Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 20: The Department of Tourism and Travel Management in Central University Jammu, organized two-day National Tourism Entrepreneurship Development Summit (NTEDS)-2015 to create awareness about entrepreneurial opportunities available for the students pursuing different tourism programmes in universities and institutions across the country. Fifteen teams from across the country, including IITTM, Gwalior; Banaras Hindu University; Himachal Pradesh Central University; IGNTU, Amarkantak; University of Jammu; IITTM, Delhi, HNB Garhwal University; Maharaj Agrasen University, etc participated in the Summit.
Prof S P Bansal, Vice-Chancellor Maharaj Agrasen University, was the keynote speaker. He emphasized that there was intense need to project India’s image from ‘Incredible India’ to ‘Credible India’.
On the occasion, a MoU was signed between Department of Tourism and Travel Management and Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), New Delhi. Gaur Kanjilal, Executive Director, IATO and Prof Deepak Raj Gupta, HoD Tourism and Travel Management, CUJ, signed the MoU. Another MoU was signed between Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Jammu and CUJ by Rakesh Gupta, President, CCI, and Prof Deepak Raj Gupta.
The purpose of these MoUs was to promote mutual cooperation in educational and industrial activities and establish a framework for programmes of exchange and collaboration in areas of tourism for mutual benefit.
The maiden issue of Departmental Newsletter “Travelism’’ was also released on this occasion.
The VC, CUJ, Prof Devanand said that the Summit will provide platform for the students of the travel management to showcase their innovative and management skills. He wished the Summit a great success.
Prof Deepak Raj Gupta dwelled on the idea of tourism entrepreneurship and highlighted that tourism had a lot of potential in our country.
A panel discussion between experts and students of various universities was also held. The panelists were Prof. Kapil Kumar, Prof Karunesh Saxena, Col Sumant Bhatia and Sanjay Jeena.