Climate disasters cause decline in tourists to GB this year: Officials

Unprecedented climate disasters and other factors have caused a sharp decline in both foreign and domestic tourist arrivals to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) this year, badly affecting the local economy.

- Tariq Butt

Officials said that international conflicts, natural calamities and other issues resulted in a 90 per cent drop in tourism across the region.

Sajid Hussain, assistant director at the GB Tourism Department, said that only 270 international climbers arrived in GB this year to attempt peaks, including K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-ll and Nanga Parbat, as compared to more than 2,000 foreign climbers and trekkers who visited the region last year.