The ninth meeting of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Committee, chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi, was held on Tuesday, during which the concession agreement for the Integrated Tourism Zone project in Thandiani was approved.
During the meeting, directions were issued to proceed with the signing of the concession agreement with the concerned private partner. Officials informed the committee that this is the first integrated tourism zone in the country being established under a public-private partnership framework.
According to the briefing, the project aims to transform Thandiani, a well-known health-promoting location, into an eco-friendly tourism centre through private investment. The project comprises 14 potential tourism projects divided into three packages, including the development of three new hotels or condotels and resort keys.
The planned facilities include service apartments, family service apartments, entertainment venues, shopping malls, commercial complexes, amusement parks, and parking facilities. The implementation of the project is expected to generate more than Rs23 billion in revenue.
Officials further informed that the Thandiani project is the fourth integrated tourism zone in the province, spread over an area of 400 kanals. Work is already underway on other tourism zones, including Ganul Tourism Zone in Mansehra on 480 kanals, Mankyal Tourism Zone in Swat on 754 kanals, and Madaklasht Tourism Zone in Chitral on 540 kanals. The total cost of these projects is estimated at Rs12.3 billion.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has immense tourism potential. He emphasized that development is being carried out under a multi-pronged strategy and directed that all possible measures be taken to ensure the timely and quality completion of tourism projects across the province.