By PTI
DARJEELING: From moonlight tea leaf picking, and tea tasting to discussing sustainable adventure tourism, the first day of the second G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting touched upon various facets of tourism in this region.
The Tourism Working Group Meeting is being held in Darjeeling and Siliguri in West Bengal from April 1 to 3.
It is being attended by more than 130 participants, including delegates of G20 members, invitee countries and international organisations, industry partners, state tourism officials and local tour operators.
Union Tourism minister G Kishan Reddy hoped the discussions held at the meeting will help countries around the world overcome the impact of COVID-19 on the sector. He said India’s topography provides for an ideal destination for sustainable adventure tourism.
“We have a 7,000-km coastline, 70 per cent of the Himalayas, about 700 kilometres of rivers, sand desert and cold desert in Ladakh all of which provide opportunities for a variety of adventure activities for both domestic and foreign tourists,” Reddy said.
“India is looking to explore the full potential of adventure tourism keeping in mind sustainability and opportunities for livelihood for local communities,” he said.
Suggesting that tea plantations in West Bengal have the potential to become tourism hotspots, India’s G20 coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Saturday that community involvement in the tourism process is significant for its growth.
Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the meeting, Shringla said a lot of discussions were held on the states that are vulnerable to climate change such as Uttarakhand.
“We had a lot of discussions on the issue of sustainable tourism and involving local communities,” he said.
Shringla suggested that tea plantations in the area have the potential of becoming tourism hotspots and community participation in the tourism process is significant for its growth.
“The tea industry, I think, provides sustainability because biodiversity is very important for the tea industry. And I think that conservation is important in this part of the country,” he added.
A panel discussion was also held on sustainable adventure tourism where representatives from the UK, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Japan, Brazil, ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association), ATOAI (Adventure Tour Operators Association of India) and Vik-run foundation shared their perspectives.
From India, representatives of the Uttarakhand government participated in the discussion. The meeting also discussed ways to promote adventure tourism in India as well as globally. The delegates and participants also visited a tea estate here and participated in moonlight tea leaf plucking and tea tasting.
DARJEELING: From moonlight tea leaf picking, and tea tasting to discussing sustainable adventure tourism, the first day of the second G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting touched upon various facets of tourism in this region.
The Tourism Working Group Meeting is being held in Darjeeling and Siliguri in West Bengal from April 1 to 3.
It is being attended by more than 130 participants, including delegates of G20 members, invitee countries and international organisations, industry partners, state tourism officials and local tour operators.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Union Tourism minister G Kishan Reddy hoped the discussions held at the meeting will help countries around the world overcome the impact of COVID-19 on the sector. He said India’s topography provides for an ideal destination for sustainable adventure tourism.
“We have a 7,000-km coastline, 70 per cent of the Himalayas, about 700 kilometres of rivers, sand desert and cold desert in Ladakh all of which provide opportunities for a variety of adventure activities for both domestic and foreign tourists,” Reddy said.
“India is looking to explore the full potential of adventure tourism keeping in mind sustainability and opportunities for livelihood for local communities,” he said.
Suggesting that tea plantations in West Bengal have the potential to become tourism hotspots, India’s G20 coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Saturday that community involvement in the tourism process is significant for its growth.
Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the meeting, Shringla said a lot of discussions were held on the states that are vulnerable to climate change such as Uttarakhand.
“We had a lot of discussions on the issue of sustainable tourism and involving local communities,” he said.
Shringla suggested that tea plantations in the area have the potential of becoming tourism hotspots and community participation in the tourism process is significant for its growth.
“The tea industry, I think, provides sustainability because biodiversity is very important for the tea industry. And I think that conservation is important in this part of the country,” he added.
A panel discussion was also held on sustainable adventure tourism where representatives from the UK, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Japan, Brazil, ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association), ATOAI (Adventure Tour Operators Association of India) and Vik-run foundation shared their perspectives.
From India, representatives of the Uttarakhand government participated in the discussion. The meeting also discussed ways to promote adventure tourism in India as well as globally. The delegates and participants also visited a tea estate here and participated in moonlight tea leaf plucking and tea tasting.
