Punjab Passes Tourism & Heritage Authority Act 2025 to Boost Tourism Development

By Our Staff Reporter Muhammad Shahzad

Lahore: The Punjab Assembly has approved the Punjab Tourism & Heritage Authority Act 2025, marking a major structural reform aimed at accelerating tourism development and preserving the province’s cultural heritage. The Act establishes a unified and empowered authority under the leadership of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

According to a spokesman for the Tourism, Archaeology & Museums Department, the new Authority will serve as a single-window institution for tourism policy-making, regulation, development planning, investment promotion, and coordination of all tourism and heritage-related activities across Punjab.

The Chief Minister will serve as Chairperson, while the Provincial Minister for Tourism will act as Vice Chairperson. The governing body will include secretaries from the departments of Tourism, Finance, Planning & Development, Local Government, Environment, Forestry & Wildlife, and Auqaf, alongside the Managing Director of Tourism, heads of WCLA, Archaeology, Lahore Museum, and PHA, two Members of the Provincial Assembly, and four private-sector experts in tourism and heritage.

The Authority will have powers to formulate and enforce tourism policies, preserve archaeological and cultural assets, regulate service standards, levy fees and fines, and issue licenses. It will also implement digital systems, including a centralized tourism database, promote public-private partnerships, raise development financing, and lead global marketing campaigns to attract domestic and international visitors.

Additionally, the Authority may declare specific areas as designated Tourism or Heritage Zones, allowing targeted infrastructure upgrades, environmental protection, and improved visitor facilities to develop world-class destinations.

An appellate committee, to be formed by the Chief Minister, will handle appeals against enforcement actions, ensuring fairness and public accountability.

The spokesman described the Act as a landmark reform, expected to drive investment, expand the hospitality sector, create jobs, and engage local communities. The initiative, he said, “marks the beginning of a new era where Punjab’s heritage is protected with innovation, celebrated with pride, and showcased globally under the visionary ‘Magnificent Punjab’ campaign.”