New Delhi: The third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting, held from 22nd to 24th May in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir concluded on Friday, said Ministry of Tourism.
In a Press Briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of Tourism said that all G20 members would submit their suggestions in writing by 26th May, 2023 which will form part of the final draft of the roadmap prepared in consultation with UNWTO that will be presented at the 4th Tourism Working Group Meeting to be held in Goa in June followed by the tourism declaration at the Ministerial Meet.
The Secretary, talking about the 3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting, said that many successful side events were organised during the meeting which witnessed high-quality discussions from national and international delegates and experts. The delegates were also shown local arts and handicrafts and also had an interaction with the artisans. The delegates were also taken for sightseeing in Srinagar where they saw the old Mughal Gardens, the Pari Mahal, and the newly renovated Polo View Market under Smart City Mission. Cultural nights were also held for the delegates in collaboration with the state government, added the Secretary.
Under India’s G20 Tourism Track, the Tourism Working Group is working on five inter-connected priority areas, which are Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs and Destination. These priorities are key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieve the targets for 2030 SDGs. There are two key deliverables of the Tourism Working Group, which are GOA Roadmap for tourism as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals and G20 Tourism Ministers’ Declaration.
The Ministry of Tourism has made positive progress on finalizing the two key deliverables of the Tourism Working Group. During this meeting, G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organizations gave valuable inputs and feedback on these two draft documents. After negotiations with G20 Member Countries on these drafts, final versions will be placed in the fourth Tourism Working Group meeting and Ministerial meeting.
A side event on ‘Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation’ was organized on 22nd May 2023, focusing on strategies to promote film tourism. The event was addressed by Shri. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, Government of India. He emphasised that potential of Jammu and Kashmir to grow as tourism destination that will encourage employment generation in the UT. He remembered how the destination has served as a perfect landscape to create some of the memorable movies of India such as Kashmir ki Kali, Lakshya, Haider, and many more.
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