Written By Amna Hoth

Makran, once a princely state under a subsidiary alliance with British India, remained politically autonomous until the creation of Pakistan in 1947. The administrative changes led to the official end of Makran’s princely status during 1955. This resulted in its full integration into Balochistan province, which stands as Pakistan’s largest territorial division. The southern part of Balochistan contains Makran, which stretches along the Gulf of Oman coast to create a region known for its strategic position and natural variety.
Makran has not been developed as much as there are many other areas within Pakistan to develop into a tourist attraction. It is home to historically important ports and harbours and still has strong ties to the cultures of various regions throughout history. The vast number of clean, golden sandy beaches, beautiful historic cities where human habitation has occurred for a long period of time, and a unique coastal culture shaped through years of ocean-going trade has great potential for the development of Makran into a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourism, if the necessary investment is made and a comprehensive marketing strategy is put in place.
Makran’s landscape is unique as well, combining a number of very different landscapes not found together in any other coastal area within Pakistan. The peaceful beaches of Jiwani, Pasni, Ormara, and Gwadar juxtaposed against the steep cliffs and barren desert landscape along the Arabian Sea provides a breathtaking and diverse visual experience as well as cultural and historic riches. Most of these areas haven’t been commercially exploited for tourism and thus have the potential to occur at all levels of mass tourist marketing.
Tourism is an important aspect of economic development for all countries; Makran has exceptional potential within this area. The development of a tourism sector allows for the creation of jobs, promotes local businesses, boosts the national economy through increased income, and aids in the development of infrastructure. In addition to the economic advantages, tourism also supports a cultural exchange by providing visitors with the opportunity to experience local culture and customs while allowing for the exposure of communities to cultures worldwide. Thus, through tourism, the international reputation of a nation is enhanced. By using tourism to their advantage, nations such as the Maldives, Turkey, UAE, and Thailand have succeeded in leveraging tourism for economic growth and preservation of natural resources.
The coastal town of Pasni provides an ideal and serene location for nature-tourism, due to the town’s unique environment, natural beaches, and existing fishing culture. Additionally, Jiwani is located within close proximity to the Iran-Pakistan border and has global significance because of its mangrove forests, wetlands and diverse marine life. Jiwani acts as a nesting area for endangered green sea turtles and therefore serves as an excellent example of eco-tourism or conservation.
In addition to the strategic port, Gwadar is also known for its natural beauty. The city provides spectacular views of the sea and consists of several famous landmarks, including Koh-e-Batil and Koh-e-Mehdi, which are both located on elevated ridges and provide excellent views of the coastline and also feature some of the province’s most beautiful natural features.
More than 80 mud volcanoes adorn the Makran region, a geological feature that makes this area unique; the largest of these is called Chandragup, which is south of Hingol National Park. Mud volcanoes come in various sizes and produce continual mud flow, gas, and water, thus creating distinct geological formations.
Makran has substantial spiritual importance, in addition to its geological features; Hinglaj Mata Temple better known as Nani Mandir is one of the major Hindu pilgrimage sites throughout South Asia. In April alone, 250,000 pilgrims from India and Pakistan will travel to Hinglaj Mata Temple, marking it as one of Balochistan’s largest centres for religious tourism.

Hingol National Park encompasses a total area of nearly 6,100 km2; as the largest national park in Pakistan, it includes spectacular views of mountains, deserts, rivers, mud volcanoes, and seaside ecosystems. With the combination of all these unique natural habitats, Hingol National Park is an integral component of tourism in Makran and is nationally and internationally important.
The Government of Balochistan’s commitment to advancing tourism will provide the province with numerous economic benefits. Unfortunately, despite being a great opportunity for growth, the Government of Balochistan has been unable to support the growth of tourism in this province. According to Abdul Khaliq Hazara (the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports), “Our focus has been to promote provincial tourism because of the vast tourism potential of its mountainous and unique location.” The announcement of a national tourism policy supports and promotes tourism, however the ability of the Government of Balochistan to support and implement this policy has not yet proven to be successful.

Other reasons contributing to the lack of development of tourism in Balochistan include lack of collaboration by all tourism stakeholders, lack of adequate supporting infrastructure, lack of developed tourist destinations, lack of accommodation and limited transportation systems as well as continuing problems of security. All of these factors have restricted tourism’s contribution toward the economic development of Balochistan. The failure of the Government to develop good tourism infrastructure, provide secure environments and implement tourism development policies on an ongoing basis has been one of the main reasons why the province is not realizing its full tourism potential. Without establishing an ongoing strategic plan for tourism with targeted investments in tourism infrastructure, Balochistan will continue to lag behind other areas and regions of Pakistan and continue not to attract as many domestic and international tourists.