Celebrating World T
ourism Day 2022, an exhibition of paintings and Heritage Crafts from Rohtas Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site opened here Tuesday at
Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). The show was inaugurated by Federal Secretary, National Heritage and Culture Division, Fareena Mazhar while Managing Director,
Pakistan T
ourism Development Corporation (PTDC), diplomats and a large numbers of artists, art and craft lovers were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Federal Secretary said that National Heritage and Culture Division supports the heritage, national museums and monuments and give them space to shine.
Artists in this show not only created beautiful arts and crafts but also selling them for cause, she said, adding that crafts of
Pakistan are renowned across the world for their intricate beauty. These events help promote our artists and historical monuments for cultural education and sustainable t
ourism in
Pakistan.
Direc
tor Italian Agency of Development Cooperation (AICS) Emanuela Benini, said that Italy is promoting culture and heritage in
Pakistan through various projects and initiatives. Director UNESCO, Yousaf Filali said that UNESCO across
Pakistan is supporting preservation, promotion and protection of heritage through education and community development.
MD, PTDC, Aftab ur Rehman Rana said World T
ourism Day is a time to renew the pledge that t
ourism is an important tool that serves as a catalyst for economic growth that is ultimately associated with job creation and boosting the travel and hospitality sector. “The art and craft in this show will not only support the creativity of the artists and craft persons but also create a sense of responsibility among the viewers towards our national heritage,” he added.
He said this work is unique for a cause for raising funds for local community and highlighting the value of heritage.
Art works showcasing collection by as many as ten talented artists from across the country are on exhibit experimented with oil, acrylic and watercolor mediums to promote sustainable and responsible t
ourism of the World Heritage Site of Rohtas Fort.
The event was organized by PTDC, Sustainable T
ourism Foundation
Pakistan (STFP) in collaboration with PNCA, Serena Hotels, UNESCO Islamabad and Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
STFP with support of AICS and technical assistance by UNESCO Islamabad in collaboration with the Directorate General of Archeology – Punjab carried out a series of interventions to engage the local community living around Rohtas Fort in safeguarding cultural heritage between 2020-
2021. This included training of tour guides and establishing a social enterprise to create handmade souvenirs.
Following the successful
conclusion of these interventions, STFP developed an innovative strategy to increase the sustainability of the social enterprise. Ten talented artists from across
Pakistan were invited to a three-day painting trip at Rohtas Fort. The artists attended guided tours, taught basic painting techniques to school children and created live paintings on-site. The artists also worked with STFP to promote sustainable and responsible t
ourism at the World Heritage Site.