During a ceremony conducted at Arfa Software Technology Park, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and the Department of Tourist Services (DTS), Punjab, soft-launched the global helpline “1421” for advice and complaints regarding tourist sites in Punjab.
Punjab Tourism Department Secretary Ehsan Bhutta, Deputy Controller Hafiz Ghazanfer, PITB DG e-Governance Sajid Latif, Project Manager PTEGP Waqas Malik, CCC PITB Joint Director Ali Zeb and other senior officials from both sides were present on the occasion.
javascript:false Ehsan Bhutta, the secretary for tourism in Punjab, addressed the ceremony and announced that a special team had been trained for the comfort of tourists. This team would not only act as tour guides but would also be in charge of providing safety and facilities in case of unfortunate events. He added that the squads will be stationed at several tourist destinations in Punjab and would be on hand to assist visitors every day of the week.
The purpose of the training of the tourism squad by PITB, according to PITB DG e-Governance Sajid Latif, is to give amenities to visitors at various tourist attractions and to prevent any unfavorable situations.
The special tourism squad will comprise 106 personnel including 11 female staff members. As many as 82 members of this squad will perform their duties on the field. The tourism squad will be responsible for handling tourist inquiries and complaints in the field. The squad, which will be initially deployed in Murree, will subsequently cover all 3 tourist destinations in Punjab, i.e. North, Center and South.
In order to give the squad the necessary abilities, intensive training is still being conducted in this respect. Rescue 1122, the Institute of Hospitality Department, Punjab, and PITB have also been hired for this purpose by the Department of Tourist Services, Punjab. These divisions are working together to give the team the necessary training.
