National Conference at University of Jammu explores future-ready tourism through innovation, technology and talent

JAMMU: The second day of the National Conference on “Tourism, Technology and Talent: Shaping Future-Ready Managers” organized by the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Jammu was marked by a series of academic and policy-oriented sessions that highlighted the evolving dimensions of tourism, innovation, and education.

The second day began with “Tourism Vimarsh: Roots to Routes”- A Co-Created Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue that brought together voices from academia, industry, policy, and community stakeholders. The first segment, themed “Roots and Knowledge: India’s Tourism Soul,” focused on India’s rich cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge systems, and the importance of preserving authenticity while promoting sustainable tourism. Industry experts included: Dr D K Hari & Dr D K Hema Hari Founders, Bharath Gyan, Prof. (Dr) Manager Singh, Former Director General National Research Laboratory for Conservation, Chef (Dr) Rajeev Goyal President, India Food Tourism Organization, Chef Prashant Rohilla Executive Chef, F2P Food Services LLP, Ms. Shuchi Roy Co-Founder, Anahad Foundation , and Ms. Prerna Prasad Founder, Ecoplore India. Academic experts included Prof. Sandeep Kulshreshtha. Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Prof. Ashish Dahiya, MDU Rohtak. 

The dialogue seamlessly transitioned into the second segment, “Routes and Futures: New Pathways of Tourism,” which explored future trajectories of tourism development. Industry experts in this session included Mr Rajan Bahadur CEO, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council, Mr Ravi Gosain President, IATO, Mr Pankaj Chaudhary Associate Director (Sales), FCM, Mr Alok Singh Founder, Enriching Journeys, Mr Vijay Handa, AVM Travel Designers, and Mr. Navjot Jamwal Founder, LakSat Journeys. Academic experts included Prof Sampad Swain Pondicherry University, Prof Jitendran K J Indian Institute of Management, Sirmaur and Prof Prashant Gautam Panjab University. 

The academic engagements of the day concluded with an impactful session chaired by Professor Parikshat Singh Manhas, Director, Consortium for Educational Commission, University Grants Commission titled “Reimagining Education: Technology, Tourism and Talent.” The session took the form of a workshop on future-ready curriculum, highlighting the need to redesign tourism and hospitality education to align with industry 5.0, digital transformation, and evolving skill requirements. Prof Mir Abdul Sofique, University of Burdwan, Prof Saurabh Dixit, NEHU, Shillong, Prof Shyju P J , BHU, Prof Anil Gupta, Prof Suvidha Khanna, Dr Reyaz Qureshi, Kashmir University, Dr Ravinder Dogra, NIWS-IITTM, Dr. Ranjeet Raman, CUJ, Dr Ramjit, Central University of Kashmir, Prof Ashish Raina, Dr Nikita Dogra, Dr Nikhil Singh Charak and other faculty members.

Later in the day, Technical Sessions, where academicians, researchers, and industry experts presented insightful papers and shared perspectives on emerging trends, innovations, and challenges in tourism and hospitality.