The Ministers of Tourism of the G20 member countries met in Goa on Wednesday, held discussions on various issues, and welcomed the Goa Roadmap for tourism for achieving sustainable development goals.

According to an official release, the ministers reaffirmed the importance of working towards the full recovery of tourism from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and advancing the role of tourism in accelerating the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in the meeting. The minister supported five tourism priority areas identified by India’s G20 Presidency for the Tourism Working Group for the development of a resilient and sustainable tourism sector namely, Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs and Destination Management, added the release.

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According to the release, the minister in the meeting mentioned that tourism significantly contributes to the main objective of the G20 which is to promote “strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth” and they will work towards positioning the sector in accelerating sustainable development and achieving the SDGs.

The release mentioned that there was a discussion on the issue of the Ukraine war and its impact on the global economy. Most of the members stressed that it is causing immense human suffering.

“The war in Ukraine has further adversely impacted the global economy. There was a discussion on the issue. Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy constraining growth increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks,” it said.

“There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions. Recognizing that the G20 is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy,” it added.

The release said, “It is essential to uphold international law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability. This includes defending all the Purposes and Principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and adhering to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and infrastructure in armed conflicts. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital. Today’s era must not be of war.”

As per the release, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women through tourism policies.

“We reaffirm our commitment to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women through tourism policies and initiatives. We welcome the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a vehicle for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as annexed, as a voluntary set of actionable policies to enable progress tourism towards the achievement of the SDGs,” it said.