Legal and Regulatory Barriers to Tourism Development in the Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan A Policy Reform Perspective

Abstract

This paper focuses on legal and regulatory constraints regarding tourism advancement within the newly merged districts of Pakistan, especially in the FATA that became part of KP province after the 25th Constitutional Amendment in 2018. Historically placed under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) regime, FATA also remained marginalized from national development processes and having minimal investment in tourism as a sector. This paper identifies that even after getting legal integration the region is struggling with some issues like land ownership rights, bureaucratic troubles and lack of infrastructure. It also incorporates quantitative and qualitative research and data collected through surveys from the respondents consisting of local government officials, owners of the tourism businesses and investors. Consequently, legal uncertainties arising from the mergers, underdeveloped infrastructures, and slow policy process, emerged as the major constraints to tourism development. The paper asserts that only pragmatic actions are required to clarify the property rights as well as to facilitate bureaucratic arrangements that will promote investment within the framework of the tourism sector. From this analysis, the study suggests the need for a strong legal framework and appropriate structural development in the region to realize the full tourism potential to enhance the region’s economic growth.