ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host fourth D-8 Senior Officials Meeting and third D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Tourism Cooperation for first time on August 4-5, 2023 at Bhurbhan, Murree.

Meeting being organised by Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) will be followed by technical visit to Islamabad on August 6. It was decided in second D-8 Ministerial Meeting held in Malaysia in 2019 that Pakistan would host third D-8 Ministerial Meeting preceded by fourth D-8 Senior Officials meeting. However, meeting was postponed in 2021 due to Covid-19 endemic.

Awn Chaudhry adviser to Prime Minister on tourism and sports / PTDC Chairman called on Secretary General of D-8 Secretariat in March 2023 and decided to organise meeting later this year.

Adviser chairing an inter-ministerial meeting here said holding of third D-8 Ministerial Meeting at Bhurbhan was aimed at promoting Pakistan's tourism potential and exploring tourism trade opportunities of member states. Meeting could open new avenues of socioeconomic development, he added.

 Objective of this meeting is to identify potential pathways (incentives and initiatives) to enhance intra D-8 tourism in line with objectives and goals of D-8, to bring together tourism experts of member states to strengthen their capacities and develop effective strategies for post Covid-19 tourism era, to provide platform for member states to exchange knowledge and best practices to facilitate cooperation opportunities and to explore possibilities to promote bilateral tourism among member states. It comprises eight developing countries, namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkiye.