The G20 delegates enjoyed Darjeeling tea tasting and moonlight tea leaf plucking at Makaibari Tea Estate in Kurseong on the first day of the second G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting. The meeting commenced on Saturday (April 1) and will conclude on Monday (April 3). The agenda for the meeting included a one-day trip to Darjeeling as well as a ride on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
The delegates are also scheduled to witness performers of tribal dance and Baul songs later in the day. The second meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group is taking place in West Bengal.
In a video posted by the news agency ANI, delegates can be seen plucking tea leaves and enjoying the late evening mountain view. Watch the video here.
On the occasion, union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy said: "Our second meeting for tourism has taken place here in Darjeeling. This is a new experience for the G20 delegates. The workers who work here are also getting encouragement after this. Tea tourism will increase in the upcoming years".
"The important G20 TWG meeting will go a long way in contributing to positioning the destination as a tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) destination," said Harsh Vardhan Shingla, Chief Coordinator, G20 India, on Friday.
He stated that India, particularly the Northeast, will have a significant opportunity to showcase the region's rich cultural heritage and tourism potential.
According to Shingla, foreign delegates will learn about the tea industry, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, and adventure tourism. G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Development of the North Eastern Region, and John Barla, Minister of Minority Affairs, will attend the meeting.
A side event on 'Adventure Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals' is also being held by the ministry. From April 3-5, a public exhibition will be held in Darjeeling to raise awareness of India's G20 presidency and to promote sustainable practises in adventure tourism.
During the first Tourism Working Group meeting in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch in February, all G20 members, invitee countries, and international organisations endorsed five priority areas (green tourism, digitalization, skills, tourism MSMEs, and destination management), according to a ministry statement.
The second meeting will focus on broader issues, shaping the TWG Outcome Document: GOA Roadmap and Action Plan for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving SDGs. The government of India is hosting over 200 meetings in 59 cities across the country as part of its G20 presidency.