Mangaluru: A day long Management Development Programme (MDP) on “Tourism and Hospitality: Marketing and Growth Prospects with reference to Dakshina Kannada”, was organised by the Department of Business Administration at St. Joseph Engineering College, Vamanjoor here on March 24. The programme was inaugurated by Eulalia D’Souza, Proprietor of Lia Travels, Mangaluru. She spoke about tourism in Dakshina Kannada and about tourism-added revenue to different businesses and the consequent facilitation of the growth in local, regional and national economy. Rev. Fr. Wilfred Prakash D’Souza, Director of SJEC, presided over the inaugural ceremony and Dr. Joseph Gonsalvis, Principal of SJEC was the Guest of Honour.

The other resource persons who spoke during the programme were Allen C A Pereira, former CMD of Bank of Maharashtra; Nownith Kumar, Traffic Manager, NMPT and Peter Nirmal, General Manager of Taj Gateway. Each of these resource persons highlighted the role played by hospitality and tourism in the economy and in generating employment, both directly and indirectly. They stressed upon the fact that tourism and hospitality being an important service sector, is an ever-growing sector that contributes to the growth of GDP of the nation. Around 43 participants from different travel agencies, hotels and colleges participated and deliberated intensely on the challenges and opportunities in Tourism and Hospitality.

Dr. Prakash Pinto, Dean, MBA at SJEC welcomed the gathering and Dr. Anjali Ganesh, Professor in the Department of Business Administration, SJEC proposed a vote of thanks.