TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The first day of the G20 tourism meeting began on Monday (May 22), despite a boycott from China and Pakistan amid tight security and high hopes by the government to promote sustainable tourism and signal a return to normalcy.
The Third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting is being held in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, on May 22-24. This marks the first time an international event has been held in Jammu and Kashmir since a resolution to repeal Article 370 changed the region's status from a semi-autonomous state to a union territory.
India, the current G20 chair, is holding meetings across the country in the lead-up to the main gathering in New Delhi this September. China and Pakistan, which both claim sections of Kashmir, are boycotting the tourism meeting.
Indian authorities hope the meeting will show that changes to Jammu and Kashmir's status have delivered "peace and prosperity to the region." Security was bolstered but toned down on Monday in the form of "invisible policing," after Srinagar was reported by AP to be calm.
At the convention center on Dal Lake, delegates will hold discussions on green tourism, destination management, ecotourism, and the use of films to promote tourist destinations.
Indian Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh told reporters on Saturday (May 20) that the gathering "was not only to showcase its (Kashmir's) potential for tourism but to also signal globally the restoration of stability and normalcy in the region." On Sunday, Chief Coordinator for India's G20 Presidency Harshvardhan Shringla said, "We have the making of a unique meeting," with a higher representation of foreign delegates compared to other tourism meetings this year.
Tourism has been on a record upswing in Jammu and Kashmir, with 18.8 million travelers visiting in 2022, reported United News of India. The government aims to make tourism sustainable by working with local businesses to lessen the environmental footprint of tourism-related activities, per eureporter.
