According to the head of the Kaghan Development Authority (KDA), a European Union team agreed to the municipal body’s request for financial support to carry out five significant projects to develop tourism in the breathtaking valley.
The KDA chairman, Aimal Zaman Khan, said, “We have floated five projects before a joint delegation of the European Union and Austrian embassy in Islamabad and sought their financial assistance or grants for their execution.”
He added that KDA officials led by him met with a joint mission of the EU and the Austrian embassy and sought?help in boosting the valley’s hospitality industry.
“This meeting, which was held at the invitation of the Austrian ambassador in Pakistan, Ms Andrea Wicke, discussed modalities and areas of interest to jointly work for the uplift of the local community’s living standard while opening the local hospitality industry for foreign visitors,” Mr Khan said.
The KDA chairman stated that the EU group presently visiting Pakistan, as well as the Austrian ambassador, expressed a desire to provide financial assistance in the establishment of a training institute to educate Pakistani hoteliers and human resources in the hospitality area.
“They were also very interested in producing electricity for the Naran business community by installing mega turbines at Kunhar River or local streams,” Mr Khan said, adding that the foreign team was also interested in projects such as developing a skiing resort and installing a cable car-cum-chairlift in Kaghan valley.
He also stated that the KDA planned to connect the scenic Spat Valley of Upper Kohistan with the Kaghan Valley by a road in the