India Hosts Second G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting in Bid to Boost Tourism - News

The second G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting, which began in Siliguri, West Bengal, on April 1, attracted more than 130 foreign delegates and concluded on April 3 after a one-day trip to Darjeeling. The meeting aimed to give shape to the TWG Outcome Document: GOA Roadmap and Action Plan for Tourism as a vehicle for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Harsh Vardhan Shingla, Chief Coordinator, G20 India, shares that the TWG meeting will help position the location as a tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) destination. 
The meeting was attended by G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, and John Barla, MoS, Minority Affairs. Foreign delegates learned about the tea business, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, and adventure tourism. 'Adventure Tourism as a Vehicle for Sustainable Development Goals' was a side event held by the ministry. A ministry statement said all G20 members, invitee countries, and international organizations endorsed five priority areas (green tourism, digitalization, skills, tourism MSMEs, and destination management) at the Tourism Working Group's first meeting in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch in February. The Indian government is holding over 200 meetings in 59 places during its G20 Presidency.