AHMEDABAD: As part of India’s G20 presidency, Gujarat will host the first Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting in the state’s Rann of Kutch from February 7 to 9, an official said on Friday. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister of Tourism G. Kishan Reddy and Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala will attend the event.
According to the government release, two more events are also planned under the TWG. Side Event-1, on 7th February, will focus on Rural Tourism for Community Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation. Union Minister of Tourism G. Kishan Reddy will attend the event. Sandra Carvao, Chief, Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness, UNWTO will share her insights.
A panel discussion on ‘How can tourism policy support tourism’s contribution to rural development’ will be moderated by UNWTO. Speakers will include United Nations Environment Program, Asian Development Bank, International Labour Organisation, and representatives from Indonesia, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina. On 7th February, the delegates will get a chance to visit the White Rann of Kutch. Chief Minister Patel will host a cultural programme showcasing the region’s rich heritage and a gala dinner for the delegates.
Chief Minister and Union Minister Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate the TWG on 8th February 2023. It will be followed by working sessions on five issues, including green tourism, digitalization, skills, tourism MSMEs, and destination management.
On February 9, the international delegates and participants will have a Yoga session at the White Rann of Kutch followed by a visit to Dholavira, the UNESCO world heritage site of the Harappan civilization. Side Event -2 will focus on Promotion of Archaeological Tourism: Discovering Shared Cultural Heritage.
Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Arvind Singh, will deliver opening remarks. UNESCO will make the keynote address. Attendees of the TWG will visit the Smriti Van Memorial Project on the last day. Smriti Van Memorial was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in August 2022.