Three-Day Tour Guide Workshop ‘Safar ka Sarthi’ Concludes at University of Jammu

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JAMMU, OCTOBER 07: The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM), University of Jammu, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), successfully concluded a three-day tour guide skill-building workshop titled “Safar ka Sarthi: Bringing Places to Life” for MBA (TTM) Semester III students.

Organized from October 5 to 7, 2026, the workshop was aimed at enhancing students’ practical skills in tour guiding and strengthening their understanding of destination storytelling, cultural interpretation, group presentation, itinerary management, visitor safety and crisis control.

Dr. Shailja Sharma, Assistant Professor, IITTM Noida, served as the key resource person and conducted engaging, hands-on sessions. To bridge classroom learning with field realities, the workshop incorporated role-play exercises, mock guiding simulations and practical heritage site visits, providing students with experiential exposure to various aspects of professional tour guiding.

Prof. Prashant Gautam, Director, IITTM, along with Dr. D.C. Soni, Nodal Officer, IITTM, Noida, joined the programme online as distinguished guests and extended their support to the industry-oriented academic initiative. They highlighted key initiatives of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, including Swadesh Darshan 2.0, PRASHAD and capacity-building programmes, which continue to contribute to growth, infrastructure development and sustainable tourism across the country.

They emphasized that collaborative initiatives with IITTM are aligned with these national goals and provide students with essential practical exposure. They further highlighted that formal certification would help enhance the career prospects of the participating students.

During the programme, Prof. Suvidha Khanna, Director, SHTM, and Prof. Anil Gupta, Faculty, SHTM, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Shailja Sharma for conducting the engaging and hands-on sessions. They also conveyed their appreciation to Prof. Prashant Gautam and Dr. D.C. Soni for joining the programme online and supporting the initiative.

The workshop was coordinated by Dr. Nidhi Pathania, who facilitated the interactive modules throughout the programme. The event concluded with a feedback session followed by the distribution of certificates to the participants.