A four day capacity building programme for tourism stakeholders commenced here today.
The programme is being jointly organized by the Department of Tourism and University of Kashmir in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Tourism.
Dean, Academic Affairs, University of Kashmir, Prof. Farooq Masoodi; Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Dr. G N Itoo; Registrar, University of Kashmir, Dr. Nisar Ahmad Mir and other academicians from the University and officers from Tourism Department besides stakeholders were present in the inaugural function.
In his inaugural remarks, Prof. Farooq Masoodi underlined the need for supplementing trade experiences with academic inputs for better results and satisfying experiences. He hoped that more such interactive sessions would be held for the stakeholders to keep them abreast with changing trade patterns and practices. Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Dr. G N Itoo in his opening remarks gave a resume of initiatives taken by the Department for the handholding of tourism stakeholders in the wake of Covid pandemic during the last two years. He said the Department carried out a vaccination drive among all the segments of the tourism trade which gave enough confidence to tourists and the results were for anyone to decipher.
The Director Tourism reminded the stakeholders of sticking to age-old traditions of hospitality and fair practice if they want to maintain the edge among the competing tourism markets in the country. He hoped with today’s capacity building programme, the stakeholders would be benefitted in terms of latest trade practices, post Covid precautions and the traditional courtesies the place has been known world over. Earlier, programme coordinator, Dr. Shahnawaz briefed the audience about course modules and sessions of the programme. During the four day programme experts from relevant fields would sensitize the participants about the latest practices and precautions in the trade in the wake of Covid pandemic and economic sluggishness of the past two years or so. This is the first of a series of capacity building programmes being organized jointly by the Tourism Department and Kashmir University for skill enhancement of tourism stakeholders at various destinations across Kashmir.