Vacationing in Pakistan

Terrorists. Drone strikes. Al-Qaida. These are some of things that may come to mind when you hear the name Pakistan, but what about food, scenery, and ancient ruins? My family is from Pakistan and I’ve been there to visit almost every year. The first thing I can tell you is that you’ll never find better food anywhere in the world. Pakistan, and the people of Pakistan, is so much more than what the world thinks of them as; there aren’t terrorists or extremists hiding around every corner in Pakistan. Instead you’ll find people in need of help.

Ever since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States of America, Pakistan has been the recipient of millions of dollars of US aid, meant to further the fight against militants and terrorists. Meanwhile, Pakistan has been trying to revitalize its own economy through tourism in order to help its struggling people. Pakistan should put the money towards helping the people, and creating a better name for itself worldwide. Nobody I know has ever wanted to go on vacation in Pakistan because it’s viewed as unsafe; that’s the attitude that the Pakistani government needs to be working to change.

To bring in more tourists and create more money for the economy, Pakistan needs to show people everywhere that it’s safe to visit the country. Pakistan’s Swat Valley used to be a premier vacation area because of its amazing scenery, but now it’s a nearly desolate, former battleground. 

The government needs to convince media and tourism agencies to promote Pakistan as a tourist destination again. Pakistan also needs to get off the USA’s travel warning list. The country needs to put itself into TV ads, onto more travel sites and offer deals and packages as incentive for people to visit. Once locals start returning, Pakistan can show the rest of the world that it’s safe to visit. 

There are plenty of people who want to see what Pakistan is like because it’s so different from the USA. People want to sample the amazing food, or explore the huge excavation sites of ancient ruins. Whatever your interest, there’s something waiting for you to discover in Pakistan.  They just need to brand themselves a little better in order to get you there.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Faiz Mandviwalla.

Irrive, The New Way To Travel Socially

Have you heard of the new social site which allows you to "weave all of your tweets, posts and check-ins into a sharable story"? Steve Cohn, founder of Living Social, who has since sold the company is beta testing a website called Irrive. Irrive, is a visual story of your travel. It views like a social scrap booking application like Pinterest or Flipboard, allowing you to integrate your photos, video clips,but differs by also including social media posts and narrative in real time. The posts, pictures, video clips and narratives are then turned into one beautiful, streamlined "TripPage". Each "TripPage" has its own unique URL that your friends and family can then follow. All of your "TripPages" are added to your dashboard where you can relive past all of your past and plan your future trips. Below is a screen shot from the website.

I just signed up for a beta trial and cannot wait to use it for my next trip. Have you signed up yet? If so, what are your thoughts?

GPTMC Dishes It Up on Foodspotting

As a self-proclaimed "foodie-in-training," it's no surprise an app like Foodspotting would capture my interest and appetite. Started in 2009 and launched in January 2010, the guide was created to help users not only decide where to eat, but what to eat through its rating system and photo-sharing capabilities. Since its launch in 2010, more than 1.5 million foods have been spotted around the world.

One organization taking the food-sharing phenomenon to the next level is the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation (GPTMC - www.foodspotting.com/visitphilly). Recently, GPTMC (@VisitPhilly), in partnership with Foodspotting Philly (@Foodspotting Philly), hosted an "Eat Up" of 25 hungry people. Traveling throughout the city on a bus, attendees were able to visit various restaurants with featured dishes from GPTMC's recently created "Taskykake-inspired Dishes" guide. Foodspotters and bloggers were able to visit Stephen Starr's SquareBurger for delicious Butterscotch Krimpets shakes and then follow it up with Peanut Butter KandyKakes ice cream at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert. The night ended at Square Peg with Tastykake Apple Pie Milkshakes.

TastyKake Apple Pie Milkshake @ Square Peg

With tourists (and locals) always looking for a great bite to eat, GPTMC is incredibly savvy for becoming a leader in the "culinary tourism" trend. It was one of the first destinations to launch a major program on Foodspotting and has gained more than 1,500 followers - more than any other destination. Philadelphia has become a city of fantastic cuisine, from five-star dining to authentic Italian eateries. Guides are added to the Visit Philly Foodspotting guide regularly including Down-Home Eats: Philly BBQ, Finger-Lickin' Fried Chicken and Wings, Gayborhood Grub, and Old-School Red Gravy Italian Restaurants in South Philadelphia.

What do you think of tourism marketing groups' uses of Foodspotting? Let us know!