KU launches Masters in Travel & Hospitality

Encouraged by a record annual increase in the number of tourists flocking to Kashmir, the Kashmir University (KU) has launched a Masters programme in Travel & Hospitality, which is a flagship programme envisioned to generate excellence and leadership in the tourism industry.

The two year full time Master in Tourism and Hospitality at KU has been designed to fulfill the requirements for trained and qualified executives for global industry of tourism and taking care of its multifaceted management problems. It has been started as an Independent course in the Business School of University of Kashmir from the current academic session (2012-13).

The course kick-started this year after the state hosted a record number of tourists for the second consecutive year. The state estimates the number to cross last year’s 1.2 million, highest since 1987, to 1.6 million this year. The programme aims to bridge the gap of trained and professional manpower in the state and help Kashmir get its fair share of recognition in the tourism industry. The state has got a name as a world famous tourist attraction for its natural beauty and rich culture.

The focus of the industry has been on sustained and eco-friendly development especially at tourist destinations. A faculty member at the department said that tourism which was limited to the golden triangle of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar is expanding now and hence demands more trained professionals in the industry.

Its felt that it’s time for Kashmir to have its own tourism policy instead of borrowing the tourism policy from another state which has been happening there. The university realises the need for professionals from the valley who know the cultural and ecological sensitivities of the place and keep them in mind while formulating such a policy. The programme is expected to help streamline tourism policy formulated by “non-professionals who disregard several important aspects of tourism,” as per news reports.

Apart from the Master in Travel and Hospitality, KU has also launched a first in India two-year Masters in Craft Management and Entrepreneurship programme.

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