We can’t say with certainty if 2020 is going to be the year of change for Pakistan, but it surely has kicked off with glad tidings. A recent travel article in Forbes magazine has listed Pakistan amongst the 10 best under-the-radar places to visit in 2020.
Forbes’ Travel contributor, Ann Abel compiled The Not Hot List: 10 best under-the-radar trips for 2020, in which she listed some new reasons to travel in the new decade (other than self-discovery, bragging and escapism).
“Closed countries are opening up. Savvy luxury agencies are making remote destinations accessible to travelers who don’t want to rough it or risk much. And it’s also just feeling like the right thing to do,” Ann wrote.
The list includes countries like Armenia, Chad, China (for nature’s tourism), Eritrea, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Algeria, Uzbekistan to name a few other than Pakistan.
Travel off the beaten path in 2020 https://t.co/OLa4kzvzMC pic.twitter.com/xzEJEOTar2
— Forbes (@Forbes) January 3, 2020
The idea behind making this list of remote places that are far off the tourist map is indeed interesting.
“Where can we go to avoid other tourists?†That’s one of the most common questions Philippe Brown says his agency, Brown + Hudson, received in 2019. “We’re finding innovative ways to counter overtourism and responding to our clients’ increasing demands for travel ideas that are sustainable and off the beaten path.â€
The intention is “to bring less obvious, undertouristed places to life in a way that yields the kind of insights you might expect from their overtouristed equivalents — taking people to the small village of Asolo rather than Venice, for example.â€
Ann also shared that the Wild Frontiers has been tipping Pakistan as the next big destination for a couple of years now, but with the recent visit and royal seal of approval from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they anticipate the destination will continue to be one to watch.
“Pakistan is perhaps the ultimate adventure travel destination,†says founder Jonny Bealby. “It offers ancient Indus civilizations stretching back 4,000 years, and exciting cities like Lahore with its forts, mosques and palaces. But most of all, it offers incredible scenery, particularly in the north where the three greatest mountain ranges collide. Pakistan is great for trekking, mountain biking, rafting or just cultural tourism. The infrastructure has also improved, with resurfaced roads and new tunnels cutting down travel time, new luxury hotels are opening up in the region.â€
Earlier last month, Pakistan also made it to Condé Nast Traveller’s list of best holiday destinations for 2020.
