India will be presiding over the G20 Summit for the year 2022-23, beginning December this year. The first meeting in the series of 190 meetings of the G20 Summit will be led by Udaipur, where the G20 Summit Sherpa (Agenda) meeting will be held.  The meeting is scheduled to be held from 5-7 December 2022 and preparations towards the first such international geo-political meeting in the City of Lakes have begun.

Needless to say, with India getting the mantle for the G20 Summit in the coming year, the presidency allows high potential for the most populous democracy in the world in terms of business relations, tourism, industrial growth, foreign investment and political and diplomatic standing.

G20 Nations

20 member countries form the G20 Summit. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America and member countries of the European Union are members of the G20 Summit, apart from India.

International Facelift for Udaipur

With the benefits for India being apparent, the first meeting, i.e. G20 Summit Sherpa Meet being held in Udaipur holds tremendous promise for this globally acclaimed tourist destination.  The member countries of the G20 Summit account for two thirds of the global population and nearly 75 of global business. Interestingly, these countries also account for maximum tourists coming to Udaipur.

The Maharana Pratap Airport is already ready for its International Airport tag, with a few facilities and mandatory international level fixes pending. Political will is another aspect that might be holding back the International tag. However, with the upcoming G20 Sherpa meeting, these snags will surely be taken care of. The Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok in Udaipur is much closer to getting its International Airport tag.

Meetings and Conferences (MICE destination)

The Congress Chintan Shivir and the political meetings during the Rajya Sabha elections were the two major national level events that attracted attention towards Udaipur, which has been generally known for its wedding extravaganza and tourism quotient. With these two meets and the possibility of the upcoming G20 Sherpa meet in December, Udaipur will be well on its way to getting the international MICE destination tag. MICE is an acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions and represents the most lucrative part of the tourism mix across the globe. Business Events or Business Tourism is an undercurrent for MICE destinations as well.

General attractiveness and capability as a tourist destination are among the major factors which define a MICE destination, and Udaipur stands tall when it comes to either of these factors. The economic stability and political stability of India supports the other factors, culminating in a strong Country Brand for India and of course a strong MICE destination brand for Udaipur.

Udaipur Tourism

With its list of globally acclaimed hotels and restaurants and places of tourist interest, Udaipur has been right there on the global tourist map. However, with the last two years of COVID putting an unwanted break to this industry in Udaipur coupled with the happenings of the last few months, the tourism coefficient took a dip.

The G20 Sherpa meet at Udaipur will restore the confidence of the international community in Udaipur as a destination of choice – be it tourism, events or business and political gatherings.

Preparations

The Home department of the state Government of Rajasthan has directed the Collector of Udaipur, Tara Chand Meena to oversee all preparations towards this high level, high security meet, where top government representatives from the member nations of G20 will be participating. As per information, the Darbar Hall at the City Palace is expected to be the venue for the G20 Sherpa meet in December. Fateh Prakash Palace, Hotel Udai Vilas and Leela Palace will be reserving 200 rooms in all to accommodate the delegates for this meeting. The Royal Dinner is expected to be held at Jag Mandir on  December, where the delegates will be treated to delicacies from the Indian cuisine as well as those of the member countries.