| The First Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting held from 19-20 March 2004 in Kuala Lumpur endorsed Malaysia's proposal to set up a Commonwealth Tourism Centre in Kuala Lumpur. The Centre is to be responsible, among other things, for promoting intra-commonwealth tourism, capacity building, facilitating information exchange, promoting tourism investment and to develop strategic partnership. The First Ministerial meeting also decided that a Tourism Task Force be appointed to discuss on the Terms of Reference of the Commonwealth Tourism Centre and the frequency of the Ministerial meetings. The Centre is to be initially financed by the Government of Malaysia for a three-year period after which it is to be self financed principally through contributions from the private sector. Commonwealth member countries which may wish to contribute to the financing of the Centre were also welcomed to do so. Upon request by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, a draft Terms of Reference (TOR) was submitted by the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia on 28 July 2004. Subsequently, the Tourism Task Force Meeting was convened on 9 December 2004 attended by members representing the region. The Task Force discussed the TOR and made recommendations to be tabled at the Second Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting in April 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria. At the Second Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting in April 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria, the TOR of the Centre (Annex I) was approved and endorsed. As a follow-up to the Ministerial decision, the Government of Malaysia gave its consent for the Centre to begin its formal operation on 1st January 2006 at the location address on the 22nd Floor, Menara Dato' Onn, Putra World Trade Centre, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. 
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