IIHM Organises World Migratory Bird Day Session with Insightful Student Presentations

On the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day on May 9, the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) launched its pioneering Biodiversity Concierge Initiative, a transformative step towards integrating sustainability, biodiversity awareness, and conscious hospitality into mainstream hospitality education. The initiative marks another milestone in IIHM’s leadership in future-focused hospitality education, preparing students to combine luxury service with environmental awareness and experiential guest engagement.
The special World Migratory Bird Day session brought together students, faculty members, hospitality professionals, and nature enthusiasts from across IIHM campuses and beyond, highlighting how the future of global luxury hospitality is increasingly being shaped by sustainability, eco-conscious travel, and personalized storytelling experiences.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Suborno Bose emphasized that hospitality education today must go beyond operations and technology. “The future hospitality professional must understand ecosystems, biodiversity, sustainability, and the changing expectations of conscious travellers. Today’s luxury guests seek eco-friendly hotels, meaningful experiences, and authentic engagement with nature,” he said.
The session featured engaging presentations by Ms Garima Bhatia and Mr Nikhil Devasar.
Ms. Garima Bhatia, an engineer-turned-birdwatcher and nature educator, leads the Early Bird initiative at the Nature Conservation Foundation, focusing on biodiversity awareness and youth engagement across India. Through her presentation titled “The Wonder of Birds,” she introduced students to the fascinating world of birds, sharing intriguing facts such as birds being the closest living relatives of meat-eating dinosaurs and explaining why India does not have hummingbirds. She also highlighted how birdwatching promotes mental well-being and stress relief, while encouraging students to adopt simple conservation practices that support bird communities and biodiversity.
Mr. Nikhil Devasar, acclaimed wildlife conservationist, author, award-winning photographer, founder of DelhiBird, Owner of Enchanted India, and one of the key contributors to the Bird Atlas for Delhi NCR and the Big Bird Day initiative, spoke about the growing importance of birding culture and citizen science in India. He emphasized how understanding migratory birds and local ecosystems can help hospitality professionals create authentic and memorable guest experiences.
A key highlight of the event was the inter-campus student presentation competition on migratory birds, wetlands, biodiversity conservation, eco-tourism, and sustainable hospitality practices. Students from IIHM campuses including Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune, Siliguri, Ahmedabad, and Goa showcased remarkable creativity, research, and environmental awareness within a short preparation time, connecting hospitality with conservation through presentations, videos, storytelling, and case studies from their local ecosystems.
From IIHM Kolkata’s focus on wetlands and eco-tourism, Delhi’s presentation on migratory bird species such as the Indian Golden Oriole and the Indian Pitta, Bangalore’s discussion on flamingos at Hoskote Lake and eco-tourism around Nandi Hills, Hyderabad’s presentation on flamingos and wetland conservation, Jaipur’s powerful showcase on endangered species like the Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican, Pune’s focus on wetlands and migratory bird conservation in Maharashtra, Siliguri’s presentation on the Bar-headed Goose crossing the Himalayas and the Ruddy Shelduck, Ahmedabad’s discussion on flamingos and the Great Indian Bustard, and Goa’s storytelling on the Malabar Grey Hornbill and White-throated Kingfisher — the competition reflected IIHM students’ growing understanding of environmental stewardship as an essential hospitality leadership skill.
With global birdwatching tourism projected to become a $150 billion industry by 2035, IIHM’s initiative equips students with future-ready hospitality skills that merge sustainability with luxury guest engagement. The programme positions environmental awareness not as a hobby, but as a high-value professional competency that differentiates graduates in the global hospitality market. The initiative also aligns closely with the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Quality Education, Climate Action, Responsible Consumption, and Partnerships for Sustainability.
As part of the initiative, IIHM campuses across India will develop “Signature Local Species” knowledge modules, transforming biodiversity awareness into a premium hospitality soft skill. With its continued focus on conscious hospitality, IIHM is once again redefining hospitality education by training a new generation of environmentally aware, globally relevant, and future-ready hospitality leaders.