Pakistan set to host D-8 moot on Tourism in Murree

Pakistan will host 4th D-8 Senior Officials Meeting and 3rd D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Tourism Cooperation for the first time in the country on August 4-5 at Bhurbhan, Murree.

The two-day meeting organized by Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation is being held for the first time in Pakistan.

The meeting, being organized by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), will be followed by a technical visit to the federal capital on August 6.

It was decided in the 2nd D-8 Ministerial Meeting held in Malaysia in 2019 that Pakistan will host the 3rd D-8 Ministerial Meeting preceded by 4th D-8 Senior Officials Meeting.

However, the meeting was postponed in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Awn Chaudhry, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Tourism & Sports / PTDC Chairman, while chairing an inter-ministerial meeting on the preparation and organization of the D-8 Ministerial Meeting, said it was aimed at promoting Pakistan’s tourism potential and exploring tourism trade opportunities of the member states.

The meeting could also open new avenues of socio-economic development, he added.

The objective of the meeting is to identify potential pathways (incentives and initiatives) to enhance intra D-8 tourism in line with the objectives and goals of D-8; to bring together tourism experts of member states to strengthen their capacities and develop effective strategies for the post COVID-19 tourism era; to provide a platform for member states to exchange knowledge and best practices to facilitate cooperation opportunities, and to explore possibilities to promote bilateral tourism among the member states.

The D-8 (Developing Eight) organization for economic cooperation is an inter-governmental organization which was established in 1997. It comprises eight developing countries, namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkiye.