IIM Sirmaur Celebrates World Tourism Day 2025 with Symposium on Sustainable Transformation

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sirmaur in collaboration with the International
Tourism Studies Association (ITSA), celebrated World Tourism Day 2025 by hosting a
symposium on the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation.” The event brought
together industry leaders and experts to discuss the future of tourism and its integration with
sustainability, reinforcing IIM Sirmaur’s commitment to thought leadership in the sector.
The symposium featured insightful sessions from esteemed speakers: Mr. Anshul Gupta
(MD, Travel & Hospitality Lead, Accenture), Mr. Brijesh Modi (CFO, Thomas Cook), and
Mrs. Purnima Nerurkar (Ex GM, Air India). The speakers highlighted key trends and
challenges in tourism and aviation. They discussed the rise of the “Impatience Economy,”
where travel inspiration has shifted from word-of-mouth to search engines, social media, and
generative AI. AI now enables personalized, instantly packaged travel experiences and
improves transparency and sustainability, for example through flight path optimization. They
also shared insights on the growth of the Indian tourism market, with outbound travellers
expected to double by 2030. They emphasized the need for joint efforts from individuals,
government, and tour operators to prevent overtourism and reduce environmental pressure.
The growth of domestic aviation was also highlighted, driven by Millennials and Gen Z who
prefer short vacations. The speakers noted the industry’s commitment to sustainability
through fleet renewal and the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) using
biomass.
The event provided an engaging platform for students of the MBA in Tourism Management
and MBA in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Management (TTHM) programs to learn from
industry leaders about the integration of sustainability in tourism.
Dr. Vikrant Kaushal (Chairperson, MBA Tourism Management), Dr. Vanessa GB
Gowreesunkar (Chairperson, MBA Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Management), and Dr.
Jithendran Kokkranikal (Professor, Tourism Management) guided the event, ensuring its
success.
The symposium reaffirmed IIM Sirmaur’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of
leaders who will champion sustainable transformation in tourism, balancing economic growth
with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.