Tourism & Sports Festival opens in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD, Nov 06 (APP):The second Pakistan Tourism, Sports and Family Festival commenced at the Islamabad Sports Complex on Friday, attracting visitors with a variety of cultural, recreational and adventure activities. The festival's opening day featured paragliding, paramotoring, hot air ballooning, horse riding and a heavy bike show which remained among the major attractions for visitors. Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab-ur-Rehman Rana was also present on the occasion. Cultural stalls representing all provinces of Pakistan showcased the country's diverse heritage, traditions, lifestyles, traditional cuisine and handicrafts. Stalls featuring local food, popular snacks and handmade cultural products attracted considerable attention. Women artisans also displayed their traditional crafts, highlighting their contribution to preserving Pakistan's cultural heritage and skills passed down through generations. The festival also attracted ambassadors of various countries, their families, diplomatic staff and foreign tourists, who visited the colourful event. Speaking to the media, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had immense tourism potential, adding that the hospitality of its people was a distinguishing feature of the country. He said the government was committed to promoting tourism and stressed the need for an effective strategy to fully utilise the country's natural beauty and tourism resources. He also emphasised better coordination among relevant stakeholders to promote tourism and sports. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan highlighted the importance of tourism promotion, cultural diplomacy and regional connectivity. He said effective initiatives were needed to showcase Pakistan's cultural heritage, natural beauty and tourism and investment opportunities at the international level. Such efforts would help promote international tourism, strengthen commercial ties and foster people-to-people contacts, he added. The three-day festival will continue until November 8 and feature musical evenings, concerts, flying lanterns and various sports competitions.