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Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan

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K2 as seen from Concordia
Nanga Parbat from Fairy Meadows
Babusar Top in Lulusar and Dudipatsar National Park.
Satpara Lake, Skardu, in 2002
Attabad Lake, Hunza

Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, an administered territory of Pakistan, focuses on its access to various mountain ranges and alpine terrain. Various tourist destinations attract millions of travelers from within Pakistan.[1] On the other hand, tourists from other countries also routinely visit GB.[2] An estimated 1.72 million tourists visited the region in 2017 according to the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).[3] Travelers had contributed Rs.300 million to the local economy in 2017.[3] The authorities were expecting 2.5 million tourists in 2018 which would have meant an additional Rs.450 million to the economy.[3]

Geography

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Gilgit-Baltistan borders Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province to the west, a small portion of the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, Xinjiang, China to the northeast, the Indian territory Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast, and the Pakistani-administered state of Azad Kashmir to the south.

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to five of the "eight-thousanders" and to more than fifty peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). Gilgit, Astore and Skardu are the three main hubs for expeditions to those mountains. The region is home to some of the world's highest mountain ranges. The main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. The Pamir Mountains are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world.

Three of the world's longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in Gilgit-Baltistan: the Biafo Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier, and the Batura Glacier. There are, in addition, several high-altitude lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Karakoram Highway

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The Karakoram Highway is the major highway of Gilgit-Baltistan, which connects the region with the rest of Pakistan to the south and with China at its north end. It is highest paved road in world is sometimes termed as the "8th Wonder of World."[4]

Major valleys

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Gilgit Baltistan is home of world highest and beautiful valleys. These include Ghanche, Shiger, Astore Valley, Gilgit, Ghizer Valley, Hunza Valley, Skardu and Nagar Valley.

Hunza Valley

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Hunza Valley is considered one of the most beautiful valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan. It consists of Upper Hunza, Central Hunza, and Lower Hunza. Karimabad is the major city of the valley and has all facilities for mountaineers and tourists.[5] The popularity of the Hunza Valley and the amount of tourism there is due in part to its relative accessibility and proximity to the Karakoram Highway.[6]

Major tourist attractions in Hunza are:

  • Attabad Lake - A major lake of Hunza Valley. It was created following a landslide at Hunza River near Attabad village on 4 January 2010. The resulting damming of the river caused the lake to slowly form, submerging several villages and displacing up to 6,000 people.[7]
  • Baltit Fort - An old medieval fort located in Karimabad. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[8]
  • Hussaini Suspension Bridge - A long wooden suspension bridge over Hunza River near Husaaini village. It is sometimes referred locally to as the "Indiana Jones Bridge" It is termed as one of the most dangerous bridges in the world.[9]
  • Khunjerab Pass - At 4,693 meters, this is the highest border crossing in the world. It is also the only modern crossing on the China-Pakistan border. Most tourists visit on a daytrip from Hunza to see the border and then leave. The surrounding area is also a part of the Khunjerab National Park, which was set up to protect local, endangered wildlife, specifically the Marco Polo sheep.[10]

Skardu Valley

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Skardu Valley is located at confluence of Indus and Shiger rivers surrounded by the peaks of Karakoram.

Lakes

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Mountains

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Eight-thousanders

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K2 (Mount Godwin Austin/Chogori)
Nanga Parbat
Gasherbrum l
Broad Peak
Gasherbrum ll

Seven-thousanders

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Gasherbrum lll
Gasherbrum lV
Masherbrum (K1)
Rakaposhi
Saltoro Kangri (K10)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tourism economy of Gilgit-Baltistan". The Express Tribune. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  2. ^ Gomal Amin &, Imran Khan (September 2019). "The impact of tourism on local communities and their environment in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan: a local community perspective". Environmental Socio-Economic Studies. 7 (3): 24. Bibcode:2019ESES....7c..24U. doi:10.2478/environ-2019-0015. S2CID 201726791 – via ResearchGate.
  3. ^ a b c "Tourism economy of Gilgit-Baltistan". The Express Tribune. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ^ Desk, Interactive (20 March 2016). "Karakoram Highway - the mighty 'eighth wonder of the world'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 3 April 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ "Places to visit in Gilgit Baltistan". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Backpacking Pakistan | The COMPLETE Guide". The Broke Backpacker. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Landslide Lake in Northwest Pakistan". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Baltit Fort". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  9. ^ "By a Thread". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  10. ^ Qureshi, Rahmatullah (1 April 2011). "First report on the biodiversity of Khunjerab National Park, Pakistan". Pakistan Journal of Botany. 43(2):849-861: 849.
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Gilgit-Baltistan.
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