By Haris Ahmed
PESHAWAR: A selfie with an old Buddha statue, a small clip of a snowy peak or a 360-degree online tour of a clear blue lake may look like a normal social media post, but in Pakistan’s growing digital tourism scene, such moments can become strong calls for the world to see the country’s hidden beauties.
For class eight student Malaika Bibi and her 10-year-old brother Ibrahim Khan, a recent visit to Peshawar Museum was more than just a museum tour; it was a long-cherished dream coming true.
Standing in front of hundreds of years old Gandhara statues and a figure of Lord Buddha, Malaika took photos and selfies to share with her friends on online platforms.
Their small act shows a new fact: tourism is not only promoted now through booklets, travel agents or TV ads.
In the age of digital technology, a mobile camera, social media post, online tour or AI-based travel app can take a place from a far-off valley in Pakistan to screens all over the world.
As the world marks World Tourism Day on September 27, Pakistan is now looking at digital technology as a door to show its natural, cultural and historic treasures while creating jobs for local people.
This year’s world tourism theme focuses on digital change and artificial intelligence and their power to change travel planning, place selection and eco-friendly tourism work while helping local people and small firms gain from the changing tourism scene.
“No country in the world has such variety in tourism as Pakistan,” said Abu Zafar Sadiq, President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, while talking to this reporter.
He mentioned Pakistan’s stunning mountain scenery, saying the country has K2, the world’s second highest peak at 8,611 meters, along with many other tall mountains.
From the old Gandhara and Indus civilizations to the living Kalash culture of Chitral, Pakistan has a rare mix of history, culture and beautiful landscapes.
About 61 percent of Pakistan’s area is covered by mountains, giving a huge ground for mountaineering, trekking, skiing and other adventure sports. K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum-I and Broad Peak have made the country a place of world interest for climbers and adventure lovers.
Yet many of these gems are still not well known to foreign visitors. Abu Zafar believes digital media can help fill that gap.
He said the good use of platforms like Facebook, X, TikTok and WhatsApp can boost snow sports, cultural tourism, heritage places and adventure tourism while showing less-known spots to possible visitors.
“Through the lens of digital media, Gandhara art, Indus civilization, Kalash culture, beautiful lakes like Saif-ul-Malook and the world’s second highest peak K2 can bring an economic change in Pakistan,” he said.
For young people living in tourist spots, this digital shift can also create new ways to earn. Growth of tourism creates need for hotels, restaurants, transport, tour guides, handicrafts, food shops and adventure sports, while digital marketing, photography, content making, online booking and travel services can add more job chances.
Professor Dr Muhammad Naeem of the Economics Department at the University of Swabi said the meeting of Pakistan’s scenic beauty and social media has created big scope for digital tourism.
The green-blue waters of Mahudand, Saif-ul-Malook, Dudipath and Ansoo lakes, he said, give the kind of eye-catching content that can inspire people to visit places they may have never heard of before.
In the digital age, a possible tourist can see a place online before deciding to travel. A 360-degree video or virtual reality experience can give a view of Saif-ul-Malook or Mahudand lakes, snowfall in Kalam and Murree, skiing at Malam Jabba, Lahore’s Badshahi Mosque, Karimabad Bazaar in Hunza or the Takht-i-Bahi site before a visitor books a flight or hotel.
For a country blessed with UNESCO World Heritage Sites and rich old remains, such technology can act as a link between Pakistan’s heritage and foreign travelers.
The ruins of Mohenjo-daro, Buddhist remains at Takht-i-Bahi, Taxila and many historic sites show a cultural legacy that can be brought closer to world viewers through quality digital storytelling.
Dr Naeem stressed the need for trained digital teams, bloggers, content makers and social media experts to make short and attractive videos showing tourism places and adventure chances.
He also pointed out scope for river rafting, paragliding, skiing and other adventure sports in areas including Swat, Naran, Kaghan and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Bakhtzada Khan, Assistant Director of Archaeology and Museums, told this reporter that new technology has changed the way places can be shown to the outside world.
“Today is the era of digital tourism,” he said, adding that responsible digital media plans can help remove negative views and present Pakistan’s tourism treasures through strong videos, stories and programs.
He suggested that tourism departments work with well-known tourism firms, foreign bloggers and digital experts to bring foreign visitors. Digital maps, GPS, artificial intelligence, online booking systems and focused marketing can further make places easier to find and visit.
At the provincial level, steps are already being taken to use digital media to highlight destinations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority General Manager Muhammad Ali Syed told APP that the authority is promoting digital tourism through short video clips, including coverage of events in Kalam and Kalash festivals.
He mentioned the home-stay tourism project, under which people of tourism areas in Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can get interest-free loans of up to Rs3 million to build or repair at least two rooms for tourist stay.
The link between technology, tourists and local people may finally decide whether digital tourism becomes a lasting economic chance.
A stunning mountain captured in a far valley may attract a visitor, and a well-made digital map may help that visitor reach the spot. But it is the local guide, hotel owner, transport driver, restaurant worker, artisan or family-run guesthouse that can turn the visit into economic gain for the community.
As Pakistan marks World Tourism Day, its task is not just to show the world its beauty, but to tell its stories in a responsible way and present its heritage in its true light.
The Buddha statues of Peshawar Museum, the ruins of Gandhara, the old streets of Taxila, the culture of Kalash, the blue lakes of the north and the high peaks of the Karakoram all have stories waiting to be found.
In an age when a place can become world famous through a single strong image or video, Pakistan’s smartphone screens may well become some of its most important windows to the world.
