Srinagar decked up for G20 Tourism meet; China, Turkey set to skip

China has said that it is 'firmly opposed' to any G20 meetings in what it considers 'disputed territory', while Pakistan has termed the meeting 'irresponsible'

The Centre on Friday announced that the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting will be held in Srinagar from May 22 to 24, with discussions and deliberations on 'GOA Roadmap for Tourism' serving as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals.

Countries such as China and Turkey are set to skip the meeting, with countries like South Africa and Egypt likely to send junior officials.

China and Pakistan have both spoken against the meeting: China has said that it is “firmly opposed” to holding any G20 meetings in what it considers “disputed territory”, while Pakistan has termed the meeting “irresponsible”.

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Arvind Singh, Secretary of the Tourism Ministry, said that of the 60 countries expected to participate, three are yet to register, even though the last date for registration is May 22.

Singh said that during the meetings, invitees will give their valuable inputs and feedback on two draft documents ('GOA Roadmap for Tourism' and the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Declaration), and after negotiations with G20 Member Countries, final versions will be placed in the fourth Tourism Working Group meeting.

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He said that the Tourism Working Group is working on five inter-connected priority areas – green tourism, digitization, skills, MSMEs, and destination tourism – which will help in the transition of the tourism sector and help achieve the targets for 2030 SDGs. A draft ‘National Strategy on Film Tourism’ will also be unveiled.

At Srinagar, delegates will be able to take a ride on Shikaras on the Dal Lake and attend cultural performances on the banks of the lake. They will also be shown local handicrafts, and attend a lunch hosted by the Mayor of Srinagar as well as a dinner hosted by the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha.

As souvenirs, delegates will be given Kashmiri paper mache boxes, saffron from Pampore, Kehwa cups, brass spoons as well as walnuts from Anantnag, Shopian and Kupwara.