The first batch of freelance tourist guides has passed out of a short-term course conducted by the Department of Tourism.
Tourism Minister P. Rajavelu distributed certificates and ID cards to the tourist guides.
The two-month crash course was facilitated by the Pondicherry Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology from August. In all, 19 students passed out of the course.
Among the broad subjects covered during the course were the many facets of tourism in Puducherry and hospitality. The curriculum was formulated by the Institute while the guest faculty was drawn from institutions such as INTACH and Pondicherry University. “We hope that the course become a regular feature as it provides some relief from the skilled manpower shortage in the tourism sector,” said S. Ganess, Principal In-charge of the Institute.