Better infrastructure, new hotels and easier e-visas are improving Pakistan’s tourism prospects, but many travellers still assume the country is closed off, according to Anam Hussain, founder of travel magazine Capra Falconeri.
Hussain argues that print carries more credibility than saturated online channels, making a magazine a tool for shifting perceptions of the destination among travellers and the trade.
Hussain, a journalist and travel writer, told Emerging Travel that social media influencers deserve credit “trying to push the country on a platform that is accessible for everyone”, alongside development in hospitality and infrastructure. “You see boutique hotels, luxury resorts, and lots of other projects happening that are really pushing the tourism industry,” she said.
“Because we are in print, I feel print is something that can really change perceptions,” she said. “Compared to what’s online, because it’s so saturated, print is something that really is a credible and trustworthy source. When people pick it up, they just tend to believe it more.”
Access is the starting point, she said. “Not many people are aware that Pakistan has this ease of getting the visa.” Because the country is not marketed in the same way as other destinations, “people often think it’s a country that is locked off and you cannot go”.
Emerging Travel also spoke to Saadia Baba of Xperience Pakistan about the country’s cultural heritage tourism.
Capra Falconeri Traveller is a print magazine dedicated to the travel and culture of Pakistan, founded by Hussain.
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