Islamabad : In a groundbreaking partnership set to redefine the future of tourism, the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Destinations, an innovative digital tourism platform. The signing ceremony, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was chaired by Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP). This collaboration marks the beginning of a new era in leveraging technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship to engage young people in high-potential industries, while accelerating the digital transformation of Pakistan’s tourism and creator economies.
Founded in 2015, Destinations is a leading media and digital innovation platform focused on sustainable tourism, youth entrepreneurship, and integrating Pakistan into the global halal economy. From its award-winning travel content to its AI-powered educational tools, Destinations is committed to advancing Pakistan’s position on the world stage through digital innovation and storytelling.
The collaboration focuses on a shared vision of youth empowerment, job creation, economic development, and enhancing Pakistan’s global brand. By leveraging Destinations’ cutting-edge AI platform, PMYP aims to unlock new opportunities for youth, helping them integrate into digital economies through training, technology, and entrepreneurship. This partnership will extend into education and entrepreneurship, creating further opportunities in fields such as sustainable tourism, the halal economy, and content creation.
This partnership is grounded in shared goals of youth empowerment, job creation, economic development, and enhancing Pakistan’s tourism brand. It focuses on four key pillars:
• Technology & Infrastructure – Developing AI-driven tools to modernize the tourism experience and streamline travel planning.
• Marketing & User Acquisition – Launching national and international campaigns to enhance the visibility of Pakistan as a top global tourist destination.
• Operational Expansion – Establishing regional tourism support centers and facilitating digital access to travel permits and regulations.
• Data Access & Integration – Enhancing cybersecurity, data sharing, and integration to create a seamless digital tourism ecosystem.
Digital inclusion is at the heart of this initiative. Through this partnership, PMYP and Destinations are committed to ensuring local service providers, small businesses, tour guides, artisans, and youth across Pakistan gain access to the tools, training, and visibility needed to thrive. By integrating these stakeholders into a shared digital ecosystem, the partnership aims to foster entrepreneurship and sustainable economic participation in the digital tourism economy.
As part of this collaboration, PMYP and Destinations are focusing on two key areas to prepare youth for global opportunities:
• Content Creation & the Creator Economy: Using the Destinations Edu app, youth will explore Pakistan’s culture, heritage, and environment while producing podcasts, videos, and campaigns to connect local stories with global audiences.
• Entrepreneurship & Halal Business Building: The collaboration will offer students financial literacy and hands-on training to create sustainable, halal-compliant businesses. These could include eco-friendly guesthouses, sustainable cafés, and pop-up businesses, all designed to meet World Bank’s sustainable tourism standards.
Asma Chishty, CEO of Destinations, commented:
“Destinations turns discovery into love, and love into action — preparing Pakistan’s youth to lead in climate resilience and halal innovation worldwide.”
In line with the Government of Pakistan’s vision for youth empowerment, the partnership will strengthen the Prime Minister’s Digital Youth Hub (DYH). DYH serves as Pakistan’s one-stop platform, providing access to the 4Es: Education, Employment, Engagement, and Environment under PMYP. The platform, which already has over 2.6 million registrations, connects youth to educational opportunities, government schemes, employment avenues, and skills development.
By fostering digital inclusion and providing access to training in both the tourism and creator economies, PMYP and Destinations are setting the stage for a digitally empowered and sustainable future.
This partnership also aims to explore public-private financing, institutional collaborations, and scalable digital infrastructure to support Pakistan’s emergence as a global tourism destination. By modernizing how tourists explore, book, and experience Pakistan, Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) and Destinations are laying the foundation for a vibrant, inclusive, and digitally empowered tourism sector that will drive long-term economic growth and youth empowerment.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
