G20: Side events on cruise tourism, circular economy of plastics in Goa

Promoting cruise tourism as a "model for sustainable and responsible travel" will be one of the focus areas among the side events at the two crucial G20 meetings on tourism next week in Goa, officials said on Wednesday.

The fourth G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting and the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting are to be held in Goa from June 19-22.

Interacting with reporters here, Union Tourism Secretary V Vidyavathi said while India's G20 Presidency is only for a year, a "dashboard" is also being developed through which good practices and case studies on sustainable tourism by participating countries will be shared.

"It will be a dynamic dashboard which will serve as a learning platform for various countries, and these case studies will continue to be uploaded on it for the next three years," she said.

The official reiterated that there will be two key deliverables after the Goa meet.

"At the end of our working group meeting and the ministerial meeting, we are going to declare a Goa Roadmap and Action Plan for tourism as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs)," Vidyavathi said.

Under India's G20 Tourism Track, the TWG is working on five inter-connected priority areas green tourism, digitisation, skills, tourism MSMEs and destination. These priorities are key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieve the targets for 2030 SDGs.

Also, there will be a "ministerial communique" that will be released at the end of the tourism working group and other deliberations which will endorse the Goa roadmap, she said.

On June 19, a side event on 'Making Cruise Tourism a Model for Sustainable and Responsible Travel' will be organised, focusing on strategies to promote cruise tourism. The event will see the participation of G20 member countries, invited countries, international organisations, and industry stakeholders, the officials said.

The event will witness deliberations on the challenges and opportunities in the growth of cruise tourism globally. A panel discussion featuring speakers from G20 member countries and guest countries will shed light on country-specific policies and initiatives on varied aspects of cruise tourism, its growth and need to make cruise tourism sustainable and responsible.

On June 20, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Tourism and Shipping Shripad Yesso Naik and Union Minister of State for Tourism and Defence Ajay Bhatt are slated to address during the inaugural session of the TWG, the officials said, adding there will be two working sessions.

A side event on 'Making India a hub for Cruise Tourism' will be hosted parallel to the TWG meeting following the principles of sustainability. It will deliberate on the strategies to promote India as a hub for cruise tourism and see participation of representatives from key states and Union territories, industry stakeholders, national and international experts, Vidyavathi said.

She also said that the Ministry of Tourism is organising a side event -- 'Towards a circular economy of plastics in tourism - the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative' -- in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Further, a 'Public Private Dialogue: Importance of Travel and Tourism to the G20 Economies' is also being co-organised by the ministry in Goa on June 21 in association with World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and UNWTO.

She said that to mark the International Day of Yoga on June 21, a special yoga session has been organised by the Goa government.

Additional Secretary in the ministry, Rakesh Verma, said that about 100 delegates have registered for the G20 ministerial meeting, and about 75 of them for the TWG.

He also highlighted the important cultural events scheduled as part of the G20 events.

Various cultural programmes will be organised to highlight and showcase the rich cultural heritage of Goa to the G20 delegates, like lamp dance, Kathak, Goan Mando music and dance presentation, Dekhni dance, Mussal Khel (pastel dance) and Gomant Rangm, he said.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to experience the local attractions of Goa. Excursion visits have been planned to Lower Aguada Fort and Jail Museum, and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as churches and convents of Goa viz. the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Church of St Francis of Assisi and Se Cathedral; and Archaeological Museum, the officials said.

During the meeting, delegates will also be visiting the Art and Craft Bazaar organised by the state government showcasing local handicrafts, work of artisans, signifying the importance of community participation. DIY (do-it-yourself) activities at the Craft Bazaar have been planned to offer them hands-on experience.

Souvenir items to be given to delegates include embroidered stole or scarf (made from handmade Kunbi fabric); GI cashew feni miniature; terracotta lotus-shaped incense stick holder; upcycled natural scented candle made using discarded bottle; roasted organic Goan cashew nuts; recycled wood tray with Azulejo tiles inlay; and 'Goan house window', the ministry said.

The first TWG meeting had taken place at Runn of Kutch in Gujarat, and the second at Siliguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal, and the third one in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.