Mumbai: Jai Hind College's Department of Bachelor of Vocation Travel and Tourism Management (BVoc TTM) hosted a World Tourism Day Industry Symposium on September 27, 2023, focusing on the theme of Tourism and Green Investments. BVoc Travel and Tourism Fest; Voyage’ was an occasion which saw several workshops. The event brought together industry experts and government officials, with Ms. Rupinder Brar, IRS, as the chief guest and keynote speaker.
Ms. Brar highlighted the significant impact of tourism on India's economy, contributing 5% to GDP and creating 15% of direct and indirect jobs. She stressed the importance of sustainable tourism, aligning with the UNWTO's theme, which emphasises investment for ‘People, Planet, and Prosperity’.
"India's commitment to sustainability includes plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 and sourcing 50% of energy from renewables. The PM Gatishakti Plan aims to strengthen multimodal connectivity, requiring millions of trained hospitality graduates," stated Ms Brar.
The Delhi Declaration and G20 Goa Roadmap outline sustainable development goals for the tourism sector. In collaboration with this, the Ministry of Tourism and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), launched the G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard to support this.
Following that, Mona Cheriyan, President and Group Head of Human Resources of Thomas Cook India Ltd, emphasised growth in green investments and urged students to explore diverse career paths within the sector. Additionally, she also mentioned green investment. She said, "Not less than twenty allied segments can come up with green investments going up in Tourism and she emphasised and motivated the students to build their knowledge and skills in these allied sectors too, going outside the conventional choices in the Travel and Tourism sector of either working in Travel companies and hospitality industries."
Mani Mahesh Aurora, Impact Leader, spoke about transforming rural areas through sustainable initiatives like The Goat Village. Formerly a radio jockey and former journalist, he transitioned from his corporate career at the age of 23 to co-found The Goat Village and Bakri Chhap.
Moreover, the event also featured student research presentations, workshops, and a 'Paryatan Haat' with various stalls and a travel quiz.
