During the meeting, the Prime Minister invoked the spirit of Incredible India.
The G20 Tourism Minister’s Meeting was held in Goa today, and the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, delivered a video message to the gathering.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister referenced the spirit of Incredible India and noted that, although managing a worldwide industry worth more than two trillion dollars, tourism ministers rarely get the opportunity to travel.Â
The Prime Minister invited the guests to take a break from their serious deliberations and visit Goa, one of the country’s top tourist destinations, to see its natural beauty and spiritual side.
The Prime Minister said that the ancient Sanskrit proverb “Atithi Devo Bhavah,” which translates to “Guest is God,” serves as the foundation for India’s tourism policy.
Shri Modi made a point of stating that travel is an engaging experience rather than merely going to places to see.
The diversity of India is genuinely majestic, the prime minister said, whether it is in music, food, the arts, or culture.
India has something for everyone, including the high Himalayas, lush forests, stunning beaches, parched deserts, adventure sports, and meditation retreats, PM Modi.
The prime minister announced that during India’s G-20 chairmanship, close to 200 meetings will be held in 100 various places around the nation, making each occasion unique.
“I am certain that no two experiences will be the same,” he said, “if you ask your friends who have already visited India for these meetings.”
Tourism-related initiatives
The Prime Minister emphasized that India’s efforts in the travel and tourism industry are focused on maintaining its rich legacy while building a top-notch infrastructure for tourists.
The Prime Minister stressed the growth of spiritual tourism as one of the main areas, noting that pilgrims from every major faith in the world travel to India.Â
He also highlighted that India is developing new tourist attractions, using the Statue of Unity as an illustration. It is the tallest statue in the world and it received over 2.7 million visitors in the first year of its opening.
We have retained the tourist sector as a focal focus of our reforms, Shri Modi added, keeping it in mind in everything from the infrastructure of transit to the hotel industry to skill development and even in our visa processes.
Sustainable Development Goals
The Prime Minister said that throughout the previous nine years, we have given particular attention to building the nation’s whole tourist environment.
He highlighted that the hotel industry has significant potential for job creation, social inclusion, and economic advancement and employs more women and young people than other industries do.
The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction that India has begun to see the importance of the tourist industry in achieving Sustainable Development Goals as quickly as possible.
The five interconnected priority areas of green tourism, digitalization, skill development, tourism MSMEs, and destination management were emphasized by the prime minister as reflecting the interests of both India and the Global South.
The prime minister also advised cooperating to make business procedures for travel agencies easier, help them have access to more funding, and support them in investing in talent development.
Terrorism divides, while tourism unites
In a video message, the prime minister noted that Travel unites people and terrorism separates them.
According to him, tourism has the power to bring people from all walks of life together and foster harmony in society.
Shri Modi expressed his joy on the creation of a G20 tourism dashboard in collaboration with UNWTO, which would be a groundbreaking platform bringing together best practices, case studies, and motivational tales.
The Prime Minister uttered hope that the discussions and the “Goa Roadmap” will intensify group efforts to realize tourism’s transformational potential.
The prime minister stated, “The phrase of India’s G20 Presidency, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ – may be a motto for international tourism.
The Prime Minister said that India is a nation of festivals and mentioned the impending Sao Joao Festival in Goa.
The Prime Minister invited the guests to witness the celebration of democracy in the mother of democracy, where almost a billion voters would be taking part, in the General Elections that will be conducted the following year.
PM Modi ended his speech by inviting people to come to India for the festival of democracy.
