Haripur: Speakers at a seminar on ecotourism have said Pakistan can cope with ongoing economic crisis by focusing on ecotourism, which is a vast field and is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.
A seminar was arranged by the newly established department of ecotourism at the university of Haripur on Friday. Students, faculty members attended the seminar and ecotourism experts including shed light on the importance of ecotourism field and its impact on the country economy.
They said the Pakistan had a potential to cope with ongoing economic crises by focusing on ecotourism and also the youth can also make their future in ecotourism by studying ecotourism.
Muhammad Idress Khan, said ecotourism was a broad field for making future in it, a person can join this sector as hotelier, tourist guide, start own tours operator company.
He said he seemed the future of ecotourism in Pakistan bright and accomplished.
Usman Khan, a lecturer, said neotech had conducted an assessment on the tourism field and according to its findings that Pakistan had lack of professionals in the hotel industry.
He added that there was 50,000 professionals demand in the market but there was just 300 and the rest of workers were non-professional.
Fatima Urooj, a student of forestry department, said ecotourism and forestry both were related fields because without forest ecotourism was not possible.
She said the seminar was fruitful for her and she gained plenty of knowledge about ecotourism and its future.
Asif Khan, forestry student said after attending this seminar he wished to do a diploma in ecotourism as a tourist guide and make his future in ecotourism.
Halima Usmani, management department’s student, said that the seminar was much informative and she heard about its scope and value in jobs market for the first time.
She said girl students in the past only opted for some specific fields of study but now female students take admissions in every field and this is a positive trend and girls should also go for ecotourism.
Dr Tariq Rauf, PHD in ecotourism, who arranged the seminar, said that they would announce admission in ecotourism very soon by offering diplomas and BS degree.
He said the world had been ended the general tourism and focused on ecotourism which he witnessed contributing to their economy by generating huge revenue from the ecotourism.
Dr Tariq, said the Pakistan’s future was lying in the ecotourism for which the government and universities had to take steps by promoting ecotourism and preparing professionals in the universities.
Pro-vice chancellor of the Haripur university, Ayub Khan also spoke on the occasion and gave away shields to the guest speakers.
