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In the first week of 2004, two of Asia’s largest countries, India and Pakistan, gave the world some New Year cheer by announcing a breakthrough in their long-standing conflict which has seen them fight three wars in the last 40 years. Leaders of the two countries met during the South Asian summit in Islamabad on January 4 and agreed to set in place a dialogue process that will pave the way for full normalization of relations. The South Asian leaders also signed an agreement to promote intra-regional integration and free trade.
Tourism featured prominently in the South Asian summit. The final communique said: “Development of tourism within South Asia could bring economic, social and cultural dividends. There is a need for increasing cooperation to jointly promote tourism within South Asia as well as to promote South Asia as a tourism destination inter alia by improved air links. To achieve this and to commemorate the 20th year of the establishment of SAARC, the year 2005 is designated as ‘South Asia Tourism Year’, for the success of which, each member would individually and jointly organize special events.”
Immediately after the summit, India and Pakistan resumed bilateral air-links and over-flights. Pakistan International Airlines resumed flights between Lahore and New Delhi as well as between Karachi and Mumbai. The airline plans to add flights from Karachi to New Delhi in March. Indian Airlines, too, started a twice-weekly flight between New Delhi and Lahore. Travellers previously had to fly via Dubai, adding to the time, costs and hassle factor.
The two countries also allowed each others’ airlines to resume flights over their airspace. For the Indian airlines, getting the rights to overfly Pakistan airspace will shorten travel time by between 10 to 60 minutes for Air India and Indian Airlines flights to the Gulf, Europe and the US. Air India said it would save about US$80 million per year on fuel costs.
India’s privately-owned airlines Jet Airways and Air Sahara have also applied to start flights to Pakistan since a policy-change at the Indian civil aviation ministry permitted private domestic operators to fly to South Asian countries. Bus services had resumed in July 2003, following a ceasefire on the borders. And train services are also set to resume.
The summit also announced plans for a SAARC Cultural Centre in the Sri Lankan hill resort of Kandy “as a symbol of South Asian shared cultural heritage.” It will work on preservation of traditional skills and crafts and promotion of South Asian cultural ex-changes.
If the peace holds, as many in the travel & tourism industry hope it will, the prospects for social, cultural and economic development throughout the region are tremendous. It will also allow peace to take hold in Afghanistan and allow both that war-torn country as well as superb destinations like Kashmir and the well-known cultural sites of the Indus valley civilization in Pakistan to resume getting visitors.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
