Tourism Development and Women in Under Crises Destinations: A Case Study of Chilas, Pakistan.

Abstract

This thesis discusses tourism development for the purpose of improvement in the current environment, including financial and socio-cultural conditions of an under crises destination and community. The emphasis of this thesis is to explore factors which have significant impact on a place and local community that is under natural and anthropogenic crises. For this research Chilas- a valley situated on the Silk Road under the control of the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan is being used as a case study. The main purpose of this research is to explore the problems relating to tourism and development since the destination and community is facing the situation of crises which have worsened since the September 2011 terrorist attacks and the following involvement of Pakistan in the “war against terrorism”. Chilas- being a remote destination and present in North of Pakistan was known to be a hiding place of terrorists who were assumed to cross the Pak-Afghan border. Due to Chilas’s location access by communication media and law enforcement agencies is not an easy task, However since the opening of the Babusar pass- that connects Islamabad the capital city of Pakistan to Chilas the valley has become less isolated. With the opening of the Babusar pass and efforts by the local authorities in terms of promoting tourism for example opening tourist resorts named Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation there has been a slight increase in tourist arrivals. Though Chilas was always a centre of attention for Archaeologists and Botanists, the destination however at all times lacked basic tourism infrastructure. There have been several internal and external causes for instance: attitudes of local community towards visitors especially women tourists and place image propagated by com-media, which hinder tourism development in the region. Using ethnographic methods to collect data this thesis discusses how tourism development accompanied with NAC and com-media can change the situation of a destination and a community specifically women members of a community in an under crises destination. The last chapter of this thesis makes recommendations for the tourism development in Chilas and for Chilassi community by concluding the findings from the fieldwork.