Kutch: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, while inaugurating the first meeting of the Tourism Working Group of the G-20 Presidency, which is being hosted by India, made it clear that the tourism sector will get a new direction and energy from the collective thinking of the G-20 meeting. Tourism is an important contributor to the GDP of the country and the world.
Referring to the steps being taken in the direction of making Gujarat a prosperous economy, he said that under the new tourism policy, a special vision of environmental prosperity has been adopted along with the development of tourism in the state.
Further, Bhupendra Patel said that Prime Minister Modi, seeing the immense potential of tourism along with the industrial development in Kutch, has become a center of attraction for tourists from all over the world. The Prime Minister has given Kutch desert an important place in the map of the world. Referring to the five important priorities of the Tourism Working Group, the Chief Minister said that one of the five priorities is green tourism. The Smritivan memorial built to commemorate the devastating earthquake in Kutch is an example of green tourism. Fifty check dams and planting of more than three lakh plants in this memorial forest have given a new direction to green tourism.
In order to reveal to the world the immense potential of tourism development in the country, many provisions have been made in this year’s Amrit Budget under the leadership of the Prime Minister for the development of tourism. The Prime Minister has selected 50 tourist destinations in the country through the challenge mode and has announced plans to develop these destinations into a complete package in terms of food, safety, etc.
Cabinet Minister Parasottam ‚Pala said, Kutch has a rich geographical diversity including desert, sea and mountain and it is a matter of pride and good fortune for us to be holding the G-20 meeting on the soil of Kutch, which is a hub of tourism. The G-20 chairmanship will further accelerate the journey towards building a holistic, inclusive and prosperous India. India’s cultural and geographical diversity, world-class tourist attractions, eco-tourism, green tourism and agri-tourism provide unique experiences to tourists.
Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy termed tourism as an important part of the country’s growth engine and said that 6.9 million tourists visited India in 2022. While there are many varieties of tourism in India, the country is developing in the right direction as a tourism hub. India is becoming a safe and secure tourist destination for foreign tourists.
Chief Secretary Rajkumar, Government of India Tourism Department Secretary Arvind Singh, Finance Department Principal Secretary Mona Khandhar, high officials of Tourism and other departments, various representatives of G-20 countries were present in this meeting.
