IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode hold conference to boost tourism industry

The theme of the conference Tourism in Global Village - Contemporary Practices & Innovations will see the participation of a large number of domestic and international academic and research organizations. Scholars and specialists from Singapore, UAE, UK & US are participating in the conference.

The sessions of International Conference will focus on Tourism Management: Conceptual Issues, Technological interventions in tourism, Marketing intervention in Tourism, Budding researchers, Tourism Management - Health & other issues, Finance & HR issues in tourism and Eco-tourism.

More than 50 research papers will be presented and selected papers will be published in the form of a book. The conference will be inaugurated by Dr. Devi Singh, Director, IIM Lucknow. The keynote address will be delivered by Prof Russell Arthur Smith, Cornell - Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management, Singapore.

Commenting on the agenda of such conferences, IIM Lucknow says, The objective of the conference is to explore contemporary issues and business factors influencing the present state of tourism across the globe. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, India is poised to emerge as the second fastest growing (8.8%) tourism economy in the world over 2005-14. In 2007, around 5 million tourists arrived in India and spent nearly $11 billion. A mix of marketing initiatives and revived interest in India as a tourist destination is making India an attractive tourist destination for the foreign traveler.

Tourism is an increasingly widespread and complex activity, which requires sophisticated management to realize its full potential as a positive and sustainable economic, environmental, social and cultural force. The economic impact of tourism places tourism roughly at the same global order of magnitude as agriculture or mining, adds IIM Lucknow.