ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) is going to reopen its motel at Satpara Lake in Skardu, which was shut down nearly a decade ago.
The motel was closed down some 10 years ago after start of construction of Satpara dam.
PTDC Managing Director Abdul Ghafoor has said that soon the motel would become functional for tourists. Ghafoor said that PTDC has at least nine other motels located all over Gilgit-Baltistan.
“Tourism not only earns foreign exchange for the country, it also provides direct and indirect income to the local people,” he said. Scores of trade and services including transport, food and hospitality sectors thrive on tourism.
According to Gilgit-Baltistan government, this year there has been 100 percent increase in tourists influx. The government said that this year it saw nearly a million tourists, up from 500,000 tourists last year.
Ghafoor suggested focusing on the beauty of Gilgit-Baltistan region to show true face of Pakistan to the world.
The 12-room motel, overlooking on Satpara Lake, was frequented by the foreign and local tourists alike for many years till its closure a decade ago. The natural lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the country and offers ample attractions to visitors.
The motel is situated just nine kilometres from Skardu, and takes about 20 minutes to reach by jeep. Another hour-long drive by jeep from the motel takes tourists to the second largest plateau of the world, the Deosai Plains located at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Its usual operating months are May through October.
