Darjeeling: Singapore envoy to India dances with folk artists at G20 meet

Darjeeling, West Bengal: High Commissioner of Singapore in India, Simon Wong on Saturday, April danced with folk artists at a G20 meeting in West Bengal's Darjeeling.

"A wonderful evening at the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting. Moonlight tea picking was the highlight. HC Wong," Singapore in India tweeted on Saturday, April 1.

G20 delegates experienced tea plucking on the sidelines of the G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting in Darjeeling.

"Our second meeting for tourism has taken place here in Darjeeling. This is a new experience for the G20 delegates. The workers who work here are also getting encouragement after this. Tea tourism will increase in the upcoming years," Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said.

Around 130 participants are attending the event. The delegates from the G-20 member countries will get the opportunity to discuss the ways of reviving the tourism sector which got affected due to the Covid pandemic, in this three-day meeting from April 1 to April 3.

On the first-day event, Chief coordinator of G20 Harshvardhan Shringla said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed us to showcase India to the world as we are ready to host the G20 Summit in September this year. I recall him saying that, "Each part of India has its own uniqueness, heritage, beauty and culture and that our G20 meetings should not be confined to the national capital, New Delhi, alone."

PM Modi also said, "India, especially the North Eastern part of the country will get a big opportunity to showcase the rich cultural heritage and tourism potentials dominated in the region."

"Around 10 ambassadors from different countries including Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, G20 Chief Coordinator HarshVardhan Shringla, Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism participated in the program in Siliguri and Darjeeling on the first day of the second G20 Tourism Working Group meeting.

Darjeeling, the 'Queen of the Himalayas' and one of India's leading tourist destinations, along with Siliguri, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, has been chosen to host the second Tourism Working Group meeting from April 1-3, 2023.

(With inputs from agencies)