India to Highlight Successful Rural and Archaeological Tourism Initiatives at G-20 Meeting

India will be showcasing its successful initiatives in rural and archaeological tourism at the first tourism working group meeting of the G-20 nations to be held in Rann of Kutch. From February 7th to 9th, the meeting will focus on rural and archaeological tourism as topics for two side events, highlighting the innovative initiatives taken by India in these areas.

The success stories to be presented include the Ladpura Khas village of Madhya Pradesh, which was nominated as the Best Rural Tourism Village by the UNWTO, and the Khonoma village in Nagaland, which has a model for the Ecotourism Management Board. India will also present the innovative model of community-based astrotourism in the Himalayas, as well as the success in developing rural tourism products in and around the Rann of Kutch.

India aims to present rural tourism as a means of community empowerment and poverty alleviation, and will also showcase its success in archaeological tourism and discuss shared cultural heritage with the G-20 delegates. The guests will be taken to the Dholavira heritage site, which is the southern center of the Harappan civilization, and will be presented with gifts made under the One District One Product program to showcase Indian heritage and culture.

The meeting will work towards creating a vision, roadmap, and guidance for the growth of the tourism sector post-pandemic based on sustainability, digitalization, skills, MSMEs, and destination management. The meeting will also be a step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).