Why travel media is dangerous for Pakistan's tourism 

I m an American, I’ve been to Pakistan more than a dozen times and I m literally in love with the country. Period

Lahoris have treated all Sikh pilgrims from East Punjab with too much respect ✊ And we are brown like you.

Dear madam before that America send black water and CIA like tourist,, so security first,,, 🇵🇰 is open for everyone but security very must,,,

I'm from Pakistan and I must say she's giving such an accurate account , but it's almost every where cause this is the way they market , telling all the goods and hiding all the bads. People might not like this but I'm just being honest. Important part is to develop the strength to take criticism and use it productively in a positive way instead of being in denial

Lol .. as british citizen I visited Pakistan 2 years ago and i must say the best hospitality i ever had in Pakistan.. This women is 💯 lying 🤥

I have visited Pakistan three times. Tourists protection is the part of their hospitality! Evil mind people exist in every country. Pakistanies love and welcome tourists from all around the world without any difference. I love Pakistan and it's people, their culture, their food, and stunning natural beauty!! Simply mesmerizing landscapes with wonderful people. my next trip to Pakistan is in July, I will go Northern Pakistan, particularly Gilgit Baltistan. If someone willing to come to Pakistan with me I simply welcome you! Malaysia

I think you never heard of how Pakistanis are interogated in USA!!!!

I am Pakistani living in states. Pakistan shouldn’t see your concerns as negative. You made very valid points. If they didn’t want you to speak at the summit, then I hope they’re using your concerns silently to improve badly needed infrastructure/logistics. I agree that this things must improve if Pak want to fully take advantage of the tourism potential.

I am from Germany and I enjoyed my trip to Pakistan a lot. I completely disagree with you.

Here you say you did not have a chance to present but I saw you presented at the summit. Am I missing something here?

I love Pakistan 😍😍😍 soon I'll visit in Pakistan love from Barcelona Spain 😻😻😻❤❤

"Only A true friend criticizes you." Because they want you to be better. I agree with her.

I am a Pakistani woman and I feel that she is telling the truth. Please notice that the negative comments are mostly from male Pakistanis who enjoy way more privilege than us. We can not even walk alone in peace in daylight without getting harassed and stalked. They would ask us to cover ourselves in the streets out of some entitlement engraved in their upbringings. The comments only show that you are right. More Power to you Girl.

Lol that's not colonial hangover. They treat Indians with the same respect too. Idk about other countries but if an Indian meets the common people of Pakistan, he/she gets treated like an honoured guest. Even for Indians pretty much everything is free. It's not about colour. It's their humble nature. This is coming from an Indian lol.

I am from Malaysia madam and i go Pakistan 7 time 2009 2012. 2014. 2016 2017 2018 2019 u have to follow the country's rules like how world follow your on county rules 2nd Pakistan 79% is alllrdy white color face dear which Pakistan u go 3nd u have to tell good thing's for people's county's you try to do your best everything is inligel in country dear

I still want to visit Pakistan. Still waiting for my visa Watching from Philippines 🇵🇭

*_I never expected that low from her she lied she presented her self with her presentation in tourism summit also she met Prime minister Imran Khan in personal meeting with 3 other bloggers_* Long story short she had every opportunity and she availed it to express her reservation..also in her presentation which was presented was different from the one she showed or talked about in this video...she basically cooked up all this story to malign tourism in Pakistan #CheapShot Edit : I still respect her due to her efforts of highlighting some constructive issues, process could be disputable but hate is unjustified by some fellows

Beating around the bush ... i can give you 10 reasons against every country. You didn't made a single valid point which can be a threat towards tourists.

This video shows us how far a person can go for publicity.Well done

I love Pakistan .. enough! I will still visit this country❤️🇵🇰

I can agree to some extent.She looks Pakistani 99% and maybe that’s why some people would have thought that she’s trying to be angrez. Not only whites get this hospitality but blacks also get it.my university class fellow is from Somalia and he gets many things free from shopkeepers.......

Madam you had a personal meeting with th PM and also got chance to speak at Pakistan tourism summit. So do not tell lies. We love security in our country, so let our security agencies do their job, it is good for the people and for the tourist. Criticizism is always good, but telling lies makes that poisonous. Thanku

You are exposed. You did do your presentation and met with IK

Visited Pakistan almost 10 years ago and hope to travel again in October this year. It was one of my favorite trips, amazing landscapes, bustling cities, wonderful food, welcoming people. It definitely deserves a spot on the tourist radar. The country really is spectacular in many ways as you mention, but also faces spectacular challenges. I agree with you that some of the 'influencers' tend to minimize those. Glad to find some balance in your video, it's often missing on RU-vid. I would advise travelers to carefully plan their trips, do a lot of research, and work with people they know and trust if they decide to go. Be prepared for challenges, but also for unique experiences.

@8:36 "Pakistani tourists won’t receive security escorts when they go to sensitive areas." Yes Pakistanis are OK with that because they know how safe or unsafe Pakistan is. However, the government cannot afford a bad experience to a foreign tourist even if that happens to 1 in a million, otherwise the media/you are ready to prefix Pakistan with words like dangerous.

You r so right my friend I totally agree with you I am Pakistani and when I see these just positive videos it feels good but I do fear some time what if those things happenes to the foreigners (what you have mentioned) the reputation of our struggling country will flush down.Thank you so much for mentioning these problems in a very positive way🙏💕

I've been wanting to bring these issues up with the authorities in Pakistan. I'm also a traveler and I do feel there is a lot to be done. Thank you for bringing this up Alex.

Eye opener. Thank you. Pakistan is going through a transitional period, you will find changes soon.

You did present at the summit though....why flippin lying???

This is the most mature conversation I've heard about Pakistan's tourism issue. Thank-you for putting it up!

Appreciate your concerns mate, hardly agree with any of it, as most of them didnt make any sense, but we respect your opinion.

I'm an Indian. My friend has visited Pakistan 2 months before and he said there are full of kind hearted people there. I can't fully agree on you girl but I can't say more unless I visit there myself. I would love to visit there one day. #Love Pakistan from my India

Sister we are facing terrorism since 17 years across the borders and now we have peace just because of our security forces ...

Most welcome in pakistan but after security clearance, u can fix your american policy for pakistani people then talk about pakistan

O come on. If you love Pakistan then you should learn to respect our security norms and laws. Tourists are welcome but our security comes first.

The same issues goes for America as well. People face the same problem there. I've been to US in 2015 and I was detained for 18 hours in single room alone. No one talked to me for at least 17 hours. I didn't even know what was going to happen. So I have no regret to what Pakistan is doing to it's tourists. If "United States" can't treat people normally. What better can you expect from Pakistan. Peace out 🕊️

You are Lying !! You presented at summit

Some times we receive black water people in diplomatic cover😆.

She's right, she makes really good points. Fix the flaws she has mentioned and the rest is golden, Pakistan Zindabad!

Well, to be honest, I watched this video about 4 years ago and instantly disliked it. At that time, I wasn't open to criticism and I always thought that any form of criticism, whether it was constructive or not, was a bad thing. But now, since I have learned the value of criticism, this video makes a lot of sense. I really appreciate you for traveling around my country, especially in the Pashtunkhwa Province.

Thanks for objectively analyzing and speaking out your mind. Your vlog gives an all round perspective. It is more realistic than the fluff that is passing around. And most importantly, it is not denigrating Pakistan. My wish to visit the country has increased after watching your video.

Pakistani government should now have to write in their passports. This passport is not available for Israel and america.😂

I watched carefully all video, I think this was more then critisizm for correction. Pakistan welcome mannered people.

Hey I never knew about you till I started to love watching tourism in Pakistan videos. This is the first video that I watched on your channel. So after so many amazingly positive videos that I saw about Pakistan I also loved to watch your video and want to agree to all of your concerns. I'm really sorry for you not getting the opportunity to talk on the summit but as you said you still have a voice. Thanks for having such a great heart and for much thought full concerns about Pakistan and for the people who wanna visit here. As a Pakistani I welcome all my fellow tourists be it white or local. I appreciate you all. Thank you for doing what you do and InshaAllah one day the world would know that we have the best tourism spots in the world. Love from Karachi.

The tourism summit was organized by a private travel company and it was sponsored by other private travel companies. They have a big financial motive to kickstart international tourism as soon as possible, so naturally they did not want you to present a critical viewpoint. Its a shame because the current goverment is very serious about tourism and they’d welcome constructive criticism. I hope that in future, Pakistan’s government do not let these tourism summits be hijacked by these private travel companies and organize such conferences themselves. I don’t agree about the Gora complex or colonial hangover part. I think that the positive response that these foreign travelers have received in Pakistan is not so much because they are western people but because people in Pakistan wanted to show them what we are really like and not how they’ve seen us in the western media of post-9/11 world. This to me is the main reason because even Indian visitors are given such warm welcome, because our people want to subvert their prejudices. As you showed in your video, some of these western tourists were detained also by security agencies, so being white is not necessarily advantageous. I do want to say that as far as foreign tourism is concerned, your opinion is much more important than those vloggers because you have travelled independently and you’ve travelled a lot and spent much more time in Pakistan than them. It makes me happy that despite all these difficulties, you still came back to Pakistan many times. Thats a good sign. I hope that your sentiments reach the concerned authorities.

We are not in Gora or white complex; but it seems you have different motives, we respect even brown visitors and are equally hospitable towards them. We consider Pakistan a home, and people within home are family members. A person who comes from outside, we take him as guest and guests in our culture are considered as blessing of God. For the viewers of this video, I am sharing a link, A brown visitor is visiting Pakistan, how he is being treated. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-po-ewNVU-a4.html By the way the people in above video are from India and in west I am sure everyone knows about India Pakistan conflicts. Foreigners who visit Pakistan, there are hundred of ways to take information, where to visit and where not to, local community, the hotel they stay, tourists guides, any many more. Pakistanis are really helpful people, if you ask a thing, they will explain it in details. Sorry for this lady but I do not know her true intention and I believe we should not be judgemental.

Lol, just random recordings of people without any reference or context (like when it happened, what place they tried to enter, with or without noc)

It’s immensely brave of you to talk about this. People don’t like having their views challenged, especially positive ones. As a local Pakistani, i can confirm some of the things she has said. The whole visa and ‘security’ checks thing I don’t know about, but yeah travellers do need to be aware of this stuff. White people have an easier time because they look foreign. People get excited because white people are painted as paragons, and many locals don’t get to see ‘foreigners’ very often. Many people are also very ‘traditional’. They’ll probably judge you for a lot of things. People also get angered easily when they’re beliefs are challenged, even if they have no right to that anger. And men do make up much of the crowds you see in public, which makes traveling very daunting for women. Even me and my mum feel apprehensive going to largely male spaces even if we have important work to do there. I’m not trying to spread hate, but this is the reality of things. Pakistan is a great country that deserves more respect than it gets, and its great that travelers like it, but those who plan on visiting need to know this stuff. Especially non-white women. Edit: I’ve also heard Indians get treated very well. That’s great! But the concept of white people as the only type of foreigners is still very persistent. People just like foreigners in general. Again, we don’t get a lot if international traffic, so people get excited when you tell them you’re not a local. I just want people to know that. It’s not a bad thing. But you can’t expect any specific kind of treatment when you visit.

It was a Private Company They brought you as an Influencer Why the Hell would they want critiscm If a Soda Company invited you on a simillar event you think they would let you talk about how Soda is bad for health?

Why are you lying ? You have 3 hours to meet Imran khan that day so you can discuss with him Isn't 3 hours enough for you to represent this

Thanks for taking time to make this productive video. Best wishes for your future endeavours.

Absolutely spot on. I saw a talk at the summit and thought r they talking about the same Pakistan I know??!!!

she is the same girl who goes to different MacDonalds and ask for the managers..

No country is perfect, not even your own country every country has a good and a bad side and none of is denying that pakistan is free of evil but you sure have exaggerated things. We respect your opinion but as i said going on another path from others won't make you "unique" every time...PEACE

I am a Pakistani and I want to thank you for pointing out such important matters. To all Pakistanis: Please respect constructive criticism. It's rare and it's important to hear to it today before it's too late.

I Am Pakistani Most Of Your Point Are Correct But Not All.GOD Bless You

Hi Alex, We met at travel summit before your presentation and since I was following you for some time I told you about how a superficial image of Pakistan can do more harm than good to this country and how your honest opinion can save future international travelers from disappointment. To my surprise your whole presentation in convention centre was about how difficult it can be to travel in Pakistan. Thank you! For being honest, always keep on sharing your honest opinion. I hope sanity will prevail and you will not face issues for sharing your experience.

She is right in many aspects. As Pakistan goes to promote itself, it needs to safeguard all the tourists and make sure proper facilitations are provided to ensure a smooth stay. Let there not be any negative experiences coming from these tourists.

Criticism shouldn't be silenced and you have presented sound arguments

Alex, thank you for your sincere and honest feedback, I wish we Pakistanis have courage and honesty to accept our flaws!

being a pakistani im gratefully thank u for these points which u arise in this video.plz keep doing this work because such peoples like you is our mirror .when u came next time inshallah your mind will change

We are willing to listen to critics. With open arms. But the problem is you're a liar

I agree with you and we will try to make it better thanks for your opinion, suggestions.

Thank you for your honesty. I've been researching Pakistan for more than an hour now and your the only one who has explained the risks.

I agree. Sadly many people won't understand your valid positive criticism. You are awesome. Please keep coming to Pakistan.

As a Pakistani, ALL OF THIS IS TRUE AND WE NEED TO FIX THESE ISSUES ASAP! Much love to you for making this awesome video!

I am Pakistani but I completely agree with you. most of the things you said will actually benefit the tourism. I don't know why so many people think you are wrong

really appreciate your honesty.... tourism can be a huge contribution to our economy and that's exactly how we should think about it, critically. its a shame that in my country voices of reason are always silenced. on behalf of my whole country i am sorry.

Everyone PLEASE!, we must hear everyone out and improve ourselves. We must allow open criticism about all aspects of our country including religion and culture. If we don't do this then we won't grow as a society, our minds will become stagnant and stagnant water often smells you know. ( Defeat not the demon outside but the demon within)

Good one lady very well done a good example of positive constructive criticism ...Thank You Soo Very Much...

I totally agree with you, but its the fact that a lot of foreigner tourist and NGOs were involved in some Suspicious Activities. I'm giving an example search her Name ''Tereza hluskova'' And there is a long list of these kinds of incidents. May it clear your concept.

As a British Pakistani I'm pleasantly surprised. This is a BRILLIANT analysis 👍. Especially the gora inferiority complex and about highlighting the cultural sensitivities in the tourism adverts. These cultural sensitivities are what add to the appeal of a country. People travel to experience differences. Your point about females being the only ones walking the streets and that being seen as a sexual invite was a really brilliant insightful observation also👍

I totally agree with you, actually it is more than that, it is considered taboo if someone from here in Pakistan tries to self-critisize, or just say someone points towards something, he/she is believed to be some kind of alien. Dissent is never allowed. Their is ego behind every thing, they have very wrong perceptions regarding foreign people, and they keep boosting the same.

This is such a valid criticism and thanks for sharing it, As a Pakistani, I completely agree with you on all the points you mentioned, people like you must be included in any kind of Tourism Department, very logical and creative criticism. Once again Thanks

1) Change the title of the video, most of the people who are hating on you haven't watched the entirety of the video and the title just misleads them into thinking you are against or don't believe in a positive image of Pakistan being projected to the western world. 2) Your video is more directed towards independent travelers who come to Pakistan without the assistance of a local tourism agency, most local tourism agencies are adept at dealing with complicated bureaucratic processes and obtaining your NOCs and Visas well before your arrival in Pakistan. If you are hosted by a local, they need to notify the security agencies about your itinerary and along with your passport details, you won't be bothered by the agencies if they know who you are? what the intent of your visit is and most importantly where you will be on any given day. Also the armed escorts are only given to you in sensitive areas like Peshawar and interior regions with a history of violence. The conduct of the guard harassing that British sounding lady is despicable and it would help her fellow travelers a lot if she could file a complaint against him. My experience with security provided to foreigners has always been positive, which is not say that it cannot be otherwise. 3) Local influencers are not given the same level of respect because 1) yes we do have a gora complex, 2) because most of them are from the cities and major hubs and tend to behave haughtily around indigenous peoples of various regions, some might even do it without even being aware of it. Accents and modes of carrying yourself differ from place to place in Pakistan, if you're in Hunza flashing your expensive equipment and talking to the locals in a prideful tone, you are likely not to get the same respect regardless of your colour. The same will be the case in the tribal regions of KPK, or the interior sindh. White - or non desi influencers are commonly treated with respect because they 'usually' ,emphasis on the usually, behave in a manner befitting a guest. Smile and speak with humility and most, if not all Pakistani's will return your kindness. I really liked your video, it highlights a lot of issues and provides solutions for them but positive media coverage serves to combat the already prevalent negative image of Pakistan and is not dangerous but much needed especially by foreign travelers.

I have worked with Pakistanis for more than a decade in Kuwait and i could say they’re good and happy people . Never knew that Pakistan is a hard ass country to travel until i saw this . Your “ HONEST “ personal experience and opinions to a certain country matters most to us viewers. Thanks and subscribing . Stay safe on your travels.

I've been to India nearly 20 times and just got my first Pakistan eVisa--I'll be flying off in another month. I appreciate the honesty in this video; many South Asia travel bloggers, whether based in India or Pakistan, are unwilling to discuss the hassles inherent to travel in the region for fear of offending some of their more sensitive hosts. This is an issue which needs to be addressed at multiple levels.

Hey madam.. Before saying something about my country just look at ur America.. Who racist people's all.. So set ur things first say something else...

Hey Alex u r genuine & creative girl worked tremendously for pakistan, we pakistanis love u alot alex...keep vlogging in pak

I am an Pakistani, what she saying I completely agree with her. The problems she talking about aren't gonna solve anytime soon. I will say its so sad to see dislikes on her vedio , we should accept the facts.

You raise very important issues with their solutions. Appreciate it

I'm from Pakistan and I see most of your points are valid. We will try to fix our short comings hopefully. You are always welcome here.

First time to watch your vlog ... It's very informative and educational... Kudos for being honest about some issues .. Travel goals ...PAKISTAN♥️

Dear Alex I, as a student of M.A in planning and management of tourism systems completely agree with every single point you raised! People as well as the government have closed their eyes by the fact that the current model of promoting tourism in Pakistan is not sustainable at all !!! Social media hypes falls down more quickly than they rise . What will happen if few influencers will share videos of not very good experiences? Your feedback and critical approach to the issues are very useful. If i were at any influential position I must have let all the concerning people listen to you. I really appreciate that despite all the possible criticism you stood up and said what had to be said. Thank you very much !

Thanks for Information....... Interesting Country to visit thanks for the Pakistan information.......

It's not about race and color they treated everyone in same and good manner And foreigner not doing this for fame it's their feeling they expressing Give time to your self madam you need it most don't worry about the present and future of Pakistan Love u pakistan from Australia

*Hi Alex, you do have great points that need to be taken care of but let's not exaggerate them the way you're doing it with such disgusted tone and body gestures.* *I understand that you're brown and couldn't get the same attention that other travelers did (because we are welcoming to the foreigners and whites are easy to be identified as foreigners -- common sense!) and you clearly seem pretty pissed about it..but the way you're presenting these facts kind of show your envious side that is not nice.*

No fear for the truth, kudos to you for that, we need a honest hard fighting leader like you who stands up for people's rights

I'm Pakistani baloch I'm proud to be Pakistani we have respect for our visitors

Really appreciate ur constructive criticism. Thank you for doing that. May you live long! Pakistan Zindabad!

I have visited Pakistan and I'm American of colour ....its totally safe and there super nice people who shower love! PLEASE DON'T SPREAD LIES IF U HAD ANY PERSONAL ISSUES ON YOUR OWN. THANK YOU💓

Thank you, sister, for your succinct and honest analysis of prevalent issues ( bureaucratic, social and cultural, etc.)with regard to solo traveling in Pakistan and their solutions. And indeed they must be addressed accordingly by the government of Pakistan. Being a native Pakistani and living abroad I am able to suss out your concerns better in terms of Korean proverb "change locations and think", rather than the English equivalent “put yourself in someone else’s shoes. The latter limit your capacity to see their problem and the broader context more objectively. In the end, I must say you are very articulate and visually expressive.

And then she met with Imran Khan the PM without discussing these problems Bcz only PM can solve her problems 😡

Her comments are positive, the main issue she wanted to address was the security forces influence, but that is because of your own security, because there might be foreign intruders that might try to sabotage the tourism in Pak. So be happy with security measurements..

Thank you for your honesty, let’s hope you’re heard & your observations are looked into and worked on

I am from Pakistan. I agree with 100%. I am very proud to be pakistani. You have given good advices to govt of pakistan. The govt should work on it and bring change in policies.

I'm Pakistani and I agree 100% to everything you have said.

Thank You for making this video. I am a Pakistani and I totally agree with all the points discussed here wonderfully, since many of my foreigner friends have time to time highlighted issues like these while travelling in Pakistan. I hope Eva sees this and it would be interesting to see her response on this.

As a Pakistani I support your analysis. I hope government and people both should take these concerns serously. Thanks.

You are very thoughtful and your video is important. Bravo. Was there any backlash from authorities? Do tell.