The 1st Tourism Working Group Meeting conference of leaders from the G20 nations’ tourism sectors will take place from February 7–9, 2023, on the stunningly white sands of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
At the curtain-raiser news conference held today at the meeting’s location of Dhordo, Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, of the Ministry of Tourism, said that the first Tourism Working Group Meeting under the G20 will begin tomorrow and feature more than 100 attendees.
Parshottam Rupala, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy, Sh. G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and DONER, and Sh. Bhupendra bhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, would all attend the meeting. Senior delegates from G20 member nations, invitee nations, and international organisations would attend.
The Secretary of State stated that a number of activities have been planned by the Ministry of Tourism to commemorate India’s G20 Presidency that would involve not just government-level stakeholders but also the travel industry and hospitality industries.
The Ministry will host the inaugural Global Tourism Investors’ Summit (GTIS) in New Delhi in April or May 2023. With investments in tourist infrastructure, technology, talent development, startups, and more, GTIS seeks to draw foreign capital to India’s tourism and hospitality industries.
In June, Goa will host both the Ministerial Meeting and the G20 CEO Forum. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and WTTC are in charge of organising the event (India initiative). According to Shri Singh, the Ministry of Tourism will also host a MICE Global Conference and an adventure tourism event in May and June of 2023, respectively.
During India’s G-20 Presidency, five tourism-related priority areas were established. These areas will serve as the fundamental building blocks for speeding the sector’s transition and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The following are the five areas of priority:
Green Tourism “Greening of the tourism sector for a sustainable, responsible and resilient tourism sector”
Digitalization “Harnessing the power of digitalization to promote competitiveness, inclusion and sustainability in the tourism sector”
Skills “Empowering youth with skills for jobs and entrepreneurship in the tourism sector”
Tourism MSMEs “Nurturing tourism MSMEs / Startups/ private sector to unleash innovation and dynamism in the tourism sector”
Destination Management “Rethinking the strategic management of destinations towards a holistic approach that delivers on the SDGs”
The tourism secretary added that the centrepieces of the three-day event will be two side events emphasising rural tourism and promoting archaeological tourism.
According to Shri Singh, rural tourism has a significant potential to promote regional economic expansion, social reform, and inclusive community progress. A rural village’s scenery, knowledge systems, ecological and cultural variety, local values, and activities (agricultural, forestry, cattle, and/or fisheries), including its cuisine, are valued and protected by rural tourism.
In discussing the second priority area, Shri Singh noted that archaeological sites include a wealth of historical and cultural relics that provide important information about ancient civilizations all across the world.
The promotion of archaeological site knowledge through tourism can help people better comprehend a place’s cultural heritage and advance the economic and social progress of the surrounding areas.
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