Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT)
Website: www.adventuretravelnews.com/chitral-association-for-mountain-area-tourism-camat
Facebook: CAMAT
E-mail: camatchitral@yahoo.com
Phone: Shams Uddin: +92 943 413540 or +92 (0)203 5975059 (mobile)
Who they are
Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT) is a not-for-profit formed in 1998 for the promotion of ecotourism in the Hindu Kush region of Chitral, Northern Pakistan. The overarching objective of CAMAT is to diversify people’s livelihood opportunities through culturally-rooted and environmentally–friendly tourism so that pressure on land resources may be reduced.
CAMAT is also actively involved in reviving the forgotten cultural and musical heritage of the Kho communities in the region. This involves facilitating cultural visits of artists and artisans to Lok Virsa in Islamabad during national and international festivals every year, providing technical assistance to the Lok Virsa media team in making a movie on the Wakhi communities in Broghil, the Eastern Pamir Region, and taking part in UNESCO-sponsored workshops.
What they do
Protection of traditional culture:
CAMAT has been undertaking efforts to protect the traditional culture of the Hindu Kush region which is characterised by the values of peace and feeling of friendship and fellowship. Whilst the rest of the North-West Frontier Province has been hit by acts of terrorism, Chitral is still a place of peace and beauty. This is credited to Chitral’s peaceful culture and people. CAMAT strives to protect this culture by promoting and organising festivals such as Jashan-e-Chitral, Jashan-e-Shandur, Jashan-e-Qaqlasht and Jashan-e-Broghil. These festivals provide an enabling environment to artists, artisans, folksingers and folkdancers.
Protection of natural environment:
Protection of the environment is a major area of intervention. CAMAT has been organising post-festival waste disposal campaigns through the help of schools and voluntary organisations at the grassroots level. ECOCLUBs of the Kalash schools have been formed in Bumborate and Rumbor.
Capacity Building:
CAMAT has been involved in building the capacity of hoteliers, guesthouse owners, drivers, porters and guides. All these efforts are intended to provide standard services to tourists apart from providing livelihood opportunities for tourism primary stakeholders.
Network building:
CAMAT has been promoting relationships between like-minded national and international tourism stakeholders. CAMAT is member of ECOCLUB, TIES and ICIMOD and a range of other international tourism companies from around the world.
Advocacy:
CAMAT has always taken serious efforts to raise and promote the cause of tourism with the government at the district, provincial and federal level.
What they offer
- Adventure tours
- Trekking information & services
- Cultural tours
- Traditional music
- Paragliding
- Horse riding
- Wildlife watching
- Cycling from Chitral to Gilgit
- Vehicle services
- Guiding services
- Tour Kalasha Valleys
- Tour Northern Chitral
- Tour Northern Areas
Location
Chitral is in the northernmost district of NWF Province of Pakistan. By road you can start your travel from Peshawar or Rawalpindi. Whilst travelling by air, you have to catch a flight either from Peshawar or Islamabad to Chitral. It takes 50 to 35 minutes respectively to reach Chitral. The flight is really sensational through the snow-capped peaks and glaciers. Great photographic opportunities.
More information
Check out the communities of Kho Community of the Hindu Kush Region , Wakhi Communities of Broghil and the Kalash communities of the Hindu Kush Region that CAMAT works with.
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Dear Grassrootsjourney friends, many thanks for uploading the information about CAMAT and its activities. We are thankful to you for this. Thanks a lot!
Shams Uddin