University of Jammu Begins Two-Day World Tourism Day Celebration

Jammu, September 2026: The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM), University of Jammu, inaugurated a two-day celebration of World Tourism Day 2026 under the theme “AI se Paryatan Rupantaran”, aligned with the official UN Tourism global theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” The event provided a dynamic platform to explore the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital innovations in modern tourism and sustainable development.

Mr. Ujjwal Bhimwal, General Manager, Hotel Taj-Vivanta, Jammu City Centre, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. In his address, he highlighted how AI is rapidly transforming the tourism sector by enhancing destination promotion, improving visitor experiences, enabling data-driven decision-making and creating new opportunities for sustainable and inclusive tourism development.

Prof. Alka Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Business Studies, University of Jammu, was the Guest of Honour. She stated that AI has become an integral part of the tourism industry, transforming the way destinations are promoted, tourism services are delivered and visitor experiences are designed. She emphasised the growing importance of embracing AI-driven technologies to enhance efficiency, innovation and sustainability in the tourism sector.

Prof. Anil Gupta, SHTM, highlighted the significance of technological advancements in shaping regional tourism paradigms. He emphasised that emerging technologies are transforming destination management, enhancing tourist experiences, improving operational efficiency and creating new opportunities for innovation and sustainable tourism development.

Earlier, Prof. Suvidha Khanna, Director, SHTM, in her welcome address highlighted the significance of World Tourism Day. She underscored the importance of collaboration among academia, industry, government and young minds in shaping a dynamic, innovative, inclusive and sustainable tourism sector.

The inaugural day commenced with a showcase of a Digital Village project developed by students of MBA (TTM) 1st Semester, SHTM. A key attraction was an interactive cultural and destination showcase presented by MBA students, representing various states across India. The showcase highlighted the rich heritage, traditional attire, regional cuisines and key tourist attractions of the states, blending Indian hospitality with digital technology through QR codes and interactive video presentations.

A Video-Documentary Competition, “Drishyam–The Visuals of Jammu,” was also organised, in which teams from different colleges, departments and institutes presented innovative documentaries.

In the Digital Village competition, the first prize was won by Safeena Choudhary, Vansh Vardhan, Sheetal Sharma and Arshuman Kapahi. Gargi, Ankita, Taanish and Suryansh secured the second prize, while Sukhmeet, Nandani, Vedhansh and Arpit bagged the third prize.

In “Drishyam–The Visuals of Jammu,” the first prize was won by Bheem Prashad, Sartaj Ahmed and Ananya Anthal from the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, University of Jammu. Khushi Sharma, Ansh Sharma and Ranveer Singh from the School of Social Sciences, Cluster University of Jammu, secured the second prize, while Ramneek Singh, Mukhtar Ahmad and Kumari Jyoti from the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, University of Jammu, bagged the third prize.

The competitions were evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges comprising Mr. Pawandeep Singh Mehta, Entrepreneur, Cashmir Innovative Crafts; Ms. Mansi Mantoo, Media Officer, University of Jammu; and Dr. Nidhi Verma, Founder and Director, Folk Experiences, representing the tourism and digital media sectors.

The event was coordinated by Dr. Priyanka Sharma, Dr. Rakesh, Dr. Nidhi Pathania, Dr. Honeyka Mahajan and Mr. Tapas Tandon. Dr. Sandeva Khajuria served as the Master of Ceremonies, conducting the proceedings, while Dr. Poonam Sharma presented the formal vote of thanks.

Mr. Munish Kapoor, HR Manager, Hotel Vivanta by Taj, Jammu; Prof. Komal Nagar, The Business School; and Dr. Pallavi Sachdeva, Department of Life Long Learning, University of Jammu, were also present on the occasion.