India News | Terrorism Divides, Tourism Unites: PM Modi

Panaji, Jun 21 (PTI) Terrorism divides but tourism unites and helps in creating a harmonious society, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

A video message from Modi was played at the inaugural session of the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting here.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: B.Tech Graduate Held for Harassing Delhi Woman by Sending Obscene Messages.

"It is said that terrorism divides, but tourism unites. Tourism has the potential to unite people from all walks of life thereby creating a harmonious society," he said.

The prime minister expressed confidence that the deliberations and the 'Goa Roadmap' would "multiply the collective efforts to realise tourism's transformative power".

Also Read | Ukraine Updates: EU Takes Aim at Russian Sanction Dodging.

A Goa Roadmap and Action Plan, and a ministerial outcome document later came out at the end of the G20 ministerial here.

Tourism ministers and delegates from various G20 countries, including guest countries, are attending the two-day ministerial meeting.

About 130 delegates from countries such as the US, the UK, Spain, South Africa, Russia, Mauritius, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Oman, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and top international organisations took part in the event in Goa.

Modi said tourism ministers rarely get a chance to be tourists themselves even though they are handling a sector worth more than USD 2 trillion globally.

Underlining that the meeting was taking place in Goa, one of the major tourist attractions in India, the prime minister urged the dignitaries to take out some time from their serious discussions and explore the natural beauty and the spiritual side of the state.

In the last nine years, the central government has placed special emphasis on developing the entire ecosystem of tourism in India, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)