Srinagar: Under India’s G20 Presidency, the 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar, Jammu, & Kashmir began on May 22 2023, Monday. The G20 delegates were accorded a traditional welcome upon their arrival at the Srinagar airport. Along with the delegates, Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant attended the first day of the meeting. The three–day meeting saw participation from 60 foreign delegates and around 65 representatives of various organizations related to tourism from across the country. Security has been beefed up across the valley with the help of NSG and Marine commandos to protect the region.
On the first day of the meeting, a side event focused on promoting film tourism was organized at the Sher-e-Kashmir Convention Centre. During the event deliberations were held on the topic ‘India as a Film Tourism Destination’. Lastly, there was a panel discussion on ‘the economic benefits of film tourism from a global perspective’ and ‘the impact of film tourism on the destination.’
G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant gave opening remarks during this event. He shared, ‘that this mega event in Kashmir will have a positive impact and bring peace, prosperity, and jobs in the State.’ He added, “The tourism industry will grow with this meeting, and high-impact tourists will come.” During this event, various speakers highlighted the various challenges and country-specific initiatives adopted to promote destinations through films. The panel discussion saw participation from Spain, Singapore, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India.
During the 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting, the representatives also visited the Arts and Crafts Market organized by the Government.
The three-day event will focus on five key priority areas including Green Tourism, Digitization, Skilling, Tourism MSME, and Destination. The 3rd meeting of the tourism group will provide a unique opportunity for the people of the valley to showcase their rich culture and tradition to the world besides highlighting the tourism potential and cultural richness of the region.
On, the last day of the meeting, the foreign delegates would visit Polo View, Jhelum River Front, and among other places in Srinagar city to experience the majestic Kashmir. The first meeting of the Tourism Working Group was held in February in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and the second in April in Siliguri, West Bengal.
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