From showcasing Incredible India visiting delegates to positioning the country as a major travel destination during its year-long presidency, G20 will be the Union Tourism ministry’s focus area in 2023.
India assumed the presidency of the influential bloc on December 1, setting the tone for the ministry’s calendar this year.
More than 200 meetings will be held across 55 locations, culminating with the annual G20 summit on September 9-10.
The Tourism Ministry is geared up to put its best foot forward and showcase to guests from different countries the cultural heritage and culinary delights of India.
The first G20 meeting- the Sherpa meet- was held in the first week of December in Udaipur.
From artistic murals to decking up of heritage sites with lights, the old city played the perfect host as iconic buildings were chosen as venues, besides sightseeing to Kumbhalgarh Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Preparations for the G20 meetings are underway and the first meet under the tourism track will be held in the picturesque Rann of Kutch in Gujarat in late January or early February, Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh had said.
“The second meeting (in this category) will be held in Siliguri (West Bengal), the third one in Srinagar and the fourth one in Goa,” Singh had said, adding sustainability would be one of the priority areas when India hosts the G20 events.
The 55 locations for the meetings span big metros to smaller cities, including those rich in history and scenic beauty such as Hampi and Khajuraho. These locations will also include Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities that have picturesque landscapes and are rich in cultural heritage.
