Organised by

The Department of Travel and Tourism

In collaboration with

Center of Excellence for Sustainable Tourism Innovation and Research

Introduction

The tourism industry is undergoing a paradigm shift with emerging technologies like the Metaverse and Big Data shaping the future of smart tourism. The integration of these technologies enables immersive virtual experiences, real-time data-driven decision-making, and enhanced customer engagement. This Faculty Development Program (FDP) aims to equip educators, researchers, and professionals with insights and practical applications of these innovations in tourism management.

This FDP explored these cutting-edge technologies, discussed case studies, and provided hands-on training to empower participants with the skills to integrate them into research, teaching, and industry collaborations. Given the rapid advancements in technology, faculty need to stay updated and integrate these emerging tools and concepts into our curriculum to benefit our students and institution.

Primary objectives

• Understand the metaverse and its practical applications within the tourism industry.
• Explore the strategic use of big data for effective tourism management.
• Examine how integrating the metaverse and big data can drive innovation in the tourism sector.
• Develop participants' skills in applying these technologies to real-world tourism challenges.
• Facilitate networking and knowledge exchange between faculty and industry professionals.

FDP Dates: 13 – 17^th May 2025

FDP Time : 3:15pm - 5:15pm

Mode : Online

Audience: Faculties and research scholars from the domain of tourism, hospitality, aviation and other allied fields.

Registration fees:  300 INR

Organizing Team:

• Dr Chhabi Sinha – Dean, Humanities and Social Sciences (Organising chairperson)
• Dr. Aarti Suryawanshi - Head of Department, Travel & Tourism (Co-convener)
• Dr. Harshada Satghare - Faculty Member, Travel and Tourism (Co-convener)
• Mr. Remi Thomas - Faculty Member, Travel and Tourism (Organising Member)
• Mr. Nishant Sutare - Faculty Member, Travel and Tourism (Organising Member)
• Mrs. Madhavi Dachawar – Faculty of Science & Technology (Organising Member- Technical support)

Session details and resource persons:

Resource persons :

1. Dr H Sandhya

Dr. Sandhya H, Assistant Professor at Christ (Deemed to be) University, Bangalore, holds a Ph.D. in Tourism Management. A gold medalist during her studies, she has an extensive research portfolio with several SCOPUS-indexed book chapters and articles focusing on Smart Tourism, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Destination Competitiveness. Her notable works include publications on "Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Destination Competitiveness," "Smart Tourism Narratives: Maturity Matrix and Digital Transformation," and "Virtual Horizons: AI, Metaverse, and Industry 4.0 Revolutionizing Tourism," among others. Her research emphasizes the strategic role of data analytics and Metaverse in designing resilient and competitive tourism ecosystems post-COVID-19.

2. Dr Ganesh Narkhede

Dr. Ganesh B. Narkhede is a distinguished academician and researcher at Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology, Pune. A post-doctoral fellow at Amity University, Dubai, he holds a Ph.D. from COEP Pune. His research expertise spans Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, sustainable manufacturing, and digital transformation of SMEs. His prolific output includes over 10 SCOPUS and WoS-indexed papers, notably on digitalization and sustainability, and he has actively explored how smart manufacturing and data-driven innovations reshape industries. His collaborative projects with Dublin City University and IIT Varanasi emphasize the darker side of Industry 4.0 and the socio-technical integration of Industry 5.0, aligning closely with smart and sustainable operational ecosystems that resonate with Big Data and Metaverse applications in tourism.

3,4. Dr. Sana Maidullah

Dr. Sana Maidullah is a Ph.D. in Humanities & Social Sciences from the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Her areas of interest are Tourism Marketing, Smart Tourism Technology, Tourism Operation Management, Travel and Tourism Laws, Regulation, Tourism Entrepreneurship, and Marketing Research. She has presented various research papers at international conferences and published several research articles and book chapters in Scopus-listed national and international journals. She has participated in MHRD-UGC ePathshala Project for the subject PG English as Content Writer for one module titled ‘Consumer Cultures’ for Paper XVI [Cultural Studies] and finalized it for INFLIBNET. 

5. Dr Aruditya Jasrotia

Dr. Aruditya Jasrotia, Assistant Professor at Amity Institute of Travel & Tourism, Amity University Noida, specializes in Smart Tourism Destinations, Sustainable Tourism, and ICT interventions in tourism planning. A Ph.D. from Central University of Jammu, his doctoral research focused specifically on Smart Tourism Destinations in Himalayan cities. Dr. Jasrotia has authored over 15 SCOPUS-indexed papers and multiple ABDC-category publications on smart tourism, virtual tourism experiences, and technology adoption in tourism. His research on manifesting smart destinations, virtual reality in tourism, and post-COVID smart recovery strategies deeply engages with Big Data analytics and Metaverse concepts as tools for enhancing destination competitiveness and sustainability.

Rules and Regulations :

Participation is strictly by prior registration only.

All participants must complete the registration form and submit it before the specified deadline.

The participants must fulfil the following criteria to get the E-certificate:

-           80% attendance is mandatory

-           80% of assignments should be submitted

-           50% marks should be scored in the assignments.

The participants should fill out all feedback forms.

Session details:

Day 1 : Tuesday, 13^th May 2025                          

Resource Person: Dr H Sandhay

Her session on "Introduction to Metaverse and its Applications in Smart Tourism" was truly engaging and informative. Through well-curated videos and real-world examples, Dr. Sandhya simplified complex concepts, making it easier for all participants to grasp the future-forward potential of the Metaverse in tourism.

The session witnessed enthusiastic participation, with a vibrant Q&A segment reflecting the curiosity and eagerness of attendees to dive deeper into this evolving domain.

Day 2 : Wednesday, 14^th May 2025                          

Resource Person: Dr Ganesh Narkhede

We were privileged to have Dr. Ganesh B. Narkhede, a distinguished academician and researcher from Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology, Pune, deliver an insightful session on "Big Data and its Applications in Tourism."

Dr. Narkhede not only explained the core concepts of big data but also provided valuable insights into how it can be leveraged for tourism research. The session featured hands-on demonstrations using tools like R, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, which added great practical value for the participants.

Day 3: Thursday, 15^th May 2025

Resource Person:  Dr Sana Maidullah

The sessions on Metaverse and its application in smart tourism dealt with the details regarding different metaverse techniques like blockchain, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT), extended realities and their applications for smart tourism.

Day 4: Friday, 16^th May 2025

Resource Person:  Dr Sana Maidullah

The session on cases and applications discussed in detail case studies of the metaverse and smart tourism. The case study of the Marriott hotel is discussed in detail. It made the understanding easy for the participants.

Day 5: Saturday, 17^th May 2025

Resource Person:  Dr. Aruditya Jasrotia

The session had a discussion on emerging research avenues in smart and immersive tourism, Career opportunities shaped by Metaverse and Big Data applications, and Curriculum enhancement for aligning tourism education with Industry 5.0. covering future research areas in the domain of smart tourism. Through understanding future career paths, faculty can encourage their students to discover these career paths.

From understanding virtual tourism environments to leveraging data analytics for personalized travel experiences, the FDP equipped us with actionable knowledge to reimagine tourism education and research.

Participant details:

A total of 67 participants across India registered for the FDP. Among them, 47 completed all the criteria and received the certificate of completion. The participants were from different states of India like Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Thus, the FDP received an overwhelming response.

Workshop on "Principles of Design" for NATA Aspirants
We successfully conducted an interactive session on Principles of Design on 25th March 2025 at Vishwakarma University.
The session, aligning with the NATA exam pattern, was attended by students from Akriti NATA Classes & Cusrow Wadia Institute of Polytechnic (Total: 11 students).
During the four-hour session (9:30 AM - 1:30 PM), students explored fundamental design principles like Balance, Proportion, Rhythm, and Emphasis through hands-on model-making
exercises, enhancing their spatial understanding and creativity.
Their positive feedback highlighted how this session boosted their confidence in NATA exam model-making tasks.

Faculty Coordinators: Prof. Shreyas Paranjape & Prof. Saachi Jain

International Conference HSS - March 2025