On the sidelines of the 4th Tourism Working Group Meeting that had thematic side events, several bilateral talks, including with Brazil, the Netherlands, United States of America, Oman were held, as per the Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India.
During the Ministerial Meeting, the Ministry of Tourism garnered strong support from various nations for its five key priorities aimed at promoting sustainable, resilient, and inclusive tourism. The event aimed at fostering international cooperation provided a valuable platform for discussions on shaping the future of tourism and underscored the significance of robust public-private partnerships in achieving shared goals.
During the meeting, the Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and DoNER, G. Kishan Reddy, held a bilateral meeting with Salim bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, the Minister for Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman.
According to a tweet by the Tourism Ministry in India, both the countries expressed their commitment to enhance trade and investments through frequent and focused engagements. The dialogue also highlighted the potential for collaboration in medical tourism, considering the significant number of Omani citizens traveling to India for therapies and treatments, Reddy told press during the G20 meet.
The Minister of State for Tourism, Shripad Yesso Naik, also engaged in bilateral meetings with several counterparts from other countries. These included meeting Brian Beall, Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office of the United States of America, Michiel Sweers, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy of the Netherlands, and the Director of the Sectoral Policies department.
According to the Ministry, these meetings facilitated discussions on topics such as data sharing, investments, knowledge transfer, and the skilling of hospitality professionals. The parties agreed to strengthen collaboration based on shared values and objectives.
Additionally, Naik held a bilateral meeting with Eduardo Uziel, the Ambassador of Brazil to India. The discussions centered around the strong cultural exchanges that have bolstered relations between the two countries. The Ambassador congratulated India for its stewardship and expressed willingness to collaborate on mutual promotional measures.
Furthermore, during the side event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of India and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to enhance cooperation and identify areas of mutual interest. The MoU aimed at facilitating collaboration on tourism market intelligence, tourism and rural development, tourism investment, education and innovation.
Another significant development was the signing of an MoU between the Central Nodal Agency for Sustainable Tourism, Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI), and the Punjab Tourism Board. This collaboration intends to address plastic pollution in the tourism sector by collectively implementing measures and initiatives.
In conjunction with the bilateral meetings and signing of key MoUs, the Ministry of Tourism yesterday organised a thematic event on Public-Private Dialogue titled “Importance of Travel & Tourism to G20 Economies.” This event, conducted in association with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), aimed to strengthen mutual support and foster greater public-private partnerships in the tourism sector.
The panel discussion involved Tourism Ministers from G20 countries, representatives from UNWTO and WTTC, and private stakeholders, who shared interesting perspectives on promoting tourism through successful collaborations between the public and private sectors.
The dashboard aims to provide a comprehensive resource for understanding and advancing sustainable tourism practices of the various countries/ destinations. MoT will curate case studies and put them on the dashboard. The information will be regularly uploaded and made available for the next three years. It will be open to all stakeholders and G20 member countries.
During the event, Julia Simpson, CEO of WTTC, commended the Ministry of Tourism for its successful meetings under India’s presidency, stating that it exemplified a model G20 Presidency focused on people, in line with the vision of the Prime Minister.
She also emphasised that tourism currently contributes to 92 per cent of the world’s GDP and therefore, presents a crucial opportunity for investors, the private sector, and governments working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Simpson also acknowledged that the tourism and hospitality sector in India employs over 40 million people.
The side event on ‘public-private dialogue’ was organized a day after the discussions were held on successful practices of Cruise Tourism Promotion and Development, Development of River cruising, way forward in developing cruise Tourism. On the sidelines, a ‘Draft strategy-Vision and Integrated Cruise Tourism Strategy for India’ was unveiled by Reddy, Naik and other senior Ministry officials.
During the meetings, approximately 150 delegates from various countries, including Indonesia, Oman, the US, the UK, Mauritius, Spain, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, the Netherlands, and international organisations, participated actively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm welcome to the ministers through a recorded video message, inviting them to explore the “Incredible India.” Thereafter, the participants collectively finalised the Goa Roadmap and the ministerial communique, demonstrating their commitment to shaping the future of tourism.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Tourism organised immersive experiences for the delegates, allowing them to witness Goa’s popular attractions, culture, cuisines, local art and craft.
The overall feedback received from the foreign delegates regarding the meetings and experiences was described as ‘encouraging’ by Manisha Saxena, Director General of Tourism.
