The second G20 Tourism Working Group meeting is focused on projecting domestic tourism in mission mode and will help India maximize its potential in the sector, Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Sunday.
The meeting, being held in Darjeeling and Siliguri in West Bengal from April 1 to 3, 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.
Speaking on the second day of the meeting, Reddy said the vision of the conference is to project domestic tourism in mission mode. “It will also make India maximize its potential in the tourism sector,” he said.
“The Union Ministry of Tourism has also formulated a comprehensive tourism policy with holistic flavour for a sustainable and responsible growth of the tourism sector in the country,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a side event on ‘Tourism in Mission Mode: Advantage Adventure Tourism’ took place as part of the 2nd G20 Tourism Working Group meet.
Stakeholders brainstormed on ways of promoting adventure tourism including capacity building, infrastructure creation, and community involvement.
Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy delivering his closing remark at the side event said that several informative, Engaging and thought-provoking ideas were presented and put forward for discussion to provide a renewed push to adventure tourism.
“To realize the full potential of Adventure Tourism in the NE region, Industry will review current policies and plans of NE States to provide constructive feedback and assist states to develop better strategies in the domain,” Reddy said.
States of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram presented about their potentials and challenges during the Session 3 on the side event of Advantage Adventure Tourism.
Industry stakeholders and Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) contributed to the discussions for paving a path for promotion of adventure tourism in India.
Homestays and rural tourism largely underdeveloped in Nagaland
Despite the potential of tourism in promoting growth, there remain a number of challenges in Nagaland.
According to the Annual Administrative Report 2022-23 of Nagaland’s tourism department, tabled in the recently concluded first session of 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly in Kohima, avenues such as homestays and rural tourism largely remain underdeveloped and underexploited.
“With each year as tourists, both domestic and international, flow into the region and in respective states, there is a greater strain on the existing infrastructure especially on accommodation, leading to inconveniences which is not a desirable outcome and could in the long run harm the industry,” the department stated in the report.
Keeping this in mind, it has become necessary and imperative for the sector to explore the potentials of Homestays and rural accommodations, which are interlinked, to foster tourism in the region and contribute to overall development of the region and its people, it observed.
The reports also said that the Department promotes the concept of Community-based Rural Tourism through which local communities can derive benefits and facilitate participation and empowerment of the local people in matters of decision-making and management.