Entry fee for foreign tourists at Khunjerab National Park increased to 8 USD
Locals to be hired in Khunjerab Security Force, affectees of KKH expansion to be compensated soon
Press Release
Gilgit: The Steering Committee of Khunjerab National Park at the GB Secretariat. Key officials from GB administration, officials of KVO and community representatives attended the meeting.
An executive committee was formed in the meeting to resolve issues of the Khunjerab National Park. The entry fee for foreign tourists was increased from 4 USD to 8 USD. The designation of Director Khunjerab National Park was dissolved and a new position of Director Parks and Wildlife was created which will be responsible for all National Parks in the GB region. It was also decided that a local person will be hired as Park Inspector.
The Khunjerab Village Organization was instructed to provide more facilities for tourists in the national park, with the help of local communities. Chief Secretary GB, Saifullah Chattha, who presided over the meeting, also accepted an invitation to visit the Khunjerab National Park.
The entry fee for foreign tourists was increased from 4 USD to 8 USD is not a good news for tourism company becouse no tourism in the moment in all of pakistan. The concern people must be concerat to focus to promation of tourism in GB and firstly to provid all kinds of facilitie in the national park. no need only increased the entry fee.
This is not a good news indeed, as the tourism industry is already hostage to heavy losses, this will work as salt on the fresh wounds, if instead of imposing taxes one could have thought of the renovation and up gradation of the park, as it is running short of necessities, if they could fulfill these requirements then they might take taxes, how much they want, this will almost render a poor tourism fascination in the area as it is almost down in the dump from the couple of years back.
I think this is reasonable. USD 8 is not going to deter anyone from entering the park, so let the park charge the higher fee. USD 8 in today’s dollars equals USD 4 in 1990 dollars. Even when I was a poor backpacker in 1992, I could still afford USD 4. Most tourists come to the area with more money than poor backpackers, and they didn’t make the effort to get right up to the park entrance only to walk away because of a few more dollars. In economics, this concept is called elasticity of demand, and in this case, the park fee is highly inelastic. In other words, they could charge a lot more than USD 8!
Thanks- for sharing the KVO up-date after a break of about six or seven long years. I do agree with Cheryl-nither it makes too much difference in financial aspects of KVO. The actual source of generation of fund that, majorly contributes towards the commnity development and specially park development is the Trouphy Hunting-the detail is missed in the report. How the national tour operators are destroying the parks and images just for their short gains and benifits-this is the major challange for the Management of KVO and at large the Park managements at country level. The fees structure is not shared which again is a great missing.
The second point is the right of job and releasing of the bounded funds of KVO. Since long the FUND of KAVO has been held up by the Management of Parks so the development works of KVO member villages are badly suffering. Being a member of KVO my humbly request is to the Park Management Committee to release the fund that we can plan for the secters of education, health remaing with in the present situation of crises after the bad incident of ATTABAD.
This is really a challange for the new members of KVO-to work and set the targets on long medium and short time basis.
Engr. Baig Ali
ISB
I think it would be reasonable increment because the services they are provide are outstanding.