Centre & States must collaborate to build global-standard tourism destinations: Shekhawat
Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presided over the National Consultative Workshop on “Developing Tourist Destinations to Global Standards,” held at Kevadia, Gujarat.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Tourism emphasised that while the Central Government will continue to extend support for tourism infrastructure and destination development, States/UTs must also actively contribute through integrated planning, destination management, ease of doing business, sustainability and stakeholder participation to realise the shared vision of world-class tourism destinations.
He presided over the National Consultative Workshop on “Developing Tourist Destinations to Global Standards,” held at Kevadia, Gujarat.
The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India organised the two-day workshop, bringing together senior officials from the Ministry, States/UT Administrations, industry stakeholders and experts to deliberate on development of globally competitive, sustainable and experience-driven tourism destinations across the country.
Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Tourism, also addressed the participants and highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts towards strengthening India’s tourism ecosystem and enhancing tourism experiences across destinations.
A key session during the workshop included presentation of the concept note on “Developing Global Standard Tourist Destinations” by Suvasish Das, Joint Secretary (Destination Development Division), Ministry of Tourism, followed by discussions with States/UTs on integrated destination planning, tourism infrastructure, sustainability, destination management and enhancement of visitor experience.
The workshop also featured a presentation on the tourism development model of Ekta Nagar and Statue of Unity, highlighting integrated planning, visitor management and sustainability-oriented destination development approaches.
Technical sessions held during the day focused on the proposed National Adventure Tourism Framework, ease of doing business in the tourism sector, City Level MICE Promotion Bureau Guidelines and strengthening State collaboration for tourism marketing and promotion through the Incredible India Digital Platform and social media.
As part of the workshop, select States also made presentations on development of globally competitive tourist destinations. Presentations during the first phase were made by Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu, highlighting destination-specific strategies, tourism infrastructure initiatives and sustainable tourism approaches.
