Srinagar, May 21: Ahead of G20 summit in Kashmir that begins from Monday, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arvind Singh said the G20 meeting in Srinagar has the highest participation registered compared to the two previous Tourism Working Group Meetings at Rann of Kutch and Siliguri.
“This event is vital for Kashmir’s GDP and will boost employment opportunities in the region,” Singh said
The ‘Third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting’ will begin from May 22 to May 24 in Srinagar and all arrangements have been finalized in this regard.
Addressing a press conference at SKICC, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arvind Singh, 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.
In response to a question on how certain countries missed the meeting, he stated some countries were unable to attend owing to logistical challenges.
“It is not possible for any country to participate in all working group meetings . Some face financial and logistical challenges. The fact that there are so many delegates attending, with Singapore sending the largest group, makes us glad,” Singh added.
On the occasion, Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency, Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that Centre and J&K administration is hopeful that the event will boost tourism industry, open doors of multiple opportunities for youth and opportunity for delegates from around the world to see ‘Paradise on Earth’.
“India is halfway through its G20 presidency, and over the past six months, 118 meetings have been held in 46 different places around the nation. According to him, Srinagar is undergoing smart city initiatives, and all efforts were made to finish the G20-related work,” he said.
“Now that the city has undergone a complete transformation, encompassing the markets, riverfront, and lake regions, I can honestly say that I can see it. In comparison to earlier times, the city is now more beautiful overall, and it has more amenities,” he added.
“Fibre cables are being laid down and a huge development has taken place on war-footing. From the south, north and western parts, G-20 events are being held for the first time. Massive awareness camps have been held in all parts of the country about the G-20,” he said.
Shringla said “On Monday, May 22 Kashmir will receive a large number of international delegates who will come from most influential countries across the world.”
“We can say with pride that Srinagar has natural, scenic beauty but also the most beautiful urban environment that we can present to our guests,” he said, adding that they were impressed by organising a walkathon, cycle expeditions on G20 in Kashmir and that were praised by one and all.
“We have tried to bring in sustainable tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism etc. which is actually relevant to J&K. The vision of PM Narendra Modi is to ensure that the message of India’s G20 Presidency is taken down grassroots level through the Jan Bhagidari process and a lot of efforts were made to sensitise the people of this country about G20,” he said.
Chief Secretary, J&K, Arun Mehta said, the change in J&K is evident on ground with the arrival of the highest number of tourists (18.8 million) in 2022.
“Over 300 new tourist destinations will come up in Jammu and Kashmir seeing the influx of tourists with each destination providing enough to the tourists,” he said.
He said the influx of the highest number of foreign tourists to Jammu and Kashmir is a healthy sign for tourism in J&K.
Talking to media, he said they have ensured maximum participation in the G20 summit in Srinagar. Some OIC countries are also included in the meeting.
“The focus of this summit will also help film tourism and during the next three days there will be a lot of efforts to showcase potentials of film tourism in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
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.
It was also informed that the Ministry of Tourism is also promoting local products of Jammu and Kashmir by handing below souvenirs to delegates from ODOP like Paper Mache Box, Saffron from Pampore, Kawa Cups and Brass Spoon, Walnuts from Anantnag, Shopian and Kupwara.
Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta said that over the past few years, J&K’s tourism influx has seen an upward trend. Last year, 1.88 crore tourists visited J&K and next year railway connectivity services will begin from Kashmir to New Delhi. It will be a technological wonder, he said.
“We are offering tourism in every season and we are purely a tourism destination and ready to receive guests throughout the year,” he said.
Mehta said Kashmir will be having a direct train from Delhi to Srinagar next year and that will be a technological wonder. Foreign tourist arrivals have increased manifold this year,” he said.
A presentation highlighting the priorities of the G20 Tourism Working Group was also presented by Rajesh Kumar Verma, additional secretary, Ministry of Tourism.
The presentation also outlined the sessions and events to be held during the G20 meeting. Events will be focused on tourism, films and policies.
As per Union Tourism Ministry, a side event on ‘Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation’ is being organised on May 22, focusing on strategies to promote film tourism.
The event will see participation of G20 member countries, invited countries, international organisations, and industry stakeholders including leading producers from the film industry.
