ABSTRACT

This report is a complete strategic plan which can help reshaping tourism in Lahore. We have
focused both on the existing scenario and the possible solutions to help the tourism industry
right now. As a group we decided that it would be interesting to visit the offices of concerned
authorities currently responsible for running tourism in Lahore. We also paid visits to the
famous tourist locations highlighted by these authorities. After analyzing the current situation
we introduced a promotion campaign with the title ‘”Lahore Galore”. In this campaign we
focus on how the tourism industry of Lahore can be improved in order to increase the influx of
foreigners and contribute to the economy of the country like many other developing countries
of the world. It stresses largely on retaining the true essence of the city by keeping it clean and
utilizing its fertile land to make it the city of gardens once again. We also suggest that the
people of the city and around the world must be made aware of the importance of Lahore in
relation to its strong cultural heritage.We have given ways for tourist attraction including the
projection of Lahore on the media as a beautiful city, restructuring the official website,
reforms to be made by the government to ease the entry of tourists in the country and to
involve private sector to invest in tourism industry.

NOSTRUM INC.

1
 Chapter: 1
INTRODUCTION

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries”. 1

Pakistan is a destination that has so much to offer visitors, from some of the highest and most
spectacular mountain ranges in the world to the architectural glories of the Mughal Empire,
and ancient bazaars to soul-spinning musical mystics.
Lahore alone, known as the cultural capital of the country, holds many marvels, a huge history
and never ending delights. Based in the heart of Punjab, the most populated province of
Pakistan, Lahore has become the defining city for the people of Pakistan. It’s a mixture of so
many cultures and has been on the face of the earth for a very long time. The evidence of its
presence was provided in a book written in about 150 A.D., refers to it as "Labokla" and
locates it with reference to the Indus, the Ravi, the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers.2 It has seen
emperors, events, people and all of them have left their mark on this city. Lahore has been the
heart of every dynasty of Sub-continent. The Ghaznavid Empire, Sultanates, Khiljis, Tughlaqs,
Sayyid Suris, Lodhis, Sikhs, Mughals and then the British Empire, all have added something
to this city that makes it unique in the world. The Mughals gave it its famous architecture
including the magnificent fort, gardens, tombs, mosques and pavilions. The British added a
mixture of Mughal, Gothic and Victorian style of construction to this city like Government
College, General Post Office, Oriental College, Aitchison College and the High Court. . Like
the architecture the culture, language and races found in this city are equally diverse. Lahore is
famous for its rich food and hospitality. The people of Lahore are very hearty and lively and
readily accept all cultures with open arms but have never lost their own core values.

1
see Huxley, Aldous

2
see Berggren, J. Lennart and Jones, Alexander (2000).

2
But this city has not been explored to its fullest. There are so many places, so many facets of
this city that the world is still not aware of. The tourism industry in Pakistan has never been
successful in bringing the world’s attention to this marvulous city that holds so many secrets.
No matter how many the attractions, tourism in Pakistan has always been something of a hard
sell. So the question here is what stimuli could be taken into consideration to enhance this
industry, particularly in Lahore? In this report, we will put forth some concrete suggestions to
make this happen.
Nostrum Inc. aims at providing and promoting a whole new picture of Lahore, the heart of
Pakistan, to the world in order to give tourism a new meaning. In this project we will be
delineating some actions by elaborating following topics:

1) Tourism around the world.

2) Lahore’s potential.
3) Current action plan of the authorities.
4) Possible improvements and incentives.

In order to accomplish this assignment, we conducted interviews and paid visits to offices of
the concerned authorities, like TDCP and PTDC. We collected information and data about the
potentials in Lahore and current action plan of these authorities. Moreover, we explored some
exciting parts of the city yet to be explored. We are sure that this report will serve the purpose.
This report assumes that there are no financial or political constraints in the country.
Chapter-2 will tell you about this great city and its history, chapter-3 will be about the existing
efforts put in by the authorities, chapter-4 will elaborate the tourism that is present around the
world, chapter-5 will give recommendations to promote torisim in Lahore and the Methodolgy
that will be followed, Summary and conclusions are discussed in Chapter-6.

3
 Chapter: 2

Lahore: A Glorious Heritage

“Lahore Lahore aey”. Thus goes the popular Punjabi saying that literally means ‘Lahore is
Lahore’. The expression however, encompasses a sense much wider in meaning than what is
conveyed by these three simple words. Referring to the peculiarity and the particularity of the
traditions and traits very strongly identified with the city. Yet another term ‘Zinda dilan-e-
Lahore’ – or the lively Lahorites – only betrays the pleasant and amicable character of its
inhabitants, and speaks volumes, again, of the charm and spell Lahore is capable of casting
upon anyone.
Lahore has seen many dynasties and each dynasty, religion and century culture that visited or
resided in this city has left its mark on this city. It is known as the cultural metropolis of
Pakistan where myth and legends are so intertwined that historians and scholars have not yet
been able to clearly spell out its true origin and early growth. Some theories connect it to Loh,
the son of Ramachandra. A small temple attributed to Loh still exists near the western
extremities of the present brick fort, which means that this city has been on the face of the
earth since centuries. Deshwaya Bhaya, another ancient book, also agrees to this theory.
Many early Arab geographers have also mentioned this city in different ways at different
times. Ahmed Bin Yahya mentions it by the name of A’lahwer in ‘Futuhul Baldan’ on of the
earliest Arab chronicles. Al-Idrist, a great Arab traveler of the ninth Century, mentions it as
Lahawar. Abu Rehan Al-biruni in his famous work of tenthe century also mentions it
Its colorful history has not only seen the periods of glory and abundance but also the era of
utter chaos and distress.

2.1 Architectural Monuments:

• Hindu Period
• Muslim Period
• Kamran’s Baradari

4
 • Lahore Fort
• Badshahi Mosque
• Shalamar Gardens
• Masjid Wazir Khan
• Wazir Khan’s Baradari
• Wazir Khn’s Hamam
• Akbari Serai
• Tomb of Jehangir
• Tomb of Asif Khan
• Tomb of Noor Jehan
• Tomb of Anarkali
• Gulabi Bagh Gateway
• Dai Anga’s Tomb
• Tomb of Ali Mardan Khan
• Nadira Begum’s Tomb
• Sarv Wala Makbara
• Budha Ka Awa
• Chauburji
• Nawankot Monuments

2.2 Gardens
• Bagh-e-ayyaz
• Bagh-e-zanjani
• Bagh Shah Ismail
• Bagh Qutubuddin
• Bagh-e-Shah Kuku Chisti
• Bagh-e-Daulatabad
• Bagh-e-Bihisht
• Bagh-e-Shimal

5
 • Bagh-e-Buland
• Bagh-e-Channar
• Naqash-e-Jahan
• Bagh-e-Dilkusha
• Angori Bagh
• Gulabi Bagh
• Bagh-e-Safa
• Garden of Kamran
• Garden of Khwaja Dost Munshi
• Garden of Khwaja Ghazi
• Garden of Mehdi Qasim Khan
• Bagh-e-Dil-Amiz
• Garden of Mirza Kamran
• Bagh-e-Momin Ishqbaz
• Bagh-e-Anarkali
• Shalamar gardens

2.3 Sikh Contribution towards Lahore’s Architecture

• Baradari in Hazoori Bagh
• Smadh Maharaja Ranjit Singh
• Marble Baradari
• Shrine of Guru Arjan Mal
• Art treasures of Sikh’s in Lahore Fort

2.4 British Contribution towards Lahore’s Architecture

• High Court
• GPO

6
 • Government College Lahore
• Aitcheson College Lahore
• Oriental College of Arts (NCA)
• Government Dhial Sing College
• Punjab University
• Tollington Market

2.5 National Monuments of Modern Era

• Allamma Iqbal’s Tomb
• Minar-e-Pakistan

2.6 Festivals
• Basant
• Mela Cheragan
• Rustam e Punjab Dangal
• Data Ganj Bakhs Urs
• Rafi Peer Cultural Festival

2.7 Marketplaces
• The Kashmiri Bazar
• Suha Bazar
• Chatta Bazar
• Dabbi Bazar
• Anarkali Bazar of the old city
• Liberty Bazar
• Gulberg Main Market in modern Lahore
• Moon Market

7
2.8 Food
• Methiees (sweets)
• Halwa
• Lahori Fish
• Khunna
• Chappali Kabeb
• Takatak Mutton
• Gosht Biryani

8
 Chapter: 3
The Effort put in by the Authorities

There is one government body exclusively working for the maintenance and promotion of
tourism industry in the Lahore region, namely TDCP. Here we will discuss their working
agenda and critique their performances.

Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab:-

Since the establishment of The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab Ltd., in 1987,
strenuous efforts are being made to promote tourism among the masses and to provide
infrastructure for the promotion of tourism industry in Pakistan.

The Basic vision is to guide and facilitate the private sector in improvement of tourism
industry

3.1 Attracting Tourists:-

Advertising

• Brochures and vouchers are offered in Airlines like Lufthansa, British Airways. Air
Japan
• Stalls are placed at main hotels in Lahore
o PC
o AVARI
o HOLIDAY INN

9
 • Currently foreign exhibitions are not being attended due to budget shortcoming.
• Fortress Expo center is used for international tourism exhibitions
• A bus service between Lahore and Delhi is operating to improve relations and promote
tourism in both countries.

Pakistan Tourism Fair

The Pakistan Tourism Fair provides a platform for local tour operators to interact with
foreign tour operators and assess business possibilities in Pakistan. TDCP invites foreign
Tour Operators, Airlines, Cruise Liners, Media and Foreign Embassies in Islamabad, along
with local Tour Operators, and Provincial Tourism Organizations to set up booths at the
fair.

Major foreign tour operators from all over the world, as well as foreign Embassies such as
Iran, Philippines, Turkey, and China set up stalls at the fair.

Participants can expect to be treated to local hospitality, city tours, as well as events like
that which was held at Al-Hamrah’s Art Centre previously that depicted Pakistan’s cultural
traditions.

Participants witness the flag lowering ceremony between Pakistan and India at the Wagah
Border, as well as attend seminars and other festivities.

3.2 Finances:-

10
Budget of TDCP

THE 2008-09 annual fiscal budgetary allocations of Rs 100 million, for he vital and one of the
most significant revenue generating sectors in the world, by the Punjab government.
The present allocations of Rs 100 million for the development of tourism in Punjab seems like
just a drop in the ocean since the tourism Sector, which brings billions of rupees in almost
every country of the world including our neighboring India and many other South Asian
countries,
The meager increase of just Rs 50 million against the last fiscal year’s allocations of Rs 50
million would certainly not make any difference in improving tourism in the province. The
handful of rupees dished out by the Punjab government to the tourism sector for its
development with a ‘vision’ of ‘preservation, development and beautification of existing and
potential tourism locations to attract tourists from within as well as outside the province’
seems to be a fantasy in the present times of dearness and the over all disinterest of the
Tourism department’s high-ups.
It will take at least a few hundred million rupees only to preserve the priceless cultural and
historic heritage being destroyed all around us just in the Provincial capital.
This year, the new government in Punjab has announced a 100 per cent increase by doubling
the last year’s allocations to Rs 100 million, which will be spent on one ongoing Scheme and
nine new schemes.
The new projects include the construction of Punjab Tourism Complex at Trade Centre, Johar
Town, and Lahore with Rs 13.06 million.

3.3 Exploring Other Avenues

• Sports Tourism

The Tourism Development Corporation Pakistan (TDCP) organized the first Lahore Rally
Cross, 2008 on October 19 at the River Ravi Bed from Sagian Bridge to the Motorway Bridge.

11
The start and finish lines of the rally race are from Sagian Bridge to Motorway Bridge,
respectively, adding that it would cover a distance of around eight to 10 kilometeres. There are
four categories of petrol jeeps that participate in the event. Category

• School Tourism:

In the past novel ideas which have been transformed into reality. One such idea conceived was
“School Tourism” whose objective was to familiarize the younger generation and tomorrow’s
custodian of this country with the concept of tourism by going through the experience in real
sense. TDCP takes pride in saying that the concept of School Tourism was not based on any
commercial interest rather it is public service and TDCP conducts these tours on no profit and
loss basis.

The objective is to facilitate the brilliant and intelligent students of school belonging to middle
and lower strata of society.

12
 • Wealthy people are encouraged to adapt a school and contribute monetarily in
developing their traveling sense.
• TDCP arranges 6 tours of different sites covering history, culture and heritage of
Pakistan for the school children of low income.
• A City tour of Lahore. Costs Rs.7,700/-

• TDCP’s hidden treasures

Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) began a service called ‘Hidden

Treasures’ to explore Lahore’s less known historical sites, but the service has remained hidden
from public eye. The department had begun a service called ‘Our Beautiful Lahore’ for locals
and tourists in 1988 but a majority of Lahore’s citizens have not heard of the service.
TDCP says there are two ‘Our Beautiful Lahore’ tours, one in the morning and the other in the
afternoon, beginning from Avari Hotel, Pearl Continental Hotel, Ambassador Hotel and
Holiday Inn. The morning tour begins at about 9am and goes to Badshahi Mosque, Lahore
Fort, Jahangir’s Tomb and Lahore Museum. The afternoon tour begins at about 3pm goes to
Shalamar Gardens, Old City, Shahi Hammam, Wazir Khan Mosque, Food Street and Pakistan
Handicrafts shop. The ‘Hidden Treasures’ service begins from Lawrence Road on Sunday
mornings.
However, TDCP Sales and Tour Operation Manager admitted that the services were not
properly advertised. Appropriate steps had not been taken to advertise the services on
billboards and electronic media. He said five people use the ‘Our Beautiful Lahore’ on the
average every day, and 99 percent of them are foreign tourists. “Pakistanis lack discipline. If
the tour time is 9:15am, Pakistanis arrive at 11:15,” he said.
He refused to comment on how much revenue TDCP generates from the service. He said a
very small number of people used the ‘Hidden Treasures’ service because of lack of publicity.

3.4 Development Projects:

13
The Park is situated 28 Kms from Lahore. It can be visited by road or rail. A rail-car leaves
for Jallo at the Lahore Railway Station every half an hour. TDCP offers a well maintained
tourist village where double bed room huts, dormitories, 8 campsites with restroom facilities
and kitchen, a fine dining restaurant, swimming pool can be enjoyed in the park.
The park contains a forest research centre, children's zoo, small museum and a gift shop, and
lake on over 450 acres of land. Boating , and picnicking facilities are available.

1. FACILITATING TOURISTS
• Radio cab service in city

The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) is running a radio cab service in the
city with a squadron of at least 50 cabs.

• Tourism to put Lahore, Punjab on the map

* New map, buses, billboards, zoning laws for city

A brand new map of Lahore has been taken out by the
Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab as part of
its project to bolster the tourism trade here.

The jazzed-up new map, highlights all recently

constructed restaurants, markets and hospitals. It also
pinpoints new and under-construction bridges and underpasses, and maps present city bus
routes. These maps of Lahore will be available at the airport, railway station and bus stands.

The corporation is also finessing discount packages for foreign travelers and tourists.
“Things have almost been finalized between the Corporation and the Parks and Horticulture
Authority regarding billboards in the city”. “All the special packages we’ll have will be
prominently displayed across town,” a giant digital billboard would go up at the Lahore
airport.

14
The head office of TDCP is situated in Lahore

TDCP Offices
LAHORE

1. 140 - Shadman-Il Lahore

Phone 042-9263285,9263286 Fax: 9263287
E-mail: tdcpstp@punjab.gov.pk

2. 4 - A Lawrence Road, Lahore.

Phone: 042-9201189- Fax:042-9201366
E-mail: tdcpticlahore@punjab.gov.pk
3. Allama lqbal International Airport, Lahore.
Phone: 042-9240021-22
E-mail: tdcpairport@punjab.gov.pk
4. Shahi Hamaam, Inside Dehli Gate, Lahore Phone: 042-
7676750

15
 Chapter: 4
Tourism around the World

There are different types of polices and strategies adopted by different countries in order to
promote tourism and these countries experience great success and growth in tourism industry.
Some countries give tax rebates ad incentives to tourism sector and some countries target the
advantages they have over the other countries like unique food, memorable events, different
culture and historical palaces. Here we discuss popular and successful polices and strategies
followed by different countries.

4.1 Tourism in India

(Incredible India)

India is working very hard to promote its tourism. It lounges its tourism campaign with the
name of “Incredible India”. The New Tourism Policy released in May 2002 has outlined the
following policy initiatives for the tourism sector:
• The new policy is built around the 7-S Mantra of Swaagat (welcome), Soochanaa
(information), Suvidhaa (facilitation), Surakshaa (security), Sahyog (cooperation),
Sanrachnaa (infrastructure) and Safaai (cleanliness).
• The policy proposes the inclusion of tourism in the concurrent list of the Constitution
so as to enable both the central and state governments to participate in the development
of the sector.
• Concession rates on customs duty of 25% for goods that are required for initial setting
up, or for substantial expansion of hotels.
• 50% of profits derived by hotels, travel agents and tour operators in foreign exchange
are exempt from income tax. The remaining profits are also exempt if reinvested in a
tourism related project.
• Approved hotels are allowed to import essential goods relating to the hotel and tourism
industry up to the value of 25% of the foreign exchange earned by them in the
preceding licensing year. This limit for approved travel agents/tour operators is 10%.

16
4.2 Tourism in Malaysia

(Truly asia)
Another country that puts great efforts to promote tourism that is “Malaysia”. In recent years
Malaysia proves itself as worth seeing country through massive advertisement campaign on
mass media.

To accelerate growth in tourism, the 1996 Malaysian budget contained many incentives
directed at the industry and allocated US$119 million to develop tourism. The incentives are
focused on attracting more foreign visitors to Malaysia and motivating Malaysian tourists to
take holidays within the country. The budget anticipated revenues from 9.5 million foreign
tourists in 1997.

The most Malaysian tourist traveled abroad which caused dollar outflow for the country.
Several reasons for the tourism-dollar outflow present themselves: (1) lack of suitable
accommodations at affordable prices within the country; (2) lack of adequate infrastructure for
many attractions; and (3) lack of pride for local attractions.

The incentives elaborated in the 1996 budget total $294.5 million in investment-tax
allowances. The following are highlights of the budget incentives:

Investment-tax allowances or pioneer status for:

• Developing medium-size and budget hotels

• Developing holiday camps and recreational projects,

• Expanding or modernizing existing hotels

• Building convention centers

Tax deductions for:

• Cash donations to orchestra, theater, and cultural performances

• Expenses for forming in-house cultural and performing groups

17
 • Cash contributions for research or activities to preserve national heritage or for
contributing artifacts and manuscripts

Tax exemptions:

• Up to year 2000 for conference organizers that bring in at least 500 foreign participants

• For artists (e.g., actors, dancers, singers, musicians, composers, and lyricists) giving
national cultural performances (not performing in their professional capacities)

• Import-tax exemption for vital imported hotel equipment

• Tax exemption on equipment purchased from local manufacturers

The incentives also shift the nation's marketing campaigns from selling Malaysia as a whole to
emphasizing specific destinations. This strategy focuses on eight tourist destinations -
Langkawi, Penang, Pangkor, Taman Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Sarawak, and Mount
Kinabalu. The plan emphasizes capitalizing on urban attractions (notably Penang's Chinatown
and Melaka's architectural heritage), and boosting agrotourism of tropical hinterlands, which
are home to 11,000 known species of flora and fauna.

4.3 Tourism in California (USA)

The Land of Food & Wine
The Land of Wine and Food campaign is a partnership between the California Travel & Tourism
Commission (CTTC) and the Wine Institute. The point of the campaign is a national TV and
print advertising program featuring Governor Schwarzenegger and wine and food celebrities
promoting California and directing consumers to www.LandofWineandFood.com, which
highlights the states wine and food Discoveries to the fast travel segment of culinary
connoisseurs and those who aspire to be from a local Californians point of view. CTTC is a
nonprofit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs in
partnership with the states travel industry that keep California top of mind as a premier travel
destination. The main points of this campaign are:

18
 • Interactive Wine Region Explorer: Wine lovers can discover wine regions best
known or up and coming for their favorite varieties, or those interested in learning
more about wine.
• Travel tips Videos: Nearly 40 video shorts featuring California culinary pioneers
talking about the best way to travel through wine country, their favorite local
restaurants, and the best way to find local hot spots.
• Local Californian’s Point of View: California natives from across the state tell
visitors their favorite things to do, places to go, drinks, eats to try and best places to
visit in their home towns.
• Seasonal travel tips and trip ideas: with a culinary theme, including what to expect
each season in Wine Country, new family friendly destinations or where to find
unique, active, or romantic culinary getaways.

4.4 Tourism in Laois

(So Different So Near)

Laois is working on typically marketing oriented strategy in order to promote tourism that is:

By Target Market Selection

The strategy planning group recommends to the members of the tourism sector in Laois that
available resources be concentrated on developing the target markets.

“Market Positioning” is the stratagem whereby marketers seek to position their products in the
“mind space” of target customers i.e. how and where these customers see and view the
marketer’s product offering. In the case of established tourism centers such as Galway City or
Kilkenny, target customers have clear, positive images of what these places offer them as
holiday & leisure destinations. However for the lesser known or less frequently considered
places, such as Laois, target customers have limited perception of what is on offer to them as a
holidaymaker. There is also a statement in use in promoting Laois i.e. “Laois- the heart of
Ireland”

19
In his 1993 book “Marketing Places” renowned marketing teacher and writer Dr.Philip Kotler
suggests the following guidelines for designing a place’s image, which can be applied to the
Laois positioning challenge, namely
“For an image (of a place) to be effective it must meet the following criteria:
• It must be valid
• It must be believable
• It must be simple
• It must have appeal
• It must be distinctive”
It is proposed in this strategy to reposition Laois by adapting the new Laois logo to incorporate
the tag line “so different, so near”. This proposition plays on the perceived competitive
advantages of Laois as having a unique character, heritage and appeal while being very
accessible to the target markets.

4.5 Tourism in Vietnam

Some countries promote their tourism by promoting their major events like Vietnam. Some of
major event observed in Vietnam are as under:
• Quang Nam Year
• Hue Festival
• Mekong Delta tourism festival
• APEC images and Vietnam cultural Heritage exhibition
• Southern Fruit Festival

20
 Chapter: 5
----------------------

5.1 Lahore Galore

OUTLINE:

• Recognition of the importance of tourism to the local economy by residents and decision
makers
• Recognition and acceptance of the problems that have to be faced and the need for change
• A clear and shared vision for the future
• Strong local leadership
• A master plan (Lahore galore) that gives the sense of vision for the resort and its hinterland
• An approach that recognizes the importance of ensuring quality to tourists
• Good support facilities like entertainment, shopping, food and drink;
• Quality accommodation;
• Efficient support infrastructure, including access routes, car parking and signage
• An ambience and general environment that is attractive to visitors
• Beach, seafront and town centre management, with public sanitation and cleaning a top
priority
• Good quality customer service by well-trained staff
• A good marketing campaign (based on the market research but not before product
improvement) for tourism.
• A range of events that broaden the appeal of the area and attract visitors at off-peak times
• A well-presented and inspirational website with planning details and purchasing
opportunities.

21
METHODOLOGY:

In this campaign we have planned a strategy consisting of 5 major improvements we

aim to make in Lahore which form the word Galore. These are:

G- Green
A- Attractive
L- Lively
O- Original
R- Reputation
E- Electronic media

GREEN- The land of Lahore is highly fertile. We need to make sure that every surface of the
city is covered with plants. For this purpose the Plants and Horticulture Authority (PHA)
should be given required funds to make this possible. Along with this the Lahore Development
Authority must also be provided with funds to keep the city clean. A monitoring authority
must also be established in order to check whether these funds are invested properly or not.
ATTRACTIVE- Lahore can be made attractive for tourists by restoring the existing
monuments of the city. New attractive structures should be built; the transportation system and
the road network should be improved so that the tourist feels comfortable and easy to move
from one place to another.
LIVELY- Lahore is a happening city and the world must know and realize this. The special
events and festivals that take place all around of the year must be highlighted and presented
attractively in front of the foreigners.
ORIGINAL- The originality of the city lies with its cultural heritage. All the grand
monuments of the Mughal era must be renovated and maintained so that the tourist can enjoy
these wonders to its fullest.
REPUTATION- of this city rather the whole country is another important thing we need to
work on. We must project a good, beautiful and peaceful image on our media so that the
people willfully come here. We should present shows based on the culture and tradition of

22
Lahore. All the events happening in the city should be shown on the local media. This will
help in giving a brighter image of the city to the world.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA- This campaign suggests that the first impression of any place a
foreigner gets is through the electronic media. The official website of TDCP is highly formal.
They need to add a lot to make it appealing and innovative. In this campaign we plan to
redesign the website by adding new features to it.

5.2 Recommendations

There are a number of actions the Government of Pakistan can take to allow the tourism sector
to grow much faster than is currently the case.

1. Revival of green Lahore:

Lahore has the seeds of growing into a charming next century metropolis. Unfortunately,
recent development measures threaten to turn it into an urban disaster. It is common to come
across ill-conceived single development projects which have brought chaos to entire areas.
The problem lies with the outdated scale on which the planners insist to continue planning,
and the irrelevant administrative divisions they refuse to redefine. A plethora of civic
agencies, LDA, WASA, TEPA, WAPDA, the Cantt Board, the Model Town Society, MCL,
etc. with overlapping functions and no coordination, make coherent urban management even
more difficult. The organization and division of administrative structures have to be radically
redefined to meet the present needs.
Luckily, and not because of a plan, Lahore's growth has naturally taken a sane course. It has
grown on from the historical walled city and its individual burroughs have their distinct
individual character. But one has to respect history to see it. A uniform spade of development
cannot build these localities; it will only level them into one big slum. Each borough needs to
be developed according to its peculiar physical and historical circumstances in order to restore
and strengthen its uniqueness. The Inner City does not need thoroughfares and huge sewage
lines.

23
Historically, this was appreciated by foreign rulers, whether they were from Central Asia or
Europe: they dug up canals, laid gardens, added to the diversity of fruits and plants grown
here, and undertook intensive plantation. Though most of the pre-British efforts have been
encroached upon and diminished to obscurity, the parts developed by the British are still the
greenest in the City. Except for the southern stretch of the canal and isolated parks dotting
some congested areas, the green tradition has largely been dumped by native planners.
“Though plantation is done more seriously in Lahore than in any other city of the
region but it does not match the pace of development. Planting trees along roadsides in
new schemes is not enough anymore. If the green character of the City is to be
maintained, large areas have to be declared exclusively for farms and forests, and no
development should be allowed there.”
The northern and western parts of the area under the Metropolitan Corporation are the
worst examples. Even along main roads are no trees to be found; the old ones have been eaten
up by encroachers and new ones were never planted. In dug-up side streets and congested
neighborhoods, solitary trees rise like few and far between landmarks. In the Eastern part, the
new Defense is far cry from the lush older Cantt developed by the British. In the Southern
Lahore, the persistence of greenery can be attributed more to unfinished development than a
concerted effort on part of the town planners. Outside Cantt, this is considered to be the best
part of modern day Lahore. The question is, for how long?
Ten years ago, the area beyond the New Campus was agricultural. Serene Villages
stood amidst a sea of fields. Now residential schemes and commercial areas have gobbled up
most of the fields and the villages have been turned into slums, their garbage and sewage
threatening to spill into these posh localities. So far, the new schemes have many undeveloped
plots here construction is yet to be done. This gives the place a look of spaciousness In
Lahore's case, history and greenery are not development luxuries. Lahore breathes with its
trees. History is the heart which makes it tick. Without them Lahore would die of suffocation,
from pollution that becomes more alarming every day, and violence and intolerance which are
the hallmark of big cities where the streets have no names

24
A Glance at Green Lahore

Lovepoint at the Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan - April 2008

Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan - April 2008

25
Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan - April 2008

Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan - April 2008

26
2. Waste Management:

SOLID WASTE management department of City District Government Lahore (CDGL) is

heavily contributing in polluting the environment of the provincial capital in one or another
way.
As per the figures collected from solid waste management (SWM) sources, around 6000 tons
of solid waste is generated daily in Lahore, while over 500 tons waste is generated in Lahore
cantonment board, model town society, defence housing society and other areas. Sources
revealed that out of this 6000 ton of waste, 35 per cent remained on the roads due various
reasons including low lifting capacity of SWM, lack of proper training to staff regarding
lifting garbage, absence of staffers from duties etc.
Following the lack of garbage lifting capacity of the SWM, heaps of scattered waste, garbage
and rising dust has become a permanent feature of the city. The SWM department is supposed
to lift garbage and solid waste from the city and dispose it off at the landfill sites in a proper
and scientific manner. Unfortunately, the CDGL does not have any proper and scientific
landfill site. There are three landfill sites in the city and none of them is operating
scientifically, resulting in seriously affecting the quality of underground water, air and health
of people in the adjoining areas. These landfill sites are situated at Mehmood Booti, Kahna
Kacha and Sagian Bridge and the SWM staff has been dumping almost every kind of waste
including hospital waste at these three sites for the last many years.
Another reason, which gives a dirty look to the city, is open dumping of garbage on city roads
as well as in the waste collectors placed by the SWM in different city localities. One can
always witness scattered garbage even outside the SWM’s containers across the city.
Scavengers, beggars and addicts ‘scrutinise’ this garbage and take out ‘valuables’.
Majority of the city’s major roads are no exception to the phenomenon and garbage heaps and
filth can be found on Ferozpur Road, Multan Road, Jail Road, The Mall, GT Road, Circular
Road etc. These roads are also not swept properly and in case of a thunderstorm, one can
witness empty shopping bags and other garbage flying everywhere. Absence of sanitary
workers from their jobs is also one of the main causes resulting in dirty look of the city.
Sources said that majority of the sanitary workers slipped away after marking their presence.

27
Besides doing private jobs, sanitary workers are also performing different kind of duties at the
residences of senior CDGL officials.
Shahid Bhatti, an environmentalist said poisonous gases emanating from open sewers pollute
the environment. He observed.
“Foul odour emanating from these drains discourages economic activity.”

Open sewers also pollute ground water as sewage seeps into ground, he said and added that
this caused various kinds of stomach and liver diseases among people who lived near open
drains and drink ground water.

3. Relaxation in Entry Requirements for Foreign Visitors

Much is to be gained by liberalizing visa policy, particularly for inbound tourists from
SAARC countries. In fact, reinstituting on-arrival visas for foreigners for a 6- months period
would represent best practice and would be particularly attractive for “swing” visitors – i.e.,
those in neighboring countries (e.g., India, China) or countries with direct flights to Pakistan
(e.g., UAE, Bangladesh, Thailand).
At present, only Europeans can obtain 72 hour visa on-arrival, during which time they can
visit a visa office and get an extension – providing longer stay visas directly at the airport
would just remove one more step in the process. Similarly, it is possible to remove the
requirement of police registration for foreigners from 16 identified countries while retaining
visitor information for security purposes by simply linking port of entry forms to police
records.

28
4. Privatize and restructure the Ministry of Tourism

In order to adequately promote tourism in Pakistan, the Ministry of Tourism needs

institutional strengthening, both in terms of available resources as well as the capacity to
effectively utilize those resources.
Instead of justifying over-staffing due to seasonality of some tourist destinations, TDCP
should instead rely on short-term contract labor for peak seasons and train a core staff that can
fulfill multiple functions – e.g. hotel management in peak season but tourism promotion
strategizing in off-peak season. Performance-based incentives for operating successful pilots
should be provided
The private sector should be involved in the operation and maintenance of tourism attractions
that the government currently manages, including historical sites. A management contract,
with adequate performance evaluation criteria and good regulatory oversight, would ensure
that sites are more actively promoted to potential tourists and that maintenance and upkeep is
not neglected.

5. Restructure and strengthen the Ministry of Tourism

As a starting point, it is not clear why the Ministry of Tourism has split apart from the
Ministry of Culture – while the objective may have been to give the tourism sector a more
pronounced role, the Tourism Ministry was left with less staff, less budget, and practically the
same mandate as it had before. In fact, as the Federal Minister of Tourism states, “culture is
my main tourism product. I promote culture – they [Ministry of Culture] cannot promote
culture.” An in-depth diagnostic should be carried out to assess whether the two Ministries
should be re-merged, what the staffing and budget requirements are, and the most effective
institutional set-up. This should include an evaluation of how the federal and provincial
promotion arms work together – e.g., DTS (federal level) licenses tour operators but
implementation and monitoring is done at the provincial level. In addition, training should be
provided, especially to the management tier of the Ministry, to empower them with the market
and policy tools to deliver effective sector strategy/impact.

29
6. Suggestions to Improve the Websites

Websites have become an effective and a very important source in promoting tourism.
Tourists always look for good tourism websites to get as much desired information as
they can. If websites are effectively designed and promoted, they can contribute a lot
to attract more tourists and visitors.

We have critically analyzed our tourism websites like PTDC and TDCP; and have found
certain flaws and problems in their design and appearance. Having improved them
can be very favorable to promote our tourism around the world. Following are some
suggestions for improvement:

Accommodation Listings:

Include a link to accommodation from the homepage. Accommodation should form

part of the main navigation. Action words such as “Find accommodation”, “Find a Place to
Stay” or “Book Accommodation” should be used.

Don’t just provide list of accommodation as PDFs or Word documents. Although it

can be useful to provide a downloadable list of accommodation, they should also provide
web pages that contain accommodation information

Include more than an address and phone number. Users on the site are looking for
more than the sort of information they could find in a telephone or online directory such as
Yell. Include a brief description of the accommodation and include photographs as well as
a website and email address

If online booking is available, promote it strongly. Try to provide online booking

facility on the website if possible.

Offer ways to sort and filter results. The ability to narrow results by filtering or sorting
the accommodation database should be provided both for users searching and those that
are browsing

30
a. Events Listings:

Pay attention to the event search interface. If your site has, or plan, a searchable
database of events, take care to ensure the search interface is flexible and easy to use.
Amongst the features that should be considered are:

Categories: Make sure that the site has a range of categories that users can search on
(e.g. music, family events, theatre, opera, sports etc) but not too many.

Time periods: Many people look for events at the last minute. Offer the ability to search
for events taking place over a range of periods including today/tonight, this weekend,
next week and next month as well as during specific time periods

Major versus local events: Offer users the option of viewing a list of major events.
Users wanting more community based events can be offered a fuller list of what’s on

Offer people the option of browsing events and searching: Some users will want to
look through a list of events of all types, whilst others will have a more detailed view on
what they want to search for. Providing for both types of user will maximize the
effectiveness of the event information.

Provide descriptions, not just titles. Many events will mean little to a potential visitor
based purely on the title of events. Include a brief description along with the event search
results

Offer a regular events info e-newsletter. The last-minute nature of event decision
making makes it a good option for providing regular emails to users about forthcoming
events. A weekly email of up and coming events can be an effective marketing tool. If
possible, offer the option of events tailored to peoples’ interests. If this is not technically
feasible, create a number of different event e-newsletters and allow people to opt in to the
ones they want

31
b. Designing:

Keep important items “above the fold”. In web design circles there is on-going debate
about the extent to which requiring users to scroll vertically to read the web pages is a
problem. However, what is clear from studies into the reading habits of users online is
that people will often decide whether to stay or leave a website on what they see without
scrolling. So, its important to include key content in the window that is viewable before
people have to scroll

Neat and Easy Navigation: Navigation of links on the site plays a big role in
determining the stickiness of the site (how long the visitor stays and explores the site).

Clean Layout Design: A clean layout that uses a lot of white space enhances a site's
looks. Try to keep the focus on the content, use a template for this. Use fonts that will be
available on all computers to prevent the site looking messed up. Font colors should be
appropriate to the content.

Optimum Load Time: Make sure the load time is low. For this you can minimize
Graphics, Flash and scripts. They hugely increase your file size. Make sure that the site
doesn't have any unwanted tags or unused scripts.

Design for all Screen Resolutions: A site that is easy-to-use always encourages visitors
to stay and read the content. For site with long pages of content this is very crucial as the
amount of scrolling required is reduced. Designing stretch layouts that fit any screen
resolution ensures that you know all your visitors see a visually appealing and
professional site.

Sorting and Filtering: Many users of are seeking to complete tasks such as looking for
accommodation, seeking forthcoming events or browsing attractions. They can access
this information in two main ways – by searching and browsing. Searching involves
using the site search or specific search form provided whilst browsing involves drilling
down through the categories provided by the website.

32
 Ways to sort and Filter results

• Today's events
• Events this weekend
• Alphabetical
• Events in the next 7 days
• Date of event
• Time (e.g. daytime, evening)
Events
• Type of event (e.g. festivals,
• Type of event (e.g.
theatre, music)
theatre, music, dance)
• Free events
• Alphabetical
• Quality grading
• Quality grading
• Online booking availability
(High to Low, Low to
• Accommodation type (e.g. hotel,
high)
Accommodation guest house etc)
• Price (High to Low,
Low to High)
• By facilities (e.g. child-friendly,
disabled access)
• Distance from
• Alphabetical • Venue type
• Free entry
Attractions
• Venue type (e.g. zoo,
historic property) • Whether bookable online

c. General guidelines to enhance the effectiveness of the website

Following are some general guidelines to enhance the effectiveness of the website.

• Give information on destinations, environments, activities, accommodations, food,

meals, dates, prices, discounts on prices, and fun. This information should be given in
a way to excite and motivate the visitors to purchase the offers.
• Highlights the activities and the places to visit which travelers generally show great
interest.
• Clearly states what's different in these destinations that are unknown to most people, if
applicable.
• Provide information on safety and security issues, procedures and precautions, how
your company will protect the travelers' safety, inoculations, first aid & medical
emergency.

33
• Provide the facility to view the website in different languages (Chinese French,
German, and Russia)
• Provide E-brochures on the website that will enable the visitors to view more detailed
information.

d. Suggestions to Advertise the Website

No matter what motivation is for the website, the key to any of the objectives is: Website
Traffic!

More Visitors = More Success

The following advertisement techniques will help your website attract more visitors.
1. Put your website address, on everything you print. Make it as easy to find as your toll
free number. This includes:
o Business Cards
o Letterhead
o Invoices
o Newspaper Ads
o Receipts
2. Think of a domain name for your Web site that's easy to remember. For example
“LahoreGalore”. You could at least brand yourself. Your own name will give you
credibility.
3. Most email programs let you have a "signature" that is automatically added to all the
messages that you send. Be sure that you put your website address in your signature.
4. A properly operating website is very important. You should have your website double
checked for working links, working interactive forms, properly displaying pictures,
and other quality assurance.
5. Put your URL on all other promotional items. Make a t-shirt, or polo shirt, to give out
to your best customers, and friends, and be sure it has your web address on it!
6. Put your URL on the side of any company vehicles that you have. Your employees
might even like the idea of a bumper sticker to put on their cars too.

34
7. Put your URL on every page of your catalog or price list. You want to Good content is
king. Regularly add new content to your website.
8. Position your Web site at the top of pay-per-click search engines. You will only pay
your set amount for each click-through you get to your web site. Just make sure your
profits will pay for your advertising cost. If they won't, maybe you could share a web
site with another related business and split the costs.

9. Explore search engine marketing to get even better search engine traffic.
10. If your friends and colleagues have personal websites, ask them to write a mini-review
of your website and post it on their site. You might even supply them with a sample
keyword rich review they can use.
11. Add a "tell-a-friend" feature to your website. This will let your visitors easily spread
the word about your great site.
12. When other websites put links to your site on their sites, you get promoted. Find
websites that are with topics related to yours and ask them to link to your page. You
can place your links on search engines like Google and Yahoo or on other popular
communities like Face book and Orkut etc.
13. Advertise through radios, television, magazines, posters, newspapers, brochures.

35