TIMES REPORT
ISLAMABAD: The Board of Directors of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to strengthen and reposition the corporation as a National Centre of Excellence in Tourism.
The decision was welcomed during the 107th meeting of the PTDC Board of Directors held at the corporation’s head office on September 16.
Briefing the board, PTDC Managing Director Aftab ur Rehman Rana said the restructured organisation would shift from its traditional operational role of managing hotels, motels and tour operations towards becoming a professionally managed, policy-oriented national tourism organisation.
He said the renewed mandate would focus on tourism policy support, research, knowledge development, national tourism standards, destination branding and marketing, international coordination and capacity building.
Under the new framework, PTDC will strengthen coordination among federal and provincial governments, territorial administrations and private-sector stakeholders. It will also support national and international tourism promotion, develop tourism standards and guidelines, and establish a national tourism knowledge and data hub.
The corporation will further focus on human resource development and skills enhancement in the tourism and hospitality sectors and coordinate Pakistan’s engagement with international and regional tourism organisations, including UN Tourism.
PTDC will also support the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination in implementing tourism-related bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding aimed at strengthening international cooperation and promoting inbound tourism.
Chairing the meeting, PTDC Board Chairman Ahmed Shafiq expressed satisfaction over the corporation’s contribution to tourism development and promotion in Pakistan.
He noted that PTDC, established in 1970, had played a pioneering role in opening tourism destinations across the country and promoting Pakistan’s natural landscapes, cultural heritage and tourism potential among domestic and international visitors.
He said PTDC’s renewed focus would centre on coordination, destination branding, research and knowledge, capacity building and institutional support for the formulation of effective tourism policies and development strategies.
The restructuring is aimed at creating a more coordinated and knowledge-driven national tourism framework while supporting tourism’s potential for economic growth, employment generation, cultural exchange and sustainable development.
The meeting was attended by representatives of tourism departments from all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, Culture and Heritage Division, independent board members and senior PTDC officials.
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