The National Talent Competition, organised by PHDCCI and participated by 37 bright students from 18 prominent tourism education institutions of India, also emerged as an excellent platform for receiving Innovative and ‘Out of the Box’ ideas from the young minds.
While I congratulate the winner teams and students for being the best, I compliment all the student participants for giving amazing ideas. The idea of a Team to launch local domestic tourism campaign in the name of ” Aas -Paas Tourism”, was indeed creative ;the suggestion of student teams to develop ”Self-service technology”, and prepare ”Multi skilled” work force for the new normal were also laudable. One team also highlighted the need to have ”District Level Destination Planning and Management bodies”, an idea that also figures in the ‘Draft New National Tourism Policy-2020’ circulated by Ministry of Tourism, last week.
Despite suggesting different sets of approach to deal with the new global order, the teams were unanimous in conveying the message to the industry and the academia, that ‘skill and talent development’ in tourism sector requires change and innovations to deal with the ‘new normal’.
The presence of Honourable Union Tourism Minister during the Valedictory event, his encouraging address and his blessings to the Young tourism force of India, will certainly instill a great deal of confidence in them and boost their morale, in this crisis-hour.
PHDCCI deserves ‘thumbs up’ from Tourism fraternity for working proactively for the Students and Young Professionals of the Sector. It is time for Academic institutions and Industry to also accelerate their efforts to address this segment.
New Tourism Foundation, keeping this objective in mind has taken a small step to engage and empower Tourism Students, by starting a Group on Facebook. The Foundation is also contemplating to organise a virtual event in near future , exclusively for Tourism Students.
