National policy on tourism soon: Minister at G20 event in J&K

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, May 22

The government is planning to hold a global tourism investment summit and will soon declare a national tourism policy, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy said after taking part in a G20 event on Film Tourism for Economic and Cultural Preservation at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on Monday. He also said there is a tremendous scope for promoting spiritual tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ensuring assistance

There cannot be a better place than Kashmir for shooting movies. We’ll provide assistance for shooting movies. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa

Earlier, at least 122 G20 delegates, many of them global leaders, reached Srinagar for the third tourism working group meeting amidst tight security. In addition to attending the event on film tourism, the delegates explored the enchanting Dal Lake, taking shikara ride, and also visited the art and craft market, showcasing local handicrafts and work of artisans.

At the film tourism event, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said, “There cannot be a better place than Kashmir for shooting movies.” As many as 370 movies have been permitted to shoot in Kashmir, the finest destination for films and romance in the world, Kant said.

Actor Ram Charan of the RRR fame danced to the tunes of ‘Naatu Naatu’, enthralling the audience.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said there had been no takers for hartal calls in Kashmir anymore. “People in Srinagar want to move on. They have lost two generations (due to militancy),” the minister said while addressing the G20 delegates. He hoped that the delegates would become Kashmir’s ambassadors and highlight the positive situation in the Valley.

China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are among the G20 leaders who have boycotted the meeting in Kashmir.

Srinagar city is enveloped in an unprecedented security blanket, with the deployment of Marine commandos, NSG and other security forces. A comprehensive three-tier security arrangement has been put in place. The security grid consists of the Army, the BSF, the CRPF, the SSB and the J&K Police.

Arab influencer praises India

• Amjad Taha, a popular British-Bahraini influencer, tweeted, “This is not Switzerland or Austria; this is India, and this is Kashmir where G20 (summit) will take place. It’s called the paradise on Earth.”
• Singer Honey Singh also expressed his excitement. In a video message, he urged his fans to support the event. Experts anticipate that the G20 meeting would attract investors and tourists.

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