For the first meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group, which will be held next week in Rann of Kutch, India’s rural tourism and archaeological tourism potential will be showcased to the globe. In addition to delegates from the member nations and guest nations, representatives of the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) will also be attending the three-day meeting beginning on February 7.
“We are aiming to enhance the rural tourist experience and promote best practises by incorporating advice from foreign boards. We are planning archaeological tourism; all delegates will view slides of India’s tourist attractions”, Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh told reporters on Friday, February 3. In keeping with this, delegates will visit Dholavira, the southern centre of the Harappan Civilization.
Dholavira, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2021, is thought to have been inhabited from roughly 3500 BCE (pre-Harappan) to 1800 BCE (late-Harappan period). It is the fifth largest of the eight significant Harappan sites, which also include Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Ganerwala, Rakhigarhi, Kalibangan, Rupnagar, and Lothal.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has improved the signage and facilities at the ancient site, and the road from Dhordo Tent City (the meeting location) to Dholavira has also been renovated. In addition to a guided tour, delegates will receive an audiovisual presentation regarding the significance of the place. In addition, there will be a panel discussion titled “Discovering Shared Cultural Heritage” with representatives from Spain, Mexico, and Indonesia.
On the opening day, which is devoted to “Rural Tourism for Community Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation,” Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy will deliver the keynote lecture. There will be a panel debate on tourist policy’s assistance for rural development, and India will highlight the most successful and innovative rural tourism programmes from different states.”
The second tourist track conference will be held in Siliguri or Darjeeling in April, while the third meeting will be held in May “in one of the north Indian hill states.” The final ministerial meeting will be held in Goa from June 19–22, according to officials. An official stated, “The plan is to cover and highlight the geographical length of the country, from Gujarat in the west to Siliguri in the north-east, up to the northernmost regions.”
