The Northern Areas of Pakistan comprise Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK).
The famous tourist spots in the Northern Areas are:
- Skardu
- Chitral Valley
- Hunza Valley
- Naran-Kaghan Valley
- Swat Valley
- Kumrat Valley
- Neelum Valley
After the 18th Amendment in the Constitution, tourism is a devolved subject. Therefore, Provincial/Regional Tourism Departments of AJK, Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are responsible for development, promotion of tourist spots and collection of tourists data in their respective regions.
As per foreigners’ arrival data from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the year 2022, more than 2 million foreigners arrived in the Country during the year.
As per data received from Gilgit Baltistan, 912,587 domestic and 12,140 foreign tourists visited the area during the year 2022.
Year | Domestic Tourist Arrivals | Foreign Tourist Arrivals |
2007 | 23,770 | 10,338 |
2008 | 54,040 | 8,504 |
2009 | 54,602 | 7,739 |
2010 | 45,300 | 7,728 |
2011 | 61,233 | 5,242 |
2012 | 28,893 | 4,324 |
2013 | 51,914 | 4,501 |
2014 | 50,304 | 3,442 |
2015 | 200,651 | 4,084 |
2016 | 439,685 | 4,773 |
2017 | 781,224 | 6,212 |
2018 | 1,391,628 | 9,027 |
2019 | 1,023,023 | 10,828 |
2020 | 634,344 | 1,098 |
2021 | 819,402 | 3,237 |
2022 | 912,587 | 12,140 |
Source: Gilgit Baltistan Tourism Department