Heritage Rail Tourism Conference was organized by Indian Railways at National Rail Museum, New Delhi jointly with Asia Pacific Heritage & Rail Tourism Organization (APHRTO).
Participants from many countries including Japan, UK, Germany, Australia, Taiwan, senior officers of Indian Railways and other stakeholders of Heritage Rail Tourism were present in the Conference.
Mr. Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia delivered a talk on ‘Heritage Rail Tourism in Australia’ in a curtain raiser.
Tim Fischer (Australia), along with Shri Adrian Shooter (UK), Shri David Morgan (UK) and Dr. Nui (Taiwan) and accompanied by Secretary, Railway Board and Executive Director/Heritage, Railway Board met Union Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu to discuss ideas on developing Rail Heritage Tourism in India.
The participants also visited Heritage Transport Museum, Gurgaon, being managed by Heritage Transportation Trust, New Delhi.
Dr. Bibek Debroy, Member, NITI Aayog delivered keynote speaker in the inaugural session held on 20th October 2016.
The international conference, the first time ever organized in National Rail Museum on Heritage Rail Tourism is having three technical sessions with 14 papers being presented by national and international delegates primarily covering various aspects of Rail Heritage and promoting Heritage Rail Tourism in the world.
The Annual General Meetings of APHTRO and WATTRAIN (World Association of Tourist Trams and Trains) had been held as a side event. It was envisaged that this APHTRO Conference will bring ideas and visions for strategizing Rail Heritage Tourism in India.