Tourism upskilling push: IIMs to train 10,000 guides at 20 iconic sites with 12-week hybrid courses

In an ambitious initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of tourism in India, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are set to train 10,000 tourist guides across 20 iconic sites. This program will be delivered through a 12-week hybrid course, focusing on essential skills such as management, sustainability, safety, and local cultural insights.

Government’s Vision for Tourism

The push for this upskilling initiative comes in response to the Indian government’s goal of unlocking the full potential of the tourism industry. During the recent budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a pilot scheme aimed at enhancing the capabilities of tourist guides, which is crucial for improving visitor experiences and creating jobs in the tourism sector.

Course Structure and Objectives

The training program is designed to provide a standardized, high-quality education that combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications. The key objectives of the course include:

• Enhancing management skills among tourist guides.
• Promoting sustainable tourism practices.
• Ensuring safety protocols are understood and implemented.
• Providing local insights that enrich the visitor experience.

Collaboration with IIMs

The initiative will see collaboration with various IIMs, each bringing their unique expertise to the program. Bhimaraya Metri, the director of IIM Nagpur, emphasized the commitment to developing a tourism-specific curriculum that integrates world-class management principles with local cultural insights. This curriculum will particularly focus on areas such as:

• Forest conservation.
• Tiger safaris.
• Local hospitality practices.

Regional Focus and Specialization

Other IIMs are also gearing up to contribute to this initiative. For instance, IIM Indore plans to focus on upskilling the tourism workforce in Madhya Pradesh through executive training programs. Director Himanshu Rai highlighted the institute’s strengths in tourism-related areas and its commitment to developing gender-sensitive frameworks for service delivery in tourism.

Gender-Sensitive Training

Rai mentioned that the training will include considerations for:

• Women-centric service delivery.
• Safety and accessibility in tourism.
• Coordination across various tourism touchpoints.

This approach aims to ensure that women are adequately represented and supported in the tourism workforce, especially during large-scale events like the Mahakumbh.

Innovative Teaching Methods

Most IIMs are adopting innovative teaching methods to enhance the learning experience. These include:

• Executive modules that provide practical insights.
• Case-based learning to analyze real-world scenarios.
• Field immersion experiences to apply theoretical knowledge.
• Applied projects that encourage hands-on learning.

Sanjeev Prashar, director-in-charge at IIM Raipur, noted that these methods are designed to build cross-functional capabilities relevant to tourism businesses, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.

Future Prospects

Debashis Chatterjee, director of IIM Kozhikode, expressed optimism about the initiative, describing it as timely and strategic. The institute plans to actively participate in shaping high-quality, industry-relevant curricula for upskilling the tourism workforce. A key enabler of this effort will be the development of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) infrastructure and content development center.

Conclusion

The initiative to train 10,000 tourist guides at 20 iconic sites marks a significant step towards enhancing the quality of tourism in India. By equipping guides with essential skills and knowledge, the program aims to improve the overall visitor experience and create a more sustainable tourism ecosystem. As the program unfolds, it will not only benefit the guides but also the local communities and the tourism industry as a whole.

Note: The information presented in this article is based on the latest developments as of February 2026 and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the tourism upskilling initiative by IIMs.