24 Sep 2014|Noida | I2 Moot Court Hall
Tourism Sector is shifting towards Rural Tourism to explore Rich Heritage and Culture of India opines Experts during World Tourism Day at Amity University
Amity Institute of Travel & Tourism organized its 11th Annual Convention to celebrate World Tourism Day under the theme ‘Tourism and Community Development’ highlighting the potential of tourism to empower people and provide them with skills to change their lives and that of their communities. The day is set to honor tourism, a domain which drives economic growth and development worldwide.
The convention was inaugurated by His Excellency- Jorge Cardenas, Ambassador of Bolivia; Her Excellency – Silvia Costantini, First Counselor,Political Affair Delegation of the European Union to India; Ms. Anna Alaman Torres, CEO & Founder “Open Eyes” NGO for Responsible Tourism; Prof. Kapil Kumar, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Freedom Struggle Studies andChairperson, Faculty of History and Social Sciences; Ms. Runjuam Tongrut,Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Mr. Tushar Pandey, Sr. President,Public and Social Policies Management, Yes Bank at Amity Campus, Sector 125,Noida. The event marked the presence of galaxy of eminent personalities from the corporate world.
Welcoming the guests, Prof. (Dr.) M. Sajnani said that World Tourism Day aims to raise awareness of how tourism can be an engine for community development, one of the building blocks of a more sustainable future for all.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Upinder Dhar, Pro-ViceChancellor (Academics), Amity University said that Tourism is a phenomena that offers diverse destination and culture across the globe and has an important contribution towards the Economy of a country. He further added that Tourists come to India because of its diversity i.e. 6 seasons, several regions and rich culture and food; hence, there is a need for active promotion of tourism in India. Stating the example of Katra, Mr. Dhar said that 30 years back, the place was a less populated small town but with time it has grown economically due to religious tourism. He mentioned that Communities are affected by tourism both economically and culturally, therefore, such places should be identified for active tourism and managed accordingly.
On the Occasion,Dr W Selvamurthy, President, AmityScience Technology and Innovation Foundation said that its is a momentous day for India as our maiden mission to Mars has been successful and Founder President has declared this day, i.e. 24th September 2014 as Amity Mars Day. Sharing his thoughts about Tourism in India, he mentioned that India has rich culture, vast destinations and believes in the philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which means Guests are like God. He further added that the potentiality of India as a tourist destination is understated, hence, there is still so much to explore in India and a need to promote medical as well as destination tourism.
Referring to the present scenario of Tourism in India, Ms.Anna Alaman said that India as a tourist destination is yet to be explored by the tourists. She further added that her NGO works towards promoting the experience of alternative trips to boost the Indian Economy. The mission is to share the social and economic benefits of tourism with the shareholders and the community. Ms. Alaman also mentioned that the NGO works to boost the local economy and support the local community such as artisans by creating jobs and encouraging tourist to discover the local facilities and talents.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Kapil Kumar raised the issues related to tourism in India. He said that Tourism is consuming the community while community is unable to gain benefit from tourism and the reason for it is the illiteracy of people in terms of tourism. He further added that the need of the hour is to literate the communities about tourism in India so that they can gain grow and develop accordingly. Prof. Kumar also mentioned that the there has been a lack of study in the demographic changes in the study; neither the industry nor academia have contributed towards any significant research on Tourism. He appealed to the Tourism Industry to contribute for the beautification of the Country which will in return benefit to them. Prof. Kumar also highlighted about the escalating interest of tourist towards Rural Tourism as it provides them with the opportunity to experience the grassroots of India and live with basic necessities.
Her Excellency- Silvia Costantini shared a presentation on Tourism in Europe and highlighted about the objectives of European Tourism, challenges faced by the tourism industry, guidelines and action to promote tourism.
During the event, the students of Amity Institute of Travel and Tourism presented a mesmerizing cultural programme by the students performing the folk dance of various states of India.