HYDERABAD: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said India’s vision is to support the transformation of tourism towards a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive future for all and that the ‘GOA Roadmap for Tourism’ endorsed during the G20 Tourism Working Group, would act as a vehicle for achieving the goal.
Addressing the high-level political forum as the G20 chair at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) headquarters in New York on Friday, Kishan called upon the world to work together to support and cooperate in building a healthy, safe and sustainable planet for our future generations.
Noting that the Goa Declaration centred around green tourism, digitalisation, empowering youth with skills, nurturing tourism through MSMEs and startups, and rethinking the strategic management of destinations towards a holistic approach, Kishan said the declaration will fulfil the obligations of SDGs like decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; and partnerships for the SDG goals.
Talking about India’s action plan to develop and promote common themes like Ramayana, Buddhist, Himalayan and heritage circuits which link and resonate with partner countries, he said that this was a prominent objective under the newly-drafted national tourism policy which will soon be implemented.
He has invited all the nations to participate in these tourism initiatives, as they would yield excellent dividends and will immensely benefit international tourism.
Talking about the steps taken by India to address climate change and sustainability, Kishan said the cumulative emissions and per capita emissions in India have been very low, and that India has contributed only about 4 per cent of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019.
Noting that 40 per cent of India’s installed electricity capacity is from non-fossil fuel sources such as hydro, wind and solar, he pointed out that India has launched the National Hydrogen Mission in 2023 with the aim of becoming the world’s largest hydrogen hub.