Pakistan clinches title of "2023 Best Performing Tourism Destination"

Pakistan has clinched the title of the ‘best-performing destination’ in terms of tourism in 2023, according to the ‘World Tourism Barometer’ published by the World Tourism Organisation of the United Nations.

During the first 9 months of the outgoing year, Pakistan emerged as the leading country for tourism, experiencing a remarkable 115% surge in foreign visitors compared to the previous year.

Aftab Rana, the Managing Director of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), attributed this success to collaborative efforts promoting tourism.

Pakistan participated in six major global competitions, showcasing excellence in the tourism industry. 

The implementation of an online strategy, marked by the introduction of the 'Salam Pakistan' tourism brand in August 2023, effectively captured the attention of global tourists.

Celebrating the achievements, Minister of State for Tourism Wasi Shah congratulated the PTDC team and industry partners. 

Despite prevailing challenges, he expressed optimism for a more robust performance in 2024.

According to the WTO Tourism Barometer, regions including Europe, Asia Pacific, America, Africa, the Middle East, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Turkey, and Romania also demonstrated exceptional performance in the tourism sector. 

Conversely, Egypt and Serbia found themselves at the lower end of the list among the best-performing countries in tourism.