Designing for Interaction: The role of Architecture in Bridging Tourists and Local Communities, Case study of Kalasha Valley, Pakistan

Tourism is a key source of employment and income today, and different parts of the world are heavily dependent on it as travel and tourism’s contribution to GDP has been considerable worldwide. Pakistan’s tourism industry has the potential to grow tremendously in the coming years, however, there has not been any sustainable and unified approach towards the development of tourism in Pakistan despite a high potential for growth. Among many aspects which can impact a successful and sustainable tourism, the quality and identity of architecture and urban planning of the area is of crucial importance. Not only architecture of the area can be a source of attraction itself, but it can also be a cause of social integration between tourists and local community. This paper delves into the role of architecture and architects to make determined efforts to deal with the rising stimulation of social tensions in tourist destination areas and study how architecture can deal with social divisions and provide integration between diverse communities, empower the local community and likewise provide a platform to sustain tourism in the area. The case study selected for this study is Kalash Valley in Chitral district of Pakistan. A qualitative methodology leading design was adopted to conduct the research. After mapping the case study area and diagnosing the issues regarding the tourism development in the area, solutions were proposed in the form of design proposals. Moreover, a series of design policies have been suggested for a more sustainable tourism in the area. Data gathering was carried out through a series of observations during the site visits, interviews with the stakeholders specifically the local community (Kalasha and Muslims), civil society activists, tour guides and Kalasha Qazi. Moreover, Secondary Sources of information including Reports, Research papers, books and articles were used to make the theoretical framework of the research, as well as building upon the research precedents.