G20: Kashmir to roll out red carpet for delegates

SRINAGAR:  Exquisite shawls, famous saffron, live crafts demonstration, Basoli paintings, and cultural extravaganza all lined up to promote Kashmir during the G20 summit.

A red carpet will be rolled out to welcome the delegates of the G20 Tourism Working Group in Kashmir. The third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting will be held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Center (SKICC) from May 22 to 24.

The first Working Group meeting was held in February at Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. The second meeting was held from April 1 to 3 in Siliguri, West Bengal.

Culture, heritage, arts, and crafts will be on full display during the summit. All the delegates will be presented with mementos consisting of shawls, art pieces, and dry fruit baskets.  There will be a live demonstration of Kani shawls and carpet making. Sozni and paper mache artisans will also display their crafts during the summit.

“There will be stalls at SKICC where Kashmir crafts will be displayed. Plus our craftsmen will give a live demonstration of different crafts. From shawls to carpets and from paper mache to sozni, every craft will be displayed,” said an officer.

A special basket containing zeera (cumin), saffron, almonds, and walnut will also be presented to the delegates. “It will be a complete set which will be presented to the delegates,” said the officer

G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States, and European Union. It represents 85% of the global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.

Tourism honchos are using this event to hard-sell Kashmir and attract foreign footfalls. “It (G20) is a major international event. I do not think such a big international event has taken place in Jammu and Kashmir ever before. This is a great opportunity for us to promote tourism in Jammu and Kashmir,” Syed Abid Shah, Secretary Tourism, had told media persons.

Tourism accounts for 6 to 7 percent of J&K’s GDP. In 2021, the travel and tourism sector contributed around 5.8 percent to the total GDP of the country. Tourism has the potential to contribute 20 percent to J&K’s GDP. G20 is an opportunity to showcase our potential to attract investment and make it one of the top destinations in the globe.