Goa Roadmap On Tourism: G20 Leaders Endorse Strategy For Nations To Align Tourism Policies With UN-SDGs

Aimed at prioritising the tourism sector, G20 leaders endorsed the Goa Roadmap outlining the challenges, objectives, opportunities and recommendations for the sector to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The Goa Roadmap is built around the five priority areas of tourism — Green tourism, digitisation skills, tourism related micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and destination management.

The roadmap is aligned with the theme of India’s G20 Presidency, underscores the role of tourism in society, the economy, and environmental stewardship.

It offers a comprehensive strategy for nations to align their tourism policies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The G20 Leaders' Summit in Delhi stands as a testament to India's leadership in fostering global unity and collaboration.

The summit witnessed the convergence of the world's most influential leaders, united by a shared vision for the future. Their collective commitment to addressing global challenges reaffirms the spirit of global cooperation.

According to the Tourism Ministry, a significant milestone achieved during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Delhi was the unanimous endorsement of tourism and culture's pivotal role in sustainable socio-economic development and prosperity.

The 'G20 Leaders Declaration' adopted during the summit underlined the significance of the 'Goa Roadmap for Tourism' as a vehicle for achieving SDG.

The Delhi Declaration provides a new direction for tourism sector with the key deliverable of India’s G20 Tourism Track, a pioneering initiative that provides a blueprint for sustainable global tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), has launched the G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard.

This pioneering initiative will serve as a global repository, showcasing the best practices and case studies of sustainable tourism practices and policies from G20 nations. It aims to be a comprehensive resource, aiding nations and industry stakeholders in their journey towards achieving the SDGs through tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism is also launching a national competition on ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ to identify best practices and case studies aligned with five priorities of G20 Goa roadmap, which have successfully been implemented by states, destinations and industry stakeholders, which can be replicated and scaled up across the country. The competition will be launched on the World Tourism Day on 27 September.

In another significant development, the G20 leaders’ declaration has further noted the launch of the “Travel for LiFE” (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative, emphasising its transformative potential in promoting responsible and sustainable tourism.

'Travel for LiFE' nudges all tourists and tourist businesses to take simple actions, which contribute to environment protection and climate action.

Ministry of Tourism has aligned its programmes and initiatives for promoting sustainable tourism under ‘Travel for LiFE’ programme and the campaign will cover the entire tourism ecosystem, motivating and inspiring all actors to contribute in making tourism sector sustainable and responsible.