Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 15: William D’ Souza of Globe Travels has been nominated to UFTAA Board at Israel last week during UFTAA’s annual general assembly for a two-year term ending in December 2019. .
William has been pioneer in travel and tourism Industry in Mangaluru having offices at Canada and USA. He is been instrumental in getting cruise ships to Mangaluru. Today every year, about 40 cruise ships visit Mangaluru bringing more than 40,000 tourists to the city and surrounding cities. The cruise movement at Mangaluru has given greatest opportunity to the students of Mangaluru colleges to be guides, thereby to have the wonderful experience to be with the foreigners and to earn their livelihood while they are studying. It has brought revenue to the hotel and local sightseeing places and has provided job opportunities to the number of taxi, auto and coach owners. Last year, Globe Travels introduced for the first time in India, TukTuk tour taking foreign tourists in the local auto to various sightseeing places of Mangaluru including the local rice mills and tile factories offering them local cuisines.
Globe Travels is one of the first travel agencies of Mangaluru city having their own college of travel of tourism the only IATA training college in the city. Globe College has trained more than 2,500 students who are placed at coveted posts in the travel and tourism industry worldwide.
William was the former president of Rotary Club Mangalore central, YMCA, founder of Red Cross society of India at Mangaluru having set up the blood bank for the needy, promoter of Pilikula Golf Course as president of Rotary club Mangalore Central, president of Sodality of Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary. He has served as executive committee member of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries and presently the executive committee member of CREDAI, Mangaluru and trustee of Vishwa Konkani Kendra Mangaluru. He was one of the members of World Konkani Convention in the city, which attracted Konkani speaking people from all over the world to Mangaluru to get connected with their roots. He was also one of main organizer of CREDAI Statecon and exhibition here. He is the member of various associations in India and abroad. Till December 2017, he was treasurer of Servas International, an organization based at Switzerland having hosting programme thereby to promote peace in the world.
Having set up various businesses and being one of the earliest promoters of real estate here, he is presently taking active interest in promoting tourism to Mangaluru along with the real estate business.
UFTAA – Universal Federation of Travel Agent’s Association is the august body of all Travel and tour agent’s associations of the world, having its head quarters at Monaco in Europe and a Global Tourism office at Istanbul, Turkey. UFTAA has a seat at United Nations world tourism organization committee and a member of IATA protecting the interest of travel fraternity all over the world. William has been nominated as an affiliate member of UFTAA for his contribution to the tourism Industry among the seven directors of UFTAA Board, other being the heads of various travel association of the world. In the past, he had the opportunity to meet several tourism ministers of the world to discuss on tourism matters.
Last week, after his appointment as direct to UFTAA, he met Yariv Levin, minister of tourism of Israel, who appreciated William for promoting the Holy Land tours to Israel since 1978. Globe Travels are the first one to promote Holy Land tour from India since 1978.