Infrastructure Bottlenecks Hindering Chitral Tourism

While Chitral continues to gain popularity as one of Pakistan’s most scenic tourist destinations, its tourism industry is facing an uphill battle due to long-neglected infrastructure. The influx of visitors—numbering over 296,000 domestic tourists and nearly 2,500 foreign travelers in the first half of 2025 alone—has not been met with corresponding improvements in roads, sanitation, or hospitality facilities. Tourists traveling to iconic spots such as Kalash, Qaqlasht, and Shandur frequently report delayed journeys due to broken roads, landslides, and lack of signage. In regions like Bumburet and Mastuj, basic services such as clean drinking water and proper waste disposal are either absent or unreliable. The lack of functioning rest areas, public washrooms, and trained local guides often leaves tourists to navigate remote landscapes on their own, posing safety risks. In interviews with local business owners, frustration was evident. “Tourists are coming, but they're not staying long because of the poor conditions,” said a hotel manager in Ayun. “If we don’t invest in roads and cleanliness, they won’t come back.” While the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has taken steps to promote tourism—like waiving trekking fees and designating 2025 as Tirich Mir Year—critics argue these efforts fall flat without investment in foundational infrastructure. Sustainable tourism demands not just promotion, but long-term planning that prioritizes community readiness, eco-friendly construction, and safety protocols. If Chitral is to truly thrive as a global destination, the basics must come first.