Challenges and Potential Opportunities of Tourism in Kumrat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The study examines the potential opportunities and challenges faced by the tourism sector in District Dir, specifically focusing on Kumrat Valley. A sample size of 384 respondents was taken from the population, and data was collected using an interview schedule. The data were entered into SPSS and analyzed using cross-tabulation, Chi-square, and binary logistic regression tests to analyze the association of every impediment of tourism with the potential opportunity of tourism. Moreover, the study adopted a multivariate analysis model to establish the combined effect of all the socio-economic and infrastructural impediments on the potential opportunities of tourism. The study reveals that Kumrat Valley has emerged as a promising tourism destination in recent years, offering a wide range of potential opportunities. However, the area faces significant socio-economic and infrastructural obstacles that impede tourism and restrict tourist flow. These challenges include inadequate infrastructure, damaged road situation of Kumrat, lack of market facilitation to outsiders, insufficient electricity availability, inappropriate ATM and bank systems, and local people's discouragement of women and industrialists from involvement in tourism. To address these issues, the study recommends that the government promote tourism in Kumrat Valley through study-based initiatives. Both government authorities and local communities need to collaborate to overcome these challenges.