Nodal Officer

Profile of Nodal Officer

Prof. Sutheeshna Babu. S (PhD-JNU) took charge of the Institute as Nodal Officer in February 2007. For the last 26 years, he has been lecturing to the students of post-graduate programmes in tourism and travel, MDP/EDP programs etc. on wide ranging topics besides guiding the Scholars for PhD programs. In addition, the charge of Chairperson, PhD Program of IITTM is vested with him.

Prof. Babu was a UGC/CSIR Research Fellow during 1990-95. He is passionate about serious research and obtained MPhil and PhD degrees in Tourism Development from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Many International Fellowship & MDP programmes in tourism and related subjects viz. Joint Fellow Programme of Govt. of India-Republic of Cyprus in Tourism Planning and Development; UNWTO certification in ‘Tourism Taxation & Statistics’; MDP’s of Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) etc. are also to his credit

Since 2013, he also edits the peer-reviewed International Journal for Tourism and Travel. Major books he wrote are Tourism Development Re-visited: Concepts, issues and paradigms and Coastal Tourism: Development patterns, issues and challenges. In addition, he has scores of articles/chapters published by leading international journals and publishers.

Prof. Babu was a Member of the Working Group on Coastal Marine Spatial Planning, Tourism and Wellness constituted by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, Niti Aayog. He has been Principal Investigator and lead author for 06 major research projects of the Ministry of Tourism and 05 Destination Development/Management Plan/Feasibility Study for the States/UT's of U.P, Kerala, J&K and A&N. His ongoing project is "Disaster Management Plan for Tourism Industry of India".

Research Interest: Beach tourism, Sustainable tourism development planning, Aqua-tourism and Adventure; SMTE development.