Srinagar likely to host G20 tourism meet in May

Keeping the weather in mind, the months of April-June have been shortlisted for Srinagar and Leh, when the region is at its scenic best, the sources said. While Leh has been shortlisted for the Youth 20 Inception meeting in April, Srinagar is likely to host the tourism working group meet in the last week of May, they added.

(A PTI report quoted Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Pandurang Kundbarao Pole as saying that the administration is making arrangements for the Srinagar meet. “Srinagar is likely to host one of the G20 events for which we are preparing in advance,” he told the agency. Pole said the administration was sprucing up the city for the event in May as it will go a long way in boosting tourism in Kashmir, while at the same time clearing the misgivings about the situation in the Valley.)

Preparations pertaining to security arrangements are in progress, and the cities are also being spruced up to host delegates. For this, hotel staff, tour operators and emergency-service providers are also being sensitised, sources told The Indian Express.

Sources in the Ministry of Tourism had last week told the Express that of the four tourism working group meetings, the first one will be held next month in the Rann of Kutch, while second one has been planned for April 3-5 in Siliguri/ Darjeeling. The third meeting is slated for May 22 to 24, the location is yet to be confirmed, they had said.

“The idea is to cover and showcase the geographical expanse of the country – with Gujarat in the west to Siliguri in the east, going up till the northernmost regions,” sources said. Around 40 diplomats and officials from the UN and other multilateral organisations were briefed on logistical preparations for the G20 process during a curtain-raiser organised by the government at a resort in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in November.

Officials said the upcoming G-20 presidency will also be used as an opportunity to push India as a preferred tourist destination. The delegates arriving for various meetings will be taken on familiarisation tours to scenic spots across the country. “It is also expected that some of them will visit with their families, while some may extend their trips for tourism purposes,” said an official, adding that each of the destinations is being readied to host 200 delegates at a time during the G20 working group meetings.

As many as 215 meetings will be held during India’s G20 presidency, covering 56 locations across the country. India’s special invitee guest countries include Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE, while the members comprise 19 countries — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Mexico, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States — and the European Union.