Kashmir: Department of Tourism hosts Model G20 Summit

The Department of Tourism, Kashmir hosted a Model G20 Summit in Srinagar on Friday (April 28). The summit brought together over 60 participants from universities across J&K including Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) and University of Kashmir (KU).

The opening ceremony of the event was presided over by Abid Rasheed Shah, Secretary to the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Department of Tourism and Culture. He expressed his belief that this event would serve as a stepping stone for the younger generation, opening more opportunities for them in the future.

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“You are all aware that the third G20 tourism group is going to be held in Kashmir in the last week of May. We have held a G20 model summit in which students, young bright students from various colleges, schools and universities participated. There was overwhelming response from these participants, this is the indication of warmth with which we will welcome the G20 delegates in Kashmir. This is a great opportunity also for us to showcase Jammu and Kashmir and various tourism products of J&K to a global audience. It gives us an opportunity to present J&K as one the topmost tourist destinations across the world," said Shah.

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During the event, the students actively participated in deliberations and negotiations while representing their respective G20 countries. The discussions primarily focused on priorities in the tourism sector, such as sustainable tourism practices and gender equity & women in tourism.

"This model G20 event is like a rehearsal to the main event happening here next month. We had students from various institutions, and we are participating in this event as delegates and we have to discuss about tourism and sustainable tourism, women in tourism and effective promotion of tourism. We discussed the issues and it's going to be a major event in Jammu and Kashmir. It's going to open new avenues for us and people are going to perceive us differently. It's going to be a boon for the tourism sector," said Sadat Hussain, Student.

The Model G20 Summit served as a valuable platform for the participants to enhance their understanding of the workings of G20 and the issues it addresses. It provided a unique opportunity for the participants to hone their negotiation and diplomacy skills, which are essential in today's globalised world.

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