At the G20 Kashmir Working Group on Tourism conference being held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the gorgeous banks of Dal Lake, the main topic of conversation is film tourism, which is being attended by some of the biggest names in Bollywood cinema.
The renowned Indian actor, producer, and businessman Konidela Ram Charan, often known as “Cherry,” arrived in Srinagar on Monday on a chartered aircraft. In his lengthy speech, he discussed “India as a Film Tourism Destination.” A large panel discussion on the advantages and effects of film tourism on the area’s economy followed his speech.
Officers associated with the G20 informed me that some prominent Bollywood celebrities, including producer Boney Kapoor and his two daughters, actresses Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, would be arriving here and joining the discussions with the G20 delegates and panelists on Tuesday. According to authorities, permission has been requested for the unprecedented shooting of 370 movies in Kashmir between 2022 and 2023.
The panelists from India, Singapore, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, and Brazil discussed different obstacles to marketing travel destinations through movies as well as country-specific facilitators.
G. Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister of Tourism and Culture; Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office; and Arvind Singh, the Union Tourism Secretary, all spoke during the afternoon session. At SKICC on Tuesday afternoon, a 75-minute discussion on “The Untapped Potential of Film Tourism in India—Promoting Incredible India” has been arranged. Ministers Jitendra Singh and Reddy will also address this. Setting the Context and Potential of Jammu and Kashmir for Film Tourism will be the topic of Syed Abid Rashid’s speech to the Secretary of J&K Tourism. The auditorium will also show a brief documentary about film tourism.
