The second meeting of the India–Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Tourism convened on Tuesday, co-chaired by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and Emanuela Tripi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Italy.

According to a statement from the Indian Ministry of Tourism, the bilateral delegation on the Indian side comprised officials from the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Embassy of India in Rome and delegates from the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).

The Italian contingent was represented by senior leadership from the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi, and ENIT, the Italian National Tourism Board.

During the session, delegates deliberated on a broad spectrum of initiatives aimed at reinforcing bilateral tourism collaboration, encompassing the exchange of statistical tourism data, the joint promotion of lesser-known destinations, film and cine-tourism, destination twinning projects, skilling and capacity building, alongside expanded Business-to-Business (B2B) industry engagement.

As a principal outcome of the dialogue, both governments agreed to form dedicated technical working groups and assign designated points of contact to operationalize the identified focus areas and maintain continuous coordination among relevant public and private stakeholders.

Furthermore, the two parties explored prospective tourism initiatives aligned with the proposed India–Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027, intending to deepen cultural and travel exchanges between both nations.

The convening of the 2nd Joint Working Group reiterated the shared commitment of India and Italy to solidify their bilateral tourism partnership while forging sturdier institutional and private-sector ties.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy (MAECI), the inaugurating session of the Italy-India Joint Working Group was previously held at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina).

Source: ANI