Death of tourists also a blow to Pakistan’s economy
Pakistan has been trying to attract foreigners, especially ambitious climbers hoping to scale some of the countries more difficult mountains. The attack and murder of ten foreign tourists in the country over the weekend now threatens what is still “a pretty feeble economy right now after more than a decade of conflict,” says Elizabeth Becker, author of “Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism.”
“The tourism economy in Pakistan was on the way up,” says Becker, but adds that this attack can only hurt it.
Becker notes that Pakistan has reacted quickly. She says the country is learning something Somalia learned a few years earlier — tourists can become easy targets in areas still rife with conflict.
“When tourism becomes a $6.4 trillion industry, tourists have a different role in the world than they used to have,” she says.
But the attacks wouldn’t deter her from going to the Himalayas in the near future.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
