Pakistani Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi (center) inaugurates Pakistan Pavilion at the COTTM Expo on November 15. Photo: Courtesy of the Pakistani Embassy in China

"Tourism exchanges between China and Pakistan hold immense significance for strengthening the [two countries'] bilateral relationship," Pakistani Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi underscored on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the Pakistan Pavilion at the 2023 China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM) Expo in China National Agriculture Center. 

The inauguration of the pavilion was part of a series of activities aimed at celebrating 2023 as the "Year of Tourism and Exchange" between Pakistan and China. 

While commending the efforts of the exhibitors and tourism companies for the promotion of Pakistan's tourism potential, the ambassador noted that Pakistan was bestowed with rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes and unique culinary delights. He encouraged Chinese tourists, academics, and entrepreneurs to visit Pakistan.

Ambassador Khalil Hashmi interacts with Pakistan's exhibitors at Pakistan Pavilion at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM) Expo in the China National Agriculture Center in Beijing on November 15. Photo: Courtesy of the Pakistani Embassy in China

There are different options for Chinese friends to explore Pakistan, Ambassador Hashmi told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

People who are more interested in adventure tourism like mountain climbing or forest treks, for instance, will find that "Pakistan has some of the highest mountains in the world, So that's the very beautiful and very excellent regions for adventure tourism," he said. 

Meanwhile, one of the many great attractions to Chinese tourists might be its civilization and heritage sites, Ambassador Hashmi added. One of the most visited sites in Pakistan, Taxila, is generally considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sites in Asia. Taxila was a university and educational center for Buddhists, and it attracted pilgrims from all across Asia.

Another attraction recommended by the ambassador to Chinese tourists was Pakistani gastronomy. "Chinese tourists would find Pakistani cuisine to be different and very diverse like in China. From the Northeast to the South, we also have places known for their spicy cuisine, a different type of spice than China, but we have less spicy food in the North. Food is a big industry in Pakistan and is something I'm sure our Chinese friends would also like," he told the Global Times. 

The 2023 COTTM Expo focused on Belt and Road partner countries, saw the participation of more than 20 countries and regions such as Egypt, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the Philippines, Poland, Tunisia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Azerbaijan, and others at the exhibition held from Wednesday to Friday, with invitations being extended to Chinese tourists to visit these countries to appreciate and experience their nature, history, humanities, and life.

At least 12 tourism exhibitors and companies from Pakistan participated in the Expo. Ambassador Hashmi expressed hope that COTTM would serve as an excellent platform for networking between the tourism companies in China and Pakistan, which would contribute toward the further enhancing of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.