A selfie in front of an ancient Buddha statue or a short video of a snow-covered mountain may look like an ordinary social media post, but in Pakistan’s emerging digital tourism landscape, such moments are increasingly functioning as invitations for the world to discover the country’s lesser known destinations. As the world observed World Tourism Day on September 27, Pakistan has been looking toward digital technology as a way to showcase its natural, cultural and archaeological sites while creating economic opportunities for local communities, with this year’s international tourism theme centered on digital innovation and artificial intelligence and their potential to reshape travel planning and destination selection.
Abu Zafar Sadiq, President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, pointed to the country’s mountain landscape, including K2, the world’s second-highest peak at 8,611 meters, alongside other major peaks such as Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum-I and Broad Peak. About 61 percent of Pakistan’s area is mountainous, giving the country a wide canvas for mountaineering, trekking and skiing, yet Sadiq noted that many of these sites remain relatively unknown internationally. He said platforms such as Facebook, X, TikTok and WhatsApp could help promote snow sports, cultural tourism and heritage sites while introducing lesser known destinations to potential visitors, pointing specifically to Gandhara art, Indus civilization sites, Kalash culture and lakes such as Saif-ul-Malook as examples of content that could drive economic benefit if shared more widely online.
Professor Dr Muhammad Naeem of the Economics Department at the University of Swabi said the pairing of Pakistan’s scenic beauty with social media has created real potential for digital tourism, noting that visual content from sites like Mahudand, Saif-ul-Malook, Dudipath and Ansoo lakes can inspire people to explore destinations they may never have heard of. He explained that 360-degree video or virtual reality tours can let potential tourists explore sites such as Karimabad Bazaar in Hunza or the Takht-i-Bahi archaeological site before booking travel, and stressed the need for professional digital teams, bloggers and content creators to produce engaging material highlighting tourism and adventure opportunities in areas including Swat, Naran, Kaghan and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Bakhtzada Khan, Assistant Director of Archeology and Museums, said digital tourism strategies could help address negative perceptions of the country and introduce its tourism treasures through compelling videos and features, suggesting tourism departments work with established tourism companies, international bloggers and digital professionals, alongside digital mapping, GPS and AI powered booking systems, to make destinations easier to discover. At the provincial level, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority General Manager Muhammad Ali Syed said the authority is already promoting digital tourism through short video packages covering events such as the Kalash festivals, alongside a host tourism project offering interest-free loans of up to Rs3 million to residents of tourism-hosting areas in Upper KP to build or renovate guest accommodation. Officials and experts broadly agreed that while digital media and AI tools can draw global attention to Pakistan’s heritage sites and natural landscapes, turning that attention into lasting economic benefit will depend on how well local guides, hotel owners, transport operators and small businesses are positioned to serve the visitors these digital efforts attract.
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