Rann of Kutch will host the first Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting of G20 nations from February 7th to 9th, according to the Gujarat Information Department. The meeting will be attended by Union Minister of Tourism G. Kishan Reddy and Sandra Carvao, Chief of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness at UNWTO.
The event will focus on rural tourism and its role in community empowerment and poverty alleviation. A panel discussion on “How can tourism policy support tourism’s contribution to rural development” will be moderated by UNWTO and will include representatives from organizations such as UNEP, ADB, ILO, and various countries including Indonesia, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina.
On February 7th, delegates will visit the White Rann of Kutch and attend a cultural program hosted by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, followed by a gala dinner. The next day, the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, will join Chief Minister Patel to inaugurate the event, which will include working sessions on topics such as green tourism, digitalization, skills, tourism MSMEs, and destination management.
The final day will include a yoga session at the White Rann of Kutch and a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Dholavira, the Harappan civilization, to focus on the promotion of archaeological tourism. The opening remarks will be delivered by the Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Arvind Singh, and the keynote address will be made by UNESCO.
