Islamabad: Tourists heading to Pakistan’s capital city have a new, exciting way to explore Islamabad’s major attractions: from the city’s first sightseeing bus.
The bright red buses offering tourists a chance to visit the beautiful landmarks of Islamabad are decorated with bright colours and posters on their exteriors.
“Hop on and hop off the tour bus and enjoy Islamabad’s remarkable places of attraction, including the Faisal Mosque, Lok Virsa and Lake View Park,” said Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Chaudhry Abdul Gafoor.
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The city’s first sightseeing bus service has been launched by PTDC to promote tourism and invite both local and foreign tourists to immerse themselves in the cultural and natural beauty of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The Islamabad City Tour Bus service was launched on January 10 at a ceremony in Rawalpindi.
The ceremony was as colourful as the buses, and the venue was decorated with balloons, flags and banners.
It was attended by government officials, tourism executives and students in large numbers.
Music played by a marching band added festivity to the event as schoolchildren waited to hop aboard the bus and begin their trip.
As the buses hit the road, passengers and passers-by waved and took photos to welcome the city’s new attraction.
PTDC arranged a trip for students from Flashman Hotel in Rawalpindi to National Monument and Faisal Mosque on the Islamabad City Tour Bus, which left for Islamabad followed by a long fleet of vehicles.
The fleet
Five buses — two long-chassis and three smaller models — have been introduced by the firm. They will initially cover Islamabad’s major sights and would later be extended to Rawalpindi and other cities of Pakistan, Abdul Gafoor said.
Islamabad, spanning almost 906 square kilometres and with a population of more than one million, has numerous attractions.
And this tour aims to showcase sights including the Faisal Mosque, Pakistan’s iconic mosque and epitome of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia friendship; tourist spot Saidpur Village; the city’s hill top garden, Daman-e-Koh; Lake View Park, Islamabad’s biggest recreational park; Lok Virsa, the hub of art, culture and heritage; as well as Bird Aviary; F-9 Park; Islamabad Zoo; Pakistan Monument; and major food and shopping centres. The tour will also include the famous Ayub National Park in the historic city of Rawalpindi, while Taxila Museum will be visited on weekends.
The fare of the tour bus has been set at Rs500 (Dh16.5) for students and Rs600 (Dh19.9) for the general public.
The bus fare includes the entry fee to all the attractions. “I will definitely book this tour bus on my next visit to Islamabad with family as it facilitates people to visit several tourist points in one go,” said Zeeshan Khan, a tourist from Karachi.
He also suggested that a small souvenir shop be installed so that tourists can shop while travelling.
“More foreigners live and visit Islamabad — the green city — as it is considered comparatively safer than other cities. Islamabad is the land of lush green Margalla Hills and offers [a] gateway to the splendid northern areas of Pakistan,” said Farah Rani, Chief Executive of Heritage Truck Art organisation, appreciating the initiative by tourism department.
Talking to Gulf News, Pakistani businessman-cum-tourism-adviser Kaiser Rafiq said that “effective measures for the development and promotion of tourist sites will benefit Pakistan’s tourism industry as well as economy”.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Gafoor said: “Pakistan has some of the world’s highest mountain peaks, sparkling lakes, lush green plains to vast stretches of deserts, from snow clad mountains to gushing rivers — a rare natural combination seldom found anywhere in the world. Our slogan ‘Truly Paradise Pakistan’ says it all.”
“The launch of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi tour bus service is part of a wider project to promote tourism and attract both local and foreign tourists,” he said.
One major project in the process is launching of a tourism TV channel, Discover Pakistan, to project the beautiful sights of Pakistan, Abdul Gafoor said.
Another primary priority of PTDC is “to provide high-quality accommodation facilities to foreign tourists, particularly at the holy places of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhs for promotion of religious tourism”.
Other initiatives include the launch of a tourism think tank, tourism police and the launch of an air safari in Islamabad, to promote aviation tourism. To improve Pakistan’s image in foreign countries, a World Tourism Organisation conference will be held in Islamabad in March.
Referring to the negative image of Pakistan in sections of western media, Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana said: “Terrorism can be eradicated by promoting tourism.”
