Panaji: Goa is all set to host two crucial back-to-back G20 meets on the tourism track starting Monday besides a host of side events to promote cruise tourism as a “model for sustainable and responsible travel” and showcase the cultural heritage of the coastal state. Delegates have began arriving in Goa to take part in the fourth G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting and the G20 Tourism Ministerial meeting slated to be held here from June 19-22, officials said on Sunday.
The purpose of the TWG meeting is to discuss and address global tourism challenges and opportunities, they said. At the Dabolim International Airport here, delegates were welcomed amid strains of Goan music and flamenco performances by dancers. The airport premises have been decked up with vibrant posters themed on G20 and natural beauty of the coastal state.
“About 20 delegates arrived yesterday and, several of them arrived today morning as well, both Indian and foreign delegates. About 60 delegates in total are expected to arrive by tonight,” a senior official in the Goa government told PTI. The two G20 meets come days after cyclone Biparjoy made a landfall in the coastal areas of Gujarat leaving a trail of destruction behind in that western state.
Hectic preparations are underway in Goa for the two key G20 events, which will also bracket the International Yoga Day (IYD) celebrations on June 21.
Preparations have been made keeping in mind heavy monsoon rains but there is “absolutely no concern” at present over any impact on the programmes due to the impending cyclone Biparjoy, a top official in the tourism ministry had said in Delhi on Wednesday.
Cyclone Biparjoy weakened and moved towards south Rajasthan on Friday, after ravaging the Kutch and Saurashtra regions of Gujarat on June 15.
An official in Panaji, earlier this week, said with the pre-monsoon spell in Goa, all activities on beaches have come to a standstill and lifeguards have installed red flags at vulnerable spots. Tourism ministry officials had earlier said that a Yoga session for G20 delegates was planned to take place at Dona Paula beach, but in view of rainy weather in Goa, all Yoga-related events will now be hosted in indoor facilities.
“The G20 ministers will take part in a Yoga session at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, and get to experience this ancient ethos of India,” a senior official had told PTI in Delhi earlier.
Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik on Friday conducted a comprehensive review of the preparations for the G20 events.
PTI