In the 2nd Tourism working meeting all countries unanimously adopt Green Tourism as priority for all participating countries
Discussions during the first two Tourism Working Group Meetings progressing in
the right direction for drafting the final GOA Communique: Arvind Singh
Secretary
(Tourism), Arvind Singh addressed the national media after the successful
conclusion of the 2nd Tourism Working Group Meeting held in Siliguri,
Darjeeling district from 1st –
4th April 2023. The
working group meeting was attended by 56 Delegates from 17 Member Countries, 8
Invitee Countries and 4 International Organizations. The event was also graced
by the presence of Ambassadors of seven G20 countries viz. Australia,
Bangladesh, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Indonesia and Korea. The inaugural session
was graced by G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture and DONER, John
Barla and Minister of State for Minority Affairs.
Secretary, Tourism briefed the media about the Working
Group meetings held with the member countries, invitee countries and
international organizations such as UNEP, ILO and UNWTO.
Briefing the media, Arvind
Singh said that during the first session of Tourism Working Group meeting,
presentations were made by UNEP on ‘Travel for LiFE’ and by UNWTO on ‘1st Draft Outcome Document – GOA Roadmap’. The G20 Member
countries, Invitee Countries and International organizations shared their
comments on the 1st Draft of GOA Roadmap. The GOA Roadmap will be adopted
during the Tourism Ministerial meeting at Goa in June 2023.
In the working group
meeting presentations were made by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Indonesia,
Italy on five priorities of Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism
MSMEs, Destination Management respectively. The session also included extensive
discussions on each priority area. All the countries unanimously adopted Green
Tourism to be most important priority for all the participating countries, the
Secretary disclosed.
Secretary (Tourism) concluded the Press Meet with the
comments that the discussions during the first two Tourism Working Group
Meetings are progressing in the right direction for drafting the final GOA
Communique at the Tourism Ministerial Meeting to be held in June at Goa.
On the sidelines of the Working Group Meetings, two side
events were held on Adventure Tourism in order to highlight the potential of
adventure tourism in the tourism map of India and that of North East Region.
‘Adventure Tourism as a vehicle for achieving Sustainable Development Goals’ in
which Gabriella Stowell (Vice President) from Adventure Tour Operators
Association (ATTA) and Padmashri Awardee Ajeet Bajaj, President of Adventure
Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) presented Global and Indian
Perspectives on Adventure Tourism respectively.
The second event organized for domestic industry partners
and States of Government of India was - ‘Tourism in Mission Mode: Advantage
Adventure Tourism’ along with local stakeholders. There were
deliberations on Best Practices, National Strategy of Adventure Tourism, India
as Adventure Destination, Modern Law of adventure safety, Risk Mitigation and
access control, Developing Vibrant Villages as adventure destination, and
developing adventure tourism in the Northeast States of India.
Minister of Tourism, Culture, and DoNER, Government of
India, in his opening remarks during side event shared the initiatives
like State Ranking Criteria for the Adventure Tourism sites, Model Adventure
Tourism Law, Development of Mega Trails, Development of Adventure Activity
Guidelines, Adventure Tourism Rescue Centres, and Development of dedicated
Website & social media pages for Adventure Tourism.
In order to experience
the rich local traditions of the region, an immersive experience of Moonlight
Tea plucking was organized for the international delegates, where they were
accompanied by local tea pluckers and musicians playing traditional
instruments. Moonlight tea plucking gives one of the most orthodox tea leaves
in the world. They also visited the Makaibari Tea Factory to experience the
processing of tea leaves from ‘field to factory’. Tea Tasting session was
organized in the evening in Tea Factory as well as after the side event which
was immensely appreciated by all delegates.
The Working Group Meeting ended with a ride on the
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
journey started from Ghum Station, India’s highest railway station. The first
stop on the train ride was at Batasia Loop, where a special Khukuri Dance was
organized by the Sainik Board. The train ride ended at Darjeeling Station. It
was followed by a visit to Raj Bhawan, Darjeeling with Hon’ble Governor of West
Bengal, CV Ananda Bose, gracing the occasion with his presence.
The Delegates also participated in the Art and Craft Bazaar
organized by the State Government showcasing local handicrafts, work of
artisans, signifying the importance of community participation where they
‘hands-on’ experience through DIY Activities at the Craft Bazaar. This
engagement of Delegates encouraged the participating Artisans in the craft
bazaar.