The 1st Tourism Working Group meeting under India’s G20 presidency was held in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat from February 7th to 10th and concluded successfully with a series of productive discussions and activities. The meeting was attended by delegates from G20 Member countries, Guest countries, and International organizations, who gathered to exchange ideas and insights on the five priority themes of the Indian Presidency.
The meeting started with a side event on Rural Tourism for Community Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation, where panelists discussed the best practices and success stories in the field. This was followed by the inaugural session, where the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and DONER, and the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying shared their views on Indian tourist destinations, steps taken by the government to promote tourism, the safety of tourists, digitization in the tourism sector, and the impact of tourism on the local economy and employment.
During the two-day working group meeting, the delegates engaged in discussions on five priority themes, including Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs, and Destination Management. All the themes received endorsement from all G20 Members, Guest countries, and International organizations, reflecting the collective efforts toward the development and sustainability of the tourism sector.
The meeting also featured a second side event on the Promotion of Archaeological Tourism: Discovering shared Cultural Heritage, where speakers discussed the conservation of archaeological sites and the benefits of promoting archaeological tourism for local communities. In his concluding remarks, Secretary, of Tourism Shri Arvind Singh emphasized the potential of archaeological tourism in providing socio-economic development in a sustainable manner.
The delegates also had the opportunity to experience the local culture and traditions during their stay at Dhordo Tent City. They attended a yoga session at sunrise at White Rann, visited the UNESCO World Heritage site of Dholavira and were familiarized with the local Kutchi art, joined folk artists in a dance performance during a cultural evening, and paid a visit to the Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum in Bhuj.
The meeting of the 1st Tourism Working Group under India’s G20 presidency was a successful gathering of tourism experts and policymakers, who came together to address key challenges and opportunities in the tourism sector. The discussions and activities held at the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat provided a platform for the sharing of ideas and best practices and set the stage for future efforts toward a sustainable, responsible, and resilient tourism sector.
