The Indian Institute of Tourism and Trade Management (IITTM) will launch MBA courses in Bodhgaya from July 1 in tourism and guiding.
Each course will offer 30 seats on the new 3-acre IITTM campus on Gaya-Dobhi road near Magadh University's Bodhgaya headquarters. Ahead of that, regular classes for the abovementioned MBA courses will be conducted temporarily from the revenue training centre building opposite the Magadh University Bodhgaya headquarters on Gaya-Dobhi road.
Union tourism secretary Vinod Zutshi, who inspected the revenue training centre building on Thursday, told the media on Friday that the process for admission to the courses would start soon.
Students will be provided classrooms and accommodation in the revenue training centre building. Around Rs 50 crore will be spent on starting the MBA courses.
The Union tourism department will also open a counter for tourists at Gaya airport, which will start functioning from March.
Briefing the mediapersons on other proposed projects, Zutshi said: "We have asked the tourism department officials to send a proposal through the state government by March for the construction of a convention centre-cum-cultural centre-cum-museum in Bodhgaya and a ring road in Bodhgaya."
"The proposals would be accepted under the Buddhist circuit scheme. Suggestions also came in for the Bodhgaya Utsav celebrations apart from the annual Bodh Mahotsav. There is need for a meditation park in Bodhgaya for tourists," he added.
He said 90,000 foreigners had availed of the e-visa facility that was started for citizens of 150 countries in January.
Zutshi met with representatives of the two hotel associations in Bodhgaya, the guides' association, the travel association and officials of the tourism department and the district administration to discuss tourism promotion.
Bodhgaya Hotel Association secretary Sudama Kumar said: "We have submitted a 14-point memorandum to the tourism secretary.
"The list of demands includes helping convert Bodhgaya into a plastic-free zone, make arrangements to ensure round-the-year availability of water in Niranjana river, organising fests and seminars at regular intervals in Bodhgaya to attract foreign tourists, posting a police picket at Sujata Kuti, developing Sujata Kuti, Dharmaranya and other places around Bodhgaya and others."
Located approximately 8km away from Bodhgaya town, a lot of tourists and Buddhist followers visit Sujata Kuti as it has huge significance in Lord Buddha's life. Built in the memory of Sujata (the tribal woman who offered kheer to a starving Gautam Buddha), this kuti is a stupa that stands as a tribute to the woman's generosity.
