Balochistan’s government has begun work on a dedicated Safe Tourism Zone in Gwadar, part of a wider push to position the Makran Coast as a competitive destination for domestic and international travellers, the Daily Independent reported on July 24.
The initiative, confirmed by officials in Gwadar, aims to improve visitor safety while supporting the coastal city’s transition into what the Gwadar Port Authority has called a world-class tourism destination. Chairman Noor-ul-Haq Baloch said improved air connectivity, modern infrastructure and new partnerships would be central to unlocking the region’s tourism and investment potential, according to the Daily Independent on August 3.
The Makran Coast stretches roughly 1,000km along the Arabian Sea from Karachi to the Iranian border, taking in Hingol National Park, Kund Malir beach, Ormara and the port city of Gwadar. The Makran Coastal Highway, completed in 2004, cut the journey from Karachi to Gwadar from two days to roughly six to seven hours, opening a stretch of coastline long considered among the most isolated in South Asia.
Eight coastal resort projects are currently under review by the Balochistan Coastal Development Authority, alongside a tourism master plan covering land use, zoning and public-private partnership opportunities intended to attract international hotel chains through tax incentives, according to the Daily Independent on February 11. Officials have also outlined plans for model beach parks at Gadani, Kund Malir, Ormara, Pasni and Gwadar.
The New Gwadar International Airport, Pakistan’s second-largest greenfield airport by area, has been positioned as a key driver of the strategy. Aftab ur Rehman Rana, managing director of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, said Pakistan’s domestic tourism sector had expanded significantly in recent years, with improved road and air connectivity under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor cited as a primary factor.
The Balochistan Coastal Development Authority has also mapped tourism sites across the province as part of a broader connectivity and investment strategy under CPEC’s second phase, with fisheries, agriculture and renewable energy identified as complementary sectors for development, according to a Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives update reported by INP WealthPK on July 3.
For travellers, the region remains best visited between October and March, when temperatures are milder and humidity lower. Facilities along the highway are still limited outside major towns, with operators advising visitors to carry extra fuel and water for the journey.
“Gwadar is set to emerge as a new hub for national and international tourism, trade, and investment,” Moin-ur-Rehman Khan told Gwadar Pro.