Theme:  Tourism: Bridge to World Peace

President: Ram Kohli, Creative Travels Pvt. Ltd.

Convention Chairman:  Capt. Swadesh Kumar, Shikhar Travels Pvt Ltd

TAAP Chairman:  Jaffer Ali.

Chief Guest:  Yusuf Raza Gillani-Tourism Minister of Pakistan. SK Misra-Secretary, Tourism & Civil Aviation. Ramesh Chandra- ADG Tourism, Govt. of India.

A brief detail:
  • The first ever joint Convention of IATO and the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) was organised in Lahore from June 3 to June 5, 1988, and recommended the two Governments to take urgent steps to ease travel restrictions between the two countries.
  • It was a historic convention. It was the first of its kind to be held in Pakistan and was unique because a trade organisation from the neighbouring country was participating. It was the first time in 40 years that an effort was being made to promote tourism between the two countries.
  • The Indian contingent consisted of more than 100 delegates including the Secretary, Tourism & Civil Aviation, SK Misra along with Additional Director General, Tourism, Ramesh Chandra, and Managing Director of Indian Airlines G Pais.According to Misra as many as 135,000 Pakistani citizens visited India in 1987.
  • The resolution which the Convention adopted suggested that to begin with, group traffic was to be permitted from both sides on agreed itineraries and that visas to such groups should be issued as a matter of course and without delay.
 
It was for the first time that any association from overseas was allowed by Pakistan Government to hold a conference in Lahore. This was in cooperation with the then Minister of Tourism, Govt. of Pakistan, Yusuf Raza Gillani.He was Prime Minister of Pakistan until a few months ago.