TAAP was established in 1974 with the explicit purpose of raising Pakistan's flag at the world wide fora of travel related industry to promote air travel among its citizens and to promote tourism in Pakistan by providing convenience to domestic and international tourists.
The Ad-hoc Committee successfully led the formulation of TAAP's constitution within the frame work of the Companies Act 1913. The Federal Ministry of Commerce approved the Memorandum & Articles of Association and issued the requisite license for TAAP to represent travel agents, tour operators, general sales agents in Pakistan and other travel related services. Its founding fathers elected an ad-hoc committee comprising of:
Maj. (R) Mohiuddin Alamgir - Travel express ltd.
Mr. Amanullah Khandwala - Aero Travel
Mr. M.H Dhala - Travelogue (oak) ltd
Mr. A.Qadir Khamisani - Khamisani Sons
Mr. S Ather Hussain - Travel Srvices ltd.
Mr. Hoshang D. Minwala - Gerry's Travel Agency Limited
Mr. Azam Khan - Arkays Travel Limited
Mr. Faruq Rasul Zar - Pak Travel Agency
It was in TAAP that the Tourism department found a ready and active ally and both worked hand-in-glove for the promotion of Pakistan's tourism in the international markets. TAAP published its first annual report in 1976-77 under the chairmanship of Mr. Ghulam Rabbani Butt, where Mr. Mahmud Ahmad was the Vice Chairman. Mr. Ashraf Liaquat Ali Khan was the Regional Chairman for Sindh and Balochistan while Mr. Shaukat Ali was the Regional Chairman for Punjab and NWFP. At that time, all 43 IATA licensed travel agencies were members of TAAP, with 31 members from Region A while the remaining from Region B.
With the initial resolve to promote Pakistan's tourism, TAAP is the proud pioneer of tourism conventions in Pakistan. Such conventions served as coordination exercises between producers and marketing professional. The first of such tourism convention was held in 1980 under the Chairmanship of that period and was termed as an international and domestic success with airlines and hotels operating in Pakistan participating eagerly in that convention. The second convention was held the following year – in 1982, and the third convention followed in 1983.
In that third convention, the sitting Chairman's Address of Welcome in which he maintained that Tourism enhances the social quality of human life and also serves as a foreign policy tool. He emphasized that the current laws look down upon IATA approved travel agents as mere ticket punchers but should rather be considered as the marketing arm of the tourism industry. He further went on to highlight that Pakistan "is the eastern flank of the Middle East" and on the west of rest of the Asia; thus on the crossroads of west bound and eastbound traffic; and then provided concrete measures to enhance the tourism and hotel industry in Pakistan at that time. The Chairman’s speech reflected the far sightedness and commitment of TAAP to the promotion of tourism in Pakistan.
Objectives
Ø To encourage friendly feeling and unanimity amongst the members.
Ø To secure good relations between members of the association
Ø To promote business of the members of Travel Agents Association of Pakistan.
Ø To collect and circulate statistics and information of the sector of the association
Ø To monitor legislative and other measures affecting the sectors.
Ø To make representation to local, provincial and national and international authorities on any matter.
Ø To arbitrate in the settlement of disputes arising out of transactions in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the association