The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), in collaboration with The St. Regis Goa Resort, Mobor, Cavelossim, Salcete, successfully conducted a one-day workshop on hospitality orientation and operations. Designed to offer an immersive experience in a hospitality setting, the workshop provided GTDC officials with valuable insights into hotel operations and customer service.
The workshop was inaugurated in the presence of Satish Kumar, General Manager of The St. Regis Goa Resort, along with GTDC’s General Managers, including Gavin Dias (Hotels, Marketing), Laxmikant Vaigankar (Administration), Kapil Paiguinkar (Finance), Sachin Gore (Engineering), Deepak Narvekar, Deputy General Manager (Hotels/Marketing), Sandeep Gawas, Deputy General Manager (Administration), and other officials of GTDC and The St. Regis.
The initiative focused on enhancing the soft skills, communication abilities, and operational knowledge of senior GTDC personnel.
Resource persons from The St. Regis led interactive sessions covering guest service excellence, internal hotel operations, and soft skills training. A dedicated interaction session facilitated the exchange of ideas between the resort’s resource team and GTDC officials. As part of the programme, participants were taken on a guided tour of the resort, exploring key areas such as the lagoons, cocktail mixing station, hotel lobby, beach access, the ‘heart of the hotel’ operations wing, and other important sections.
To honour the participants, certificates along with traditional Kunbi shawls, sarees, jackets, and hotel gifts were presented by Dr Ganesh Gaonkar, Chairman of GTDC, and Satish Kumar, General Manager of The St. Regis Goa Resort.
Dr Ganesh Gaonkar, Chairman of GTDC, was present at the certificate distribution ceremony. In his address, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity extended to GTDC staff to engage with one of Goa’s premier luxury resorts. He emphasised that the experience and knowledge gained would contribute significantly to enhancing the quality of services offered by GTDC and tourism-related services. He also acknowledged the support and cooperation of The St. Regis team in organising the workshop.
Kuldeep Arolkar, Managing Director of GTDC, stated: Workshops like these help our teams learn from the best in the industry and adopt proven practices that enhance our service and operational standards. Through such initiatives, we aim to equip our teams with the skills, mindset, and exposure needed to deliver exceptional experiences across our tourism infrastructure.
Satish Kumar, General Manager of The St. Regis Goa Resort, reaffirmed the resort’s commitment to partnering with Goa Tourism in elevating the state’s position as a world-class destination. He emphasized the resort’s focus on excellence and its role in setting benchmarks in luxury hospitality. Amidst evolving industry narratives, he proudly highlighted that The St. Regis Goa continues to achieve robust occupancy levels and exceptional guest satisfaction—testament to the trust and loyalty of its discerning guests.
Gavin Dias, General Manager, and Deepak Narvekar, Deputy General Manager, also spoke on the occasion. Dorin Mascarenhas, Manager – Human Resources at The St. Regis Goa Resort, also extended support during the workshop.
Thirty senior officials of GTDC, ranging from General Managers to Managers of the Residencies, participated in the workshop.
This workshop marks a significant step towards knowledge exchange and skill development in Goa’s tourism and hospitality sector, reflecting a shared commitment to service excellence and professional growth.