The Ministry of Tourism is processing the proposal of setting up of a National Tourism University at Noida. The proposal will be ready soon, Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of Tourism (I/C), Culture (I/C) and Civil Aviation, said while awarding the degrees/diplomas to 1605 graduates of Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management ( IITTM ) at its 2nd Convocation in Noida. A proposal to set up a Museum of Culture in Noida is also in the pipeline, he disclosed.
Congratulating the graduates, the Minister said that they are now the Brand Ambassadors of the country to promote tourism . With your degrees, you have entered into a world which has a great potential, he said. The Minister exhorted them to strive constantly to uphold the knowledge, values and competencies acquired by them to make a mark for themselves in life , thereby ascending the prestige of IITTM.
The synergy between Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation can take make India a hub of International Tourism, Dr Sharma explained. The Minister said that the Tourism sector not only generates foreign exchange, it also generates a lot of employment especially for women and is a source of women empowerment. He hoped that the graduates of IITTM will help to actualise India`s hospitality mantra of Athithi Devo Bhav.
The Minister also gave away awards of excellence to outstanding students for their meritorious performance. The convocation was presided over by Lalit K. Panwar, Secretary (Tourism); and T. V. Kattimani, Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University was the guest of honour.
