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Responsible Tourism Efforts Underway in Pakistan’s North

World Bank Group (WBG), Tourism Department (Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP)) and Nestlé Pakistan’s collaboration on Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Ecotourism in KP (TREK) successfully completes two years.

By Syed Zain Akhter | June 2023

Countries with abundant and well-maintained natural and cultural resources tend to receive higher scores on the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) than those without. In light of changing global trends, policy makers and private sector players in developed tourism markets now prioritize minimizing tourism›s environmental impact and preserving natural sites. Pakistan recognizes the need to catch up in this area, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the World Bank Group (WBG), the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP), and Nestlé Pakistan to launch TREK, an initiative aimed at promoting responsible tourism.

This initiative aligns with the priorities of the GoKP and involves raising awareness among visitors, private sector stakeholders, and local communities about the significance of tourism in creating jobs, generating revenue, and building resilience against climate change and natural disasters. TREK was launched under the World Bank-funded ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project’ in 2020. Its focus is on preserving heritage, developing tourism infrastructure, managing tourist destinations, and promoting the inclusion and resilience of communities and private sector players.

Over two years, participants from the local government, communities, academia, and private sector in Peshawar, Abbottabad, Swat, and Chitral have received training in solid waste minimization and management (SWM), hygienic practices in the hospitality industry, nutrition, and waste audits.

The partnership’s objective is to safeguard the environment by implementing solid waste management, waste recycling, and discouraging the use of single-use plastics in the services industry throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). “The World Bank Group supports the development of green, resilient, and inclusive destinations for job creation and safe tourism experiences,” said Kiran Afzal, Senior Private Sector Specialist at the World Bank. This aligns with one of the partners’ global ambitions as well. Nestlé Pakistan is committed to sharing knowledge on waste management, improving processing technologies to minimize waste, and reducing the carbon footprint. “Nestlé will promote new behaviors and understanding through community engagement, cleanup activities, training programs, and facilitation by connecting waste recycling companies with local government officials,” said Sheikh Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability at Nestlé Pakistan.


Under TREK, the KP Tourism Department launched a communication campaign in Nathiagali in June 2021. Through the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), 2,000 reusable bags were distributed to tourists and hotel associations. A radio and social media campaign was also launched, and 17 TREK informational signboards were installed in Galyat. It is estimated that the media campaign and signage reached out to a significant number of audiences and travelers in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Abbottabad, and the Galiyat area.

TREK also conducted a two-day training program called “Nutrition for Healthy Kids (N4HK)” for teachers as part of their awareness sessions. The program aimed to empower parents, caregivers, and educators to promote healthy eating, drinking, and lifestyle habits among school-age children. The training concluded with the distribution of 4,000 reusable bags and 2,300 N4HK books to school children in Galiyat. Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value program is a global initiative that includes N4HK.

Furthermore, an extensive two-day training session was delivered to participants from the private and public sectors in Swat and Chitral in 2022. The training covered waste categorization, recycling, waste audits, and basic food safety. Around 2,000 reusable bags with responsible tourism messages were distributed at each site.

The GoKP is committed to supporting TREK and expanding its outreach to additional destinations. Project Director KITE, Touseef Khalid, expressed their desire to work together to protect the ecosystem, aquaculture, riverine, wildlife, and heritage sites of significant historic value.

The World Bank Group has also extended support to GoKP through the KITE Project. This includes developing and implementing proper waste collection and management systems for Galiyat, Kaghan/Naran, Kumrat, Chitral, and Upper Swat. The project involves the procurement of 20 different types of waste collection and road clearance machinery for five major tourist sites in Galyat, Kaghan, Kumrat, Swat, and Kalash/Chitral.

KITE Project’s main focus is on planning and implementing improved SWM measures by providing training, essential infrastructure, and equipment such as compactors, dumpers, bins, and systems for the collection of recyclables and solid waste from the destination areas.

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