Keen to work with G20 to promote sustainable tourism in India: Reddy

Minister of Culture, Tourism and the Development of the North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said that the Tourism Ministry is keen to work with G20 nations to promote sustainable tourism in India and around the world.

While speaking at the inaugural session of the '3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting' at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), G Kishan Reddy said, "Significant progress has been made in the five key priority areas under the '3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting' namely Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, MSMEs and Destination Management."

"These priorities are key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieving the targets for 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," he added.

The Minister also said that the Tourism Working Group is progressing in the right direction.

"Tourism Working Group is progressing in the right direction and the joint effort of G20 nations, international organisations and invited countries will result in the achievement of inclusive and action-oriented decisive guidelines for the tourism industry," he said.

At the event, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that commendable progress has been made in the five key priority areas under the '3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting' under Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, MSMEs and Destination Management.

He emphasized that "Tourism is a major driver of growth as well as a major driver of job creation".

"Tourism sector has a very critical role to play in skilling, re-skilling for the tourism sector and this skilling can play a major role in job creation," he added.

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha inaugurated the '3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting' at SKICC Srinagar in the presence of Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Tourism and Defence Ajay Bhatt.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by the delegates of G20 nations, international organisations and invited countries. Chief Coordinator, G20, Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Secretary Tourism, Arvind Singh were also present during the inaugural session.