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SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that the Union Territory will soon find a place among the top 50 destinations in the world and on the travel bucket list of global travellers.
Sinha’s announcement came after he inaugurated the ‘3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting’ here at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, the J&K LG said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir will soon find its place in the top 50 destinations in the world and it will be on the travel bucket list of global travellers.”
“Under India’s G20 Presidency, the G20 tourism working group is focusing on five inter-connected priority areas that will provide a roadmap for tourism as a tool for achieving sustainable development goals”, Sinha said.
Sinha emphasized that J&K is developing the country’s largest book village on the banks of Wular Lake as the aim is to make the countryside and popular destinations more sustainable and preserve the beauty of fascinating heritage sites.
Sinha further said, “After a long pause of almost four decades, Jammu and Kashmir has revived the relationship with Bollywood and launched a film policy in 2021 to attract more investment into the film sector and to make J&K the most popular film shooting destination.”
The LG also highlighted that tourism in J&K reflects the country’s multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos.
“It is poetry. It’s a land of realisation. It is an energy field vibrating with ageless Indian cultural values. Tourism in J&K also reflects India’s multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have ensured that the transition in the tourism sector in the backdrop of the pandemic focuses on the needs of travellers, interests of industry stakeholders, creates employment opportunities and promotes environmental awareness,” Sinha said.
Speaking during the inaugural session, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the logo and the theme together convey a powerful message of India’s G20 Presidency, which is striving for just and equitable growth for all in the world.
While welcoming the delegates, Singh said, “The theme of India’s G20 Presidency- “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad.”
“The theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms and their interconnectedness on earth and in the wider universe,” Singh emphasized.
The Minister further said that Jammu and Kashmir have advanced with unique infrastructure like the world’s highest rail bridge ‘Chenab Bridge’ higher than the Eiffel Tower and India’s longest highway tunnel Chenani-Nashri Tunnel– Asia’s longest bi-directional highway tunnel which are the magnets of attraction for the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
Singh said that he is delighted to share that the Basohli art form has obtained the Geographical Indication (GI) tag bringing international recognition to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and maintained that the five priorities in 3rd Tourism Working Group constitute the key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and in achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals 2030.
The delegates of G20 nations, international organisations and invited countries attended the inaugural ceremony.
Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Tourism ad Defence Ajay Bhatt, Chief Coordinator, G20, Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Secretary of Tourism, Arvind Singh were also present during the session.
