KARACHI: From May 2022, tourists visiting Attabad Lake and the Hunza River in Pakistan’s mountainous northern areas will be able to ride what tourism promoters say is one of the fastest jet boats in the world, introduced for the first time in Pakistan by an overseas investment group, the Pak Greenland Corporation, to promote adventure tourism.
The purpose-built jet boat arrived in Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), from Turkey early this month and will offer quick trips between the Shishkat and Hussaini Bridge (Passu Cone) in Upper Hunza.
Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the top tourist hotspots in Pakistan and hosts over 10 million foreign and local tourists every year, contributing around Rs 300 million per annum to the local economy, according to GB Invest, a public-private organization that works for investment promotion in the region.
The region is also home to K-2, the second-highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest.
“We will start operations from May this year because still the Attabad Lake is covered with ice and we are waiting for the ice to melt,” Milad Ul Salman, manager of the Pak Greenland Corporation, told Arab News on Saturday.
“The boat is specially designed to operate in the Hunza River where a high level of sand flows with the water. The boat has a capacity to ferry 22 passengers at a time and will cover a distance of 5-6 kilometers upstream from Shishkat to Passu Cone in 15 minutes.”
The speedboat, with two powerful 12,400 CC engines and advanced safety features, has the ability to move at high speeds in shallow waters in lakes and rivers.
In this undated photo, test trials of a new jetboat are being conducted in Turkey before delivery to Pakistan. (Photo courtesy Milad Ul Salman)
“The boat is fitted with a jet engine that is made by the American Mercury Marine,” Salman said, saying the reflectors were made in Finland. “The boat was manufactured in Turkey where its test trials were conducted.”
He said the project cost was around Rs800 million.
“Such boats are operating in advanced countries like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and US mainly for tourists,” Salman said. “This boat is among the fastest boats developed for passengers that can move at a speed of 80 kilometer per hour against the run-of- the -river.”
Pakistani tourism experts hope the speed boat will help boost tourism in Pakistan’s northern areas.
“Arrival of the speedboat in Attabad will add huge value in terms of attracting more tourists to Hunza,” Izzat Bibi, CEO of Chkar.com, an online marketplace to book a home or private vacation rental in Pakistan, and a member of the prime minister’s youth council, told Arab News.
In an undated photo, a jetboat is being transported from Karachi to Hunza after its arrival from Turkey. (Photo courtesy Milad Ul Salman)
“It is so great seeing people making investments for the comfort of tourists and offering more experiences and adventurous activities. It will make tourists spend more time in that region and benefit the local economy.”
“Pakistan has great tourism potential from deserts in the south to some of the highest peaks, beautiful landscape and lakes in the north,” Bibi said. “The tourism industry of Pakistan is rapidly growing but it is our responsibility to make it sustainable. Our culture, values, international conferences, events and adventur activities can attract more international tourists to Pakistan.”
