USAID Pakistan I-LED Program Connects Tourism Industry with Agriculture in the Kaghan Valley
Islamabad, Pakistan - Kaghan Valley is a beautiful and popular tourist destination in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.
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I-LED's Tourism Management Training
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The valley is characterized by evergreen pine forests, lush alpine meadows, crystal clear lakes and cool mountain streams. Kunhar River, the main feature of the valley, is famous for its trout. Prior to the earthquake of October 2005, there were more than 200 hotels in the Kaghan Valley. Approximately 175,000 Pakistani tourists visited the area during the 2005 summer holiday season. The total pre-earthquake direct economic impact of tourism in Kaghan valley is estimated to be USD 18.8 million per year. In 2006, less than 5% of pre-earthquake tourist income was garnered in the region, due to the negative public perception that Kaghan is no longer a safe vacation destination. The total economic impact of tourism in 2006 was less than USD $1 million -- a decline of $17.8 million USD.
The CNFA Improving Livelihoods and Enterprise Development (I-LED) program is helping to rebuild the tourism industry in the Kaghan Valley through 50 enterprise development and training grant projects. These projects include the development of physical infrastructure, such as energy and waste management; tourism promotion; micro-grants for small entrepreneurs; repair of damaged hotels; and training for hotel management. Many of these projects were started in 2007, such as the hotel management training program, which provides unemployed youth affected by the earthquake with valuable job skills in the tourism industry.
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