Mangaluru: William D’Souza of Globe travels has been nominated to the Universal Federation of Travel Agent’s Association (UFTAA) Board in Israel last week during the UFTAA’s annual general assembly for a two-year term ending in December 2019. William has been a pioneer in the travel and tourism industry in Mangaluru and has offices in Canada and the USA. He has been instrumental in getting cruise ships to Mangaluru. Today, about 40 cruise ships visit Mangaluru every year, bringing more than 40,000 tourists to Mangaluru and the surrounding cities.

The cruise movement in Mangaluru has given a great opportunity to the students of Mangaluru’s colleges to be guides, thereby enabling them to have the wonderful experience of being around foreigners and earning their livelihood while studying. It has brought revenue to the hotels and local sightseeing places and has provided job opportunities to a number of taxi, auto and coach owners.

Last year, Globe Travels introduced, for the first time in India, a “TukTuk” tour taking foreign tourists in the local auto to various sightseeing places of Mangaluru including the local rice mills and tiles factories and offering them local cuisines.

Globe Travels is one of the first travel agencies of Mangaluru city having its own college of travel and tourism and the only IATA training college in the city. Globe College has trained more than 2500 students who are placed at coveted posts in the travel and tourism industry worldwide.

William is a former president of the Rotary Club Mangalore Central, YMCA, Founder of the Red Cross Society of India in Mangaluru, having set up the blood bank for the needy, promoter of the Pilikula Golf Course as a president of the Rotary Club Mangalore Central and President of the Sodality of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He has served as an executive committee member of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries and presently the executive committee member of CREDAI, Mangaluru and trustee of the Vishwa Konkani Kendra, Mangaluru. He was one of the members of the world Konkani convention in Mangaluru, which attracted Konkani speaking people from all over the world to get connected with their roots. He was also one of the main organisers of CREDAI Statecon and exhibition in Mangaluru. He is a member of various associations in India and abroad. Till December 2017, he was the treasurer of Servas International, an organisation based in Switzerland, hosting programmes thereby to promote peace in the world!

He has set up various businesses and being one of the earliest promoters of real estate at Mangaluru, William is presently taking an active interest in promoting tourism in Mangaluru along with the real estate business.

About UFTAA:

The Universal Federation of Travel Agent’s Association is the august body of all travel and tour agents’ associations of the world, having its headquarters in Monaco in Europe and a Global Tourism office at Istanbul, Turkey. The UFTAA has a seat at the United Nations World Tourism Organization Committee and a member of the IATA protecting the interest of the travel fraternity all over the world.

William has been nominated as an affiliate member of the UFTAA for his contribution to the tourism industry among the 7 directors of the UFTAA Board, others being the heads of various travel associations of the world. In the past, he has had the opportunity to meet several tourism ministers of the world to discuss tourism matters.

Last week, after his appointment as Direct to UFTAA, he met Yariv Levin, Minister of Tourism of Israel, who appreciated William, for promoting the Holy Land tours to Israel. Globe Travels is the first one to promote the Holy Land tour from India since 1978.