The compass is the instrument that has been used by travelers for millennia, around the world.
Just by simply pointing to True North, it taught us how to find our way in the large uncertain
world and reach our destinations safely.

Educators are the compasses of the Travel & Tourism industry. They show us the heights that
we can reach and they guide us through difficult paths as we strive to reach our goals. They
inspire us, challenge us, motivate us, encourage us and most of all lead by example. There is
no one single place where they reside, and no one single type of educator. They may be
teachers, journalists, authors, chefs or adventurers. What is common in all of them is their thirst
for knowledge and their ability to inspire generations of people to understand the world around
them.

Let us meet a few of the educators that have inspired us:

Sunetra Roday

Sunetra retired as Principal from the Maharashtra State Institute of Hotel Management and
Catering Technology, Pune. A lifelong teacher, she has dedicated her life to help thousands of
young students find their feet in the industry. She has also written the seminal book Tourism
Operations & Management. It explores the core concepts of front tourism operations and
management using numerous examples, photographs, flowcharts, and illustrations to explain
fundamental concepts. It delves into diverse topics like how to set up travel agencies, manage
tour operations as well as the emerging trends in tourism like GDS, e-ticketing and web
marketing.

Chitra Narayanan

Chitra is a Delhi-based journalist who keeps an interested gaze on consumer behavior in the travel industry. She is the author of “From Oberoi to Oyo”. She talks about how the Taj, the Oberoi and the ITC hotels came to dominate the Indian hotel landscape and how startups like OYO and the online travel agents changed the industry. Her deep insights help us understand the enormous shifts and changes that are occurring including guest preferences, consumer profiles and disruptions brought in by technology.

Pico Iyer

Pico is the bestselling author of more than a dozen books, which have been translated into 23
languages. He has journeyed to the far corners of the globe, and written with a deep sense of
wonder, compassion, sensitivity and radiant kindness. He not only writes about far flung places
around the world, but also about the “in-between” places – airports, hotels and transportation.
His unique perspectives of the world help us understand the traveler’s perspective in vivid detail.

Sacha Alexander Zachariya

Sacha is the author of the highly acclaimed book Leading Travel & Tourism Retail. It is an
invaluable guide for any professional involved in the world of retail, including consumer brands,
retailers, hospitality, landlords, politicians, airports, transportation and technology groups. He
helps us understand international travelers’ different needs and how to engage them with your
business.

Anthony Bourdain

Anthony (Tony) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian. The chef
visited more than 80 countries and was the insider source on everything from food and culture
to travel thanks to his four TV shows. Watched by millions, his shows have earned their place
among the best travel travel television produced, and continue to inspire people to step beyond
their front doors with an open mind and heart.

Bear Grylls

Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls OBE is a British adventurer, writer, television presenter and
businessman. His television series teaches the skills required to survive camping in the
wilderness. His shows have been credited with the rise of adventure tourism in remote locations
and have given millions of people a chance to see the harshest places on earth.

As W.B. Yeats said “Education is not the filling up of a pot, but the lighting of a fire”. Here’s
thanking all the educators who have given up so much to light the fire of passion for travel and
tourism within us. We will forever be in your burden.