To carry forward the discussions on the ‘greening of tourism’ priority of the G20 Tourism Track meetings and maintain the legacy of India‘s presidency, the Ministry of Tourism has announced its plans to establish a dashboard focused on tourism and sustainable development goals.
As a part of the effort, the ministry has already gathered a few case studies and is working on collecting good practices highlighting the initiatives taken by different countries to promote tourism and sustainable development, a senior ministry official informed.
The dashboard aims to provide a comprehensive and ongoing resource for understanding and advancing sustainable tourism practices taken up by various countries/ destinations.
Going forward, MoT will curate more case studies and put them on the dashboard. It will be open to all stakeholders and G20 member countries.
“We have already gathered case studies on how various countries are taking different initiatives for the promotion of sustainable development goals in tourism. Each participating country has contributed case studies which is a good learning source. The dashboard we create will serve as a repository for case studies and a good source of learning. The information will be regularly uploaded on the dashboard and made available for the next three years,” the official stated.
“The case studies will also help the stakeholders to learn, customise and replicate,” the official added.
Besides, the Ministry of Tourism, on the sidelines of the 4th and final G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting, scheduled from June 19 to 22 in Goa, will decide on the two crucial outcomes. These consist of the Goa Roadmap for Tourism, designed as a means to accomplish sustainable development goals and the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Declaration.
The Goa Roadmap for Tourism once finalised during the meet, will be available online for public access thereafter.
The finalisation of both documents is imminent, said Tourism Secretary, V Vidyavathi and they will be warmly received and officially supported by G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organisations.
In addition, the Secretary emphasised the objectives of the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting and the Tourism Ministerial Meeting, both to be held in Goa. She added that these gatherings aim to enhance economic growth, safeguard cultural heritage, and foster tourism while promoting the sustainable development of the region.
The Ministry of Tourism is setting the stage for the fourth and last G20 Tourism Working Group meeting and Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Goa from June 19 to 22, 2023. Speakers from G20 member and guest countries will provide valuable insights into country-specific policies, highlighting the significance of ensuring sustainability and responsibility in cruise tourism.
MoT will also organise a side event on ‘Making Cruise Tourism a Model for Sustainable & Responsible Travel’ that will address challenges and opportunities in the segment globally. Another event will focus on making India a hub for cruise tourism, while a separate event will tackle plastic pollution in tourism through circular approaches.
Additionally, a dialogue on the importance of travel and tourism to G20 economies will foster public-private partnerships.
The ministry, through these tourism track meetings, welcomes the participation of Tourism Ministers, Delegation Heads, and delegates from G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organisations to collectively advance the tourism sector and achieve the UN sustainable development goals by 2030.
During its last TWG meet in Srinagar, the Ministry of Tourism organised a side event titled ‘Ecotourism as a vehicle to achieve sustainable development goal’, which focused on the challenges and opportunities of developing ecotourism in India while following sustainable principles.Besides detailed discussions on film tourism, speakers and experts discussed topics such as Tourism Carrying Capacity Assessment Study, Capacity Building for Ecotourism, and Ecotourism Product and Destination Development around Wildlife Conservation.
MoT plans to carry forward these discussions and the five bookmarked priority areas during the Goa TWG meet and expects to conclude on a productive note.
