The influx of tourists in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) has increased significantly in recent years. As the tourism sector flourishes, it has positively impacted the region's economy, so much so that tourism has become one of the main sources of income for residents of the region.
Most people highlight the positive side of the tourism sector, about the families who now depend on it and the jobs it has created directly and indirectly in the region. While tourists showcase the breathtaking sights offered by nature in the valleys of this mountainous region, few talk about the unseen costs such tourism exacts. These unseen costs range from social costs to cultural costs and environmental costs.
Last year, I wrote an article about the negative impacts of tourism on GB's society, culture, and environment for The Friday Times. In this article, I want to add some points based on my personal experiences from visiting GB last month.
Lack of respect
The Baltistani people are early to sleep and early to rise. You will find calm descend on most neighbourhoods by around 9-10 PM. While visiting Skardu last month, I received a rude shock when I suddenly heard loud music and the voices of people piercing the stillness of the night past the bewitching hour. Jolted from my sleep, it took me a while to understand what was happening and was shocked that it was happening at midnight. Later, I learnt that the loud music and voices came from a guest house.
Tourists visiting the region do so to enjoy themselves and should enjoy their visit, but they also need to understand the local social setting of their hosts. Such acts, however, have become a source of noise pollution in GB and have disrupted the natural life here.
Land grabbing
Like the indirect benefits that tourism brings, it also brings some indirect detriments. For the past two to three decades, GB has been facing the menace of land-grabbing under the garb of foreign investment and development.
In the past, thousands of hectares of public and community land were grabbed by different government institutions under various pretexts such as wildlife conservation, forest conservation, and now, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Recently, a new category has been introduced to this questionable practice: sustainable tourism. Under this category, many government rest houses, tourist spots, and public spots have been handed over to private companies.
Pollution
The pristine state of GB's picturesque valleys was maintained for years due to the region's limited population. But with the tourist influx—primarily domestic—growing year on year, it has started to take a toll on the valley's undisturbed character. The air quality index of the region has been badly affected.
Last winter, the air quality index in Gilgit and Skardu city was drastically impacted. One reason associated with the declining air quality in the region is the increase in the usage of traditional wood-fired heating and cooking systems (due to lack of infrastructure to provide uninterrupted power during the brutal winter months), but another is the air pollution contributed by the booming tourism sector with thousands of cars, trucks, wagons and busses ferrying in and out of the region spewing pollutant-filled emissions in the once-clean mountain air.
Without the inclusion of local communities in the decision-making process, sustainable tourism will not be possible in GB
In the past, air traffic in the region was low, with only two public aircraft available. One used to fly in and out of Skardu, while the other frequented the regional capital of Gilgit, weather permitting. Now, the Skardu Airport has been converted into the Skardu International Airport - it is a different matter that its facilities and infrastructure have not been upgraded. During peak tourist season, Skardu can now expect up to six to seven aircraft to land in Skardu a day.
Studies have shown that aircraft emit hazardous chemicals such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and other particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) emissions . These chemicals are harmful to human health and contribute to climate vulnerability.
Unsafe tourism
Every year, the GB Tourism and Hospitality Department arranges different tourism-related events in different parts of GB, usually coinciding with either the tourism season or a traditional festival. However, some areas in GB are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and natural disaster events.
Arranging tourism-related events in these areas without assessing the disaster risk and vulnerability can pose a potential threat to the region's natural ecosystem.
Additionally, many government officials tour foreign countries yearly to attend tourism expos. They visit as government officials and use public funds to attend such events, but few ideas they encounter at these expos have been introduced in GB thus far.
Sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism should be promoted in GB by taking proper and effective measures. To do this, they must first consider the perspective of local communities. Without the inclusion of local communities in the decision-making process, sustainable tourism will not be possible in GB.
Further, visiting tourists must be educated about the local socio-cultural settings, customs, Indigenous values, and culture, which they should respect while visiting tourist spots.
To make tourists aware of local traditions and culture, guidelines in the form of a booklet should be distributed to them when they enter GB. For those tourists flying in, passenger guidelines can be distributed on planes or disseminated when the aircraft staff shares the safety guidelines about the aircraft.
GB's Tourism and Hospitality Department should organise events to promote sustainable tourism. For this, it is imperative that they arrange events according to the region's demography. Disaster-prone regions should not be selected for events. After every financial year, proper auditing should be conducted to assess the effectiveness of public resources for sustainable tourism in GB.
Along with the federal and regional governments, the local communities should understand the importance of sustainable tourism in this region. They should also understand the region's climate vulnerability and stop activities that harm the ecosystem and geography of the region.