‘Find My Adventure’ drawing tourists to Pakistan
Pakistan tourism has always been turbulent owing to the security issues in the country. However, a start-up named Find My Adventure is steadily drawing tourists to the country. The portal which went online on 2016 is concentrated on making travel easier for those who are exploring Pakistan.
Pakistan’s tourism sector has started blooming with the improvement of security situations. As per the reports of World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in 2017 was Rs 930.9 billion, constituting 2.9% of GDP. It is expected to rise by 5.9% in 2018 and Rs 1,727.7 billion in 2018-28 recording a 5.8% rise, forming 3% of GDP.
Pakistan had 1.75 million foreign tourists last year, three-times more than the number recorded in 2013. 38 million domestic tourists travelled to different parts of Pakistan last year, marking an increase of 30%.
Whether it is Himalayas and Hindu Kush ranges in the north or the shores of Arabian Sea to the Karakoram, the company offers readymade trip to anywhere in Pakistan. The company also offers customized travel packages based on the traveller’s choices. There is even a helpline to assist those who have not used the service previously.
“Owing to the largely fragmented nature of the domestic tourism market, potential tourists miss out on available activities, trips and tours due to an information mismatch. Additionally, there is no reliable online marketplace where potential tourists can browse, review and book trips conveniently. We facilitate travellers by addressing these issues,” said Komail Abbas Naqvi, Co-founder of Find My Adventure.
“There are problems faced by tour operators and Find My Adventure provides solutions for them. There is no all-encompassing booking platform to list tourism services in the region and, as such, vendors struggle to efficiently market their offerings. FindMyAdventure.pk is Pakistan’s first online domestic tourism marketplace,” said another co-Founder Husnain Habib Malik.
The portal brought 750 travellers in the initial four months of its inception. The number has now overtaken 4,500, a 500% growth in less than two years. Naqvi also suggested that the government should enforce stringent environmental laws to protect natural resources and provide funding for public awareness campaigns in order to attain a steady growth in tourism sector. Find My Adventure was one among the five start-ups invited by China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba for the second eFounders Fellowship.