India, UNWTO ink pact to enhance cooperation: Tourism Ministry

India and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) have signed an agreement to enhance cooperation and identify areas of mutual interest, on the sidelines of the two key events of the influential bloc being hosted in Goa, official said on Tuesday. Besides, nearly 15 bilateral meetings in total are planned to be held between India and various G20 member countries and international organisations on the sidelines of the these key events being held from June 19-22, official sources said.

On Monday, bilateral meetings were held with Oman and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a senior official said.

The Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday tweeted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Government of India and the UNWTO.

“Government of India and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a MoU to enhance cooperation and identify areas of mutual interest, in the backdrop of G20 Tourism Ministers meeting at Goa,” it tweeted along with pictures of the bilateral meetings.

Secretary-General World Tourism Organisation, Zurab Pololikashvili and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy were present during the meeting.

“The signatories to the MOU were Ms. V Vidyavathi, Secretary, @tourismgoi on behalf of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General, UNWTO, on behalf of UNWTO,” it said in another tweet. The MoU will see both parties collaborate on key programmatic areas related to tourism market intelligence, tourism, and rural development, tourism investment, education, and innovation, the ministry said. Nearly 15 bilateral meetings are planned to be held between India and various G20 member countries and international organisations on the sidelines of the fourth and final Tourism Working Group Meeting which concluded on Tuesday and the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting to held on June 21-22.

Sources said the Goa Roadmap and Action Plan that came out of the discussion following two rounds of working meetings, is “nearly ready”.

A ministerial communique will be issued at the end of the ministerial meeting, and the final Goa Roadmap will be endorsed by it.

On Monday, India also held bilateral talks with Oman.

Sources said that Reddy will be part of nine bilateral talks while his deputy in the Tourism Ministry S Y Naik will lead the Indian delegation in the rest of the meetings.

Bilateral talks were lined up with countries like South Africa, Germany, the UAE, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, the US, and the ILO, over June 20-21 periods, they said.