The Tourism Interface Skill Development Think Tank session successfully concluded on January 24, 2020, at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. Initiated by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) and conceptualised and executed by OptiMICE Events Pvt. Ltd, the event highlighted the various skill development initiatives undertaken by the Gujarat Government.

The Think Tank was chaired by Smt. Meenakshi Sharma IA & AS, Director General, Ministry of Tourism and Shri Jenu Devan IAS, MD and Commissioner, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited. The discussion was moderated by Shri Vinod Zutshi IAS, Former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism.

The event witnessed a select gathering of leaders and pioneers from tourism, hospitality and film industries, along with representatives from the leading educational institutions across the country. Some of the notable dignitaries included, Mr. KB Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, Radission Hotel Group; Mr. Sandeep Marwah, Owner, Marwah Studios; Mr. Samir MC, Managing Director, Fortune Park Hotels; Mr. Kamal Pant, Principal, IHM Pusa; Mr. Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO, Indian School of Hospitality; Prof. (Dr.) Manohar Sajnani, Dean - Faculty of Hospitality, Amity University; Mr. Aditya Loomba, Joint MD, Eco Rent A Car; Ms. Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI; Mr. Rajan Sehgal, President, Indian Golf Tourism Association; Mr. Rajiv Duggal, Strategic Advisor, Jailesh Cruises, among others.

The session started with a presentation by Shri Jenu Devan, who highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by TCGL for skill development in Gujarat. Furthermore, Smt. Meenakshi Sharma, listed the various skill development initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism of India. Following this, Mr. Rajan Bahadur, CEO, THSC and Shri Mohan Reddy, Head, Sector Skill Council Governance, NSDC, highlighted many of the skill development initiatives taken up by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) & Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC).

The keynote address by Shri KP Krishnan IAS, Former Secretary, MSDE, that highlighted the skill development eco-system in India and the various challenges to it, set the tone for the Roundtable Discussion.

The Think Tank highlighted the need for skill development in tourism and hospitality establishments in Gujarat. The need for setting up Centres of Excellence and the formation of a Task Force by the Ministry of Tourism was mooted, alongside other important suggestions and ideas.

The Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Corporation of Gujarat were forthcoming and open in receiving feedback and understanding the issues faced by the industry. The Think Tank ended on a positive note with several recommendations.

Objective

Initiate dialogue and focus on ground dynamics as well as designing and implementation of Skill Development for Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Sector.

Discuss road map for improvement of employability.

Provide better services to the tourists.

Enabling THSC & NSDC to design specific programs with inputs from the Stakeholders in Travel Tourism & Hospitality industry.

Form a blueprint for Skill Development by understanding the pathway and reach a sustainable solution.

Tourism Interface Skill Development Think Tank Session

Provisional programme

Date: 24 January 2020, New Delhi

Venue: Aftab Mahtab, Taj Mahal, New Delhi

09:30 AM: Guest Arrival 10:00 AM: Roll Call of Honour

10:10 AM: Presentation by Shri Jenu Devan, IAS, Managing Director, TCGL

10:20 AM: Few words by Smt. Meenakshi Sharma IA & AS, Director General - MOT

10:25 AM: Presentation by Mr. Mohan Reddy, Head Sector Skill Council, Governance, NSDC

10:30 AM: Presentation by Mr. Rajan Bahadur, CEO, THSC

10:40 AM: Keynote Address by Shri. K. P. Krishnan, Former Secretary, MSDE

10:50 AM: Think Tank Discussion Begins

01:00 PM: Lunch

Left To Right: Kamal Gill, Director, Optimice Events; Khyati Nayak, Pro Gujarat Tourism; Sandeep Marwah, Owner Marwah Studios; Shri Jenu Devan, IAS, MD & Commissioner, Gujarat Tourism; Shri Vinod Zutshi, IAS, Former Secretary, Ministry Of Tourism; Smt. Meenakshi Sharma, DG, Ministry Of Tourism; Subhash Goyal, Chairman, STIC Travels & Member National Tourism Advisory Council, MOT