‘Travel for LiFE’ program kicks off

The Union Ministry of Tourism launches ‘Travel for LiFE’ program, a part of the Prime Minister’s desired ‘Mission LiFE’, at a function organised in New Delhi on World Tourism Day 2023. The function was attended by senior officials from the Union Ministery of Tourism, as well as senior industry members from India and abroad.

Nisha Verma

The Union Ministry of Tourism (MOT) celebrated the World Tourism Day 2023 with the Global Launch of ‘Travel for LiFE’, at the recently opened Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Travel for LiFE is a sectoral program under Mission LiFE, targeted towards the tourism sector, which the MOT has unveiled in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

A booklet on Travel for LiFE was also launched with its digital inauguration by Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State of Tourism and Defence, Government of India. He said, “The recent G20 Leaders’ Summit has demonstrated India’s commitment to forging global unity and collaboration, and the deliberations echoed the collective aspirations of nations for a sustainable future. Every traveller, every business, and every citizen to adopt this program and pledge to travel responsibly, to respect our environment, and to understand and appreciate the diverse cultures that make our world so beautifully complex. The Travel for LiFE program, which is a part of Mission LiFE, sets out the path to a sustainable planet Earth.” Commenting on the venue of the event, he said, “Bharat Mandapam and recently inaugurated IICC in Dwarka are two world class facilities for M!CE. They are ready to host conferences from all parts of the world.”

V Vidyavathi, Secretary, Tourism, Government of India, also spoke at the event and said, “This shows our commitment towards a sustainable resilient and inclusive tourism sector. This program will encourage tourists to take simple actions that result in conservation of the environment, biodiversity, improvement in the local economy and preservation of the socio-cultural integrity of the local communities. It aims to create mindful and deliberate utilization of resources by the stakeholders in the tourism value chain.” Also present on the occasion were Leena Nandan, Secretary Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism.