New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir is set to host the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar on Monday, its first major international event since the abrogation of Article 370. For the three-day G20 summit, the Union Territory has been provided with a three-tier security grid and deployment of National Security Guards (NSG), Marcos Commandos and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police at the Sher Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC) and posted around the venue of the meeting.
The flagship meeting, which will witness participation from G20 member states, invitees, international organizations and industry stakeholders, will deliberate on five key priority areas – green tourism, digitization, skills, MSMEs and destination management. The delegates will also be taken to the markets of Srinagar and introduced to the arts and crafts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference at SKICC on Sunday, G20 Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that Srinagar has gone through massive transformation and development in the last few years, especially for welcoming foreign delegates from different countries in the last few months. For. He said that the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting has the highest participation of delegates and it will be the most important event to be held in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The idea is to use this meeting to draw attention to Jammu and Kashmir and how it can help revive handicrafts, etc. It is an opportunity to present our rich culture and heritage. Any other work The group doesn’t do it any better than a touring group.” Harsh Vardhan Shringla said.
He said that this would be the most important event in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have hosted 118 meetings from the Rann of Kutch to Kohima and from Kanyakumari and now to Kashmir. There has been a sense of affection everywhere and I have no doubt that it is the same in Srinagar… When we drive around Srinagar, we see a completely transformed city. Srinagar is much more beautiful today. (It) has better facilities. It is indeed a smart city, which you want to show to the world,” he said.
A side event on ‘Film Tourism for Economic Development and Cultural Preservation’ will be organized on May 22-23, focusing on strategies to promote film tourism in the Union Territory. A draft ‘National Strategy on Film Tourism’ will also be released to provide a roadmap for harnessing the role of films in promoting tourist destinations.