Growing Number of Tourists Find New Surprises in Pakistan

"The only things I knew about Pakistan before I came here were bombing and shooting,'' said Japanese tourist Aya Tsutatani over a sumptuous dinner of local delicacies. Their perceptions changed after they joined a group of 11 Japanese tourists visiting the country's breathtaking northern areas, where four mountain ranges including the Himalaya collide. The figures appear to speak for themselves. Last year Pakistan received 648,000 tourists, up from the 500,000 in 2003.