs
• Dos and Don’ts
• Should be multilingual
• Link to all regional travel related companies
• Links to all related videos
• Links to all related Pictures

8. Get an independent info website (templated) for each POI.  Link the website to the city, provincial and central tourists web portal.  Consistent naming convention for these websites to be used, depending on domain name availability (such as moenjodaro.com.pk or patriatachairlift.com.pk etc.).  The template should include:

• Complete name of POI
• Common name (used by locals) of POI
• Address
• Timing
• Entry fees, other costs etc.
• How to reach
• Info blurb of tourism value
• Local language spoken/understood
• Where to buy souvenirs
• Dos and Don’ts
• Name and contact information of Responsible authorities
• Contact/Feedback form
• Picture Gallery

 9. Create a Pakistan Tourism app (Rome2Rio)

• Lists all POIs
• Identifies how to reach there from another place
• Example:  https://www.rome2rio.com/

Above are neither a one-time effort not it includes everything needed.  The above is a subset of a very long list of activities we should be doing positively before WTF-2021, and continue doing afterwards, to help demonstrating the world that our country and places  are safe, affordable and within reach, and visiting the same will be a unique, fun-filled, exciting experience they can proudly brag about.

Note:  If you like what you just read you can help more by:

1. Subscribing – this way you will be notified anytime a new post gets made
2. Sharing posts – this way you will spread the good words to more people
3. Sharing ideas – this way you can give us your ideas/solutions for new blog
4. Writing blog – this way you can actually contribute to this website and participate in the good work

Feel free to reach out to us for any questions, suggestions and/or areas for improvements.

Babar Saeed

bsaeed@yahoo.com

August 16, 2020