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.

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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).

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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.

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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

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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

Bagh-e-Buland

Bagh-e-Channar

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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

Government College Lahore

Aitcheson College Lahore

Oriental College of Arts (NCA)

Government Dhial Sing College

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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

2.8 Food

Methiees (sweets)

Halwa

Lahori Fish

Khunna

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Chappali Kabeb

Takatak Mutton

Gosht Biryani

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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

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o HOLIDAY INN

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:-

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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.

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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.

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.

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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:

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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%.

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:

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Cash donations to orchestra, theater, and cultural performances

Expenses for forming in-house cultural and performing groups

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

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partnership with the states travel industry that keep California top of mind as a premier travel

destination. The main points of this campaign are:

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”

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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A Glance at Green Lahore

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

 

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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Ways to sort and Filter results

Events

Alphabetical Date of event

Type of event (e.g. theatre, music, dance)

Today's events Events this weekend Events in the next 7 days Time (e.g. daytime, evening) Type of event (e.g. festivals,

theatre, music)

Free events

Accommodation

Alphabetical Quality grading

(High to Low, Low to high)

Price (High to Low, Low to High)

Distance from

Quality grading Online booking availability Accommodation type (e.g. hotel,

guest house etc)

By facilities (e.g. child-friendly, disabled access)

Attractions

Alphabetical

Venue type (e.g. zoo, historic property)

Venue type Free entry

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.

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Provide information on safety and security issues, procedures and precautions, how

your company will protect the travelers' safety, inoculations, first aid & medical

emergency.

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.

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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.

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.

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