Srinagar all set to host 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting

Srinagar, May 21 (IANS) The Third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held here from May 22 to 24, and the stage is set for discussions and deliberations on final deliverables, Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference at SKICC, the official, giving details, said that there are two key deliverables of the Tourism Working Group, which include GOA Roadmap for Tourism as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and G20 Tourism Ministers' Declaration.

This is the only working group meeting taking place in Srinagar as part of G20 effort with excellent response from all the member countries, all the invited countries and the international organisations, having the highest participation registered compared to the first two Tourism Working Group Meetings at Rann of Kutch and Siliguri.

Singh also said that G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organisations will give valuable inputs and feedback on these two draft documents and after negotiations with G20 Member Countries on these drafts, final versions will be placed in the Fourth Tourism Working Group Meeting.

He said that the Srinagar meeting will deliberate on the five key priority areas namely Green Tourism, Digitalisation, Skills, MSMEs, and Destination Management. These priorities are key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieve the targets for 2030 SDGs.

The Tourism Secretary said that a side event on 'Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation' will be organised on May 22 and 23, focusing on strategies to promote film tourism in J&K. The event will witness the participation of G20 member countries, invited countries, international organisations, and industry stakeholders. He also said that a draft 'National Strategy on Film Tourism' will be unveiled to provide a roadmap for harnessing the role of films in promoting tourist destinations.

G20 Chief Coordinator and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said: "Tourism Working Group has the broader objectives first to present India's rich and diverse cultural identity to the world and to promote tourism potential of India to the world. We have tried to bring in the sustainable tourism, eco tourism, adventure tourism etc. what is actually relevant to J&K."

Shringla also said that the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to ensure that the message of India's G20 Presidency is taken down the grassroots level through Jan Bhagidari process and lot of efforts were made to sensitise the people of this country about G20.

During the 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting, the delegates will also visit the Art and Craft Bazaar organized by the state government showcasing local handicrafts, work of artisans, signifying the importance of community participation. The delegates will also have 'hands-on' experience through DIY activities at the Craft Bazaar.

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