Finding More Than Scenery in Skardu

A 5-day trip to Gilgit-Baltistan didn't just show me mountains. It handed me a business idea and a responsibility.

There's a quiet confidence in the way people of Skardu welcome you. Not rehearsed. Not performative. Just genuine. You feel it the moment you step off the main road and into a small shop or when someone offers directions with a patience that city dwellers have long forgotten.

I went to Skardu for the landscapes the kind that stop you mid-sentence. The Indus flowing wide and calm. The cold desert cradled by snowy peaks. Shangrila Lake like a postcard you've walked inside. And yes, all of that was extraordinary.

But what stayed with me longer than the views was the connection. Not in a dramatic way. In small, human ways. A nod from a passerby. A local guide who spoke of his valley not as a product to sell but as a home to protect.

That kind of love changes you. Quietly. Respectfully. It made me think less about what I gained and more about what we visitors and residents alike could build together.

Investment that actually means something

There's growing talk of investment in the Skardu region. Hotels. Resorts. Adventure tourism. And that's not a bad thing. Economic activity brings opportunity. But if I've learned anything from this trip, it's that real progress isn't just about buildings. It's about people. And it's about the land they live on.

What Skardu truly needs in my view is investment in two things: its people and its cleanliness. Better facilities along tourist paths—clean restrooms, waste management systems, drinking water stations. Training and employment for local youth to maintain those trails. Support for small, community-led initiatives rather than large, external operations that extract value without rooting into the place.

The dustbin problem is bigger than you think

Here's something I noticed during my time there. You'll see branded dustbins placed by MNCs and private sector companies. Attractive. Well-intentioned on paper. But many of them are either broken, overflowing, or simply not maintained.

A dustbin without a system behind it is just a prop. Installation is not the same as upkeep. And without local ownership, regular emptying, and a basic maintenance cycle, even the best intentions turn into eyesores. That's not a criticism of the companies they showed up. But what's missing is the last mile: the daily, unglamorous work of keeping things functional. That's where local employment and community-led operations make all the difference.

A breathtaking view loses its breath when it's scattered with plastic. A warm welcome loses its warmth if visitors leave nothing behind but trash.

What inspiration looks like from the inside

But I don't say this with frustration. I say it with excitement. Because during my time there I found myself already thinking almost involuntarily of entrepreneurial ideas. Small, practical, scalable solutions.

Venture concepts sketched in Skardu

Concept: Trail waste systems

Waste collection that creates local employment on trekking routes.

Concept: Women-led rest stops

Eco-friendly restroom infrastructure run by local collectives

Concept:Trail/Driving info app

Mobile-first guide for responsible tourism and route safety.

Concept: Community eco-lodges

Low-impact accommodation prioritising local community support

Concept: Rental Car Booking

Mobile-friendly booking system

This trip didn't leave me feeling sad or critical. It left me inspired. Skardu has everything it needs to thrive beauty, culture, resilience, and a people whose hospitality is not a strategy but a way of life. All it asks is that we invest with intelligence and heart.

And for the first time in a long time, I find myself wanting to be part of that. Not as a savior. Just as someone who was treated kindly, and wants to return the favor in the most useful way I can.

A note on what comes next

Since returning, I've already been sketching several entrepreneurial ideas aimed at solving specific problem statements—waste management on tourist trails, accessible restroom infrastructure, community-led guide training, and low-impact eco-lodges that prioritize local employment. I plan to develop these further and, if viable, pilot them in collaboration with local communities. This isn't a fleeting emotion. It's the beginning of a direction.