In episode 12 of Lit’EDTech, Daastan invites Mrs. Numra Noor and Mr. Nauman Shahid Khan to talk about all things tourism and tech. Captivating landscapes, tantalizing cuisines and warm people; Mrs. Numra Noor and Mr. Nauman Shahid Khan allow the audience to explore the world of tourism through their experiences. As the author of a travelogue on Azerbaijan, Mrs. Noor highlights what makes a place special enough to remember. Mr. Khan, on the other hand, provides a drastically different experience of travelling as a solo backpacker having 31 countries and 85 cities under his belt.
Tourism and Discoveries
Both panelists remain nostalgic regarding the pre-covid times when one could travel to new and exciting places in order to “unwind”. As a mother of young children, Mrs. Noor highlights the importance of travelling as a family despite the obvious challenges that they are faced with. While they have to meticulously pre plan and organize all their trips, it pays off in the end in the form of discovering riveting places together as a family.
Places so awe inspiring that just the experience of it motivates the inception of a travelogue. When asked about her time in Azerbaijan, Mrs. Noor recounts beautiful landscapes, brilliant cuisine and experiences that force her to write something.
Following the tangent, Mr. Khan tries to paint the picture of his favourite country: Iceland. He deems it the “land of ten thousand waterfalls”, with active volcanoes and luscious blue water bodies- it sounds like an absolute dream.
Tech and Solo Travelling
Moreover, diverging from Mrs. Noor’s experiences, Mr. Khan sheds light on solo backpacking. A concept that has yet to become culturally accepted in Pakistan, specifically for females. He talks about technology aiding in creating a community of solo travellers i.e. CouchSurfing. It creates a network for like minded people to utilize in their adventures, based on the concept of free exchange of services. He highlights the importance of solo travelling as it forces one to “move out of the comfort zone” as well as create friends in unexpected places and unexpected ways.
Pakistan and Untapped Tourism
Localising the discussion to Pakistan, Mr. Khan voices his desire to explore Baluchistan, with its terrains similar to that of Morocco. Both the panelists point out the lack of infrastructure, facilities and security that stagnates the country’s tourism. Working on the aforementioned things could allow the government to tap into a “huge source of revenue” and thus benefit the country as a whole.
“Not only would the concept of solo travelling start to spread within Pakistan, but also the gendered differences would start to dissolve if we work to establish the tourism industry”.
You can stream the full episode here. For upcoming episodes of Lit’EdTech, stay tuned!
