THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF BURDWAN

FOR THE DEGREE OF

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ARTS

(BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION)

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF:

PROF. (DR.) DEV MALYA DUTTA

PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

UNIVERSITY OF BURDWAN

AND

PROF. (DR.) ANINDYA DUTTA

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR (MARKETING)

BENGAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS STUDIES, KOLKATA

BY:

SUBHAJIT BHATTACHARYA

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

UNIVERSITY OF BURDWAN

2013

A STUDY ON ADVENTURE TOURISM AS AN

EMERGENT SECTOR IN WEST BENGAL

DATE:

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that thesis entitled “A Study on Adventure Tourism as an Emergent

Sector in West Bengal.” submitted by Mr. Subhajit Bhattacharya in partial fulfilment

of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Arts (Business

Administration), is a faithful and bonafide research work carried out under the joint

supervision of Dr. Dev Malya Dutta, Professor at Department of Business

Administration, University of Burdwan and Dr. Anindya Dutta, Associate Professor at

Bengal Institute of Business Studies, Kolkata. The results of the investigation reported

in this thesis have not so far been submitted for any other Degree or Diploma. The

assistance and help received during the course of investigation have been duly

acknowledged.

During the course of his work Mr. Subhajit Bhattacharya has successfully published

three research papers in journals and international conferences.

Dated : ………………… __________________________

Dev Malya Dutta

Residence: ‘EI Dorado’ , Flat No 2A ,140/4,N.S.C Bose Road , Netaji Nagar ,Kolkata-700092

DATE:

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that thesis entitled “A Study on Adventure Tourism as an Emergent

Sector in West Bengal.” submitted by Mr. Subhajit Bhattacharya in partial fulfilment

of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Arts (Business

Administration), is a faithful and bonafide research work carried out under the joint

supervision of Dr. Dev Malya Dutta, Professor at Department of Business

Administration, University of Burdwan and Dr. Anindya Dutta, Associate Professor at

Bengal Institute of Business Studies, Kolkata. The results of the investigation reported

in this thesis have not so far been submitted for any other Degree or Diploma. The

assistance and help received during the course of investigation have been duly

acknowledged.

During the course of his work Mr. Subhajit Bhattacharya has successfully published

three research papers in journals and international conferences.

Dated : ………………… __________________________

Anindya Dutta

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The endless thanks go to God almighty for all the blessings he has showered onto me, which

has enabled me to write this last note in my research work. During the period of my

research, as in the rest of my life, I have always been blessed by God with some

extraordinary people who have lent their invaluable support to me. Words can never be

enough to express how grateful I am to these incredible people in my life who made this

thesis possible. I would thank all of them from the core of my heart.

I express my sincere gratitude to the authorities of the University of Burdwan, for their

endless support by providing the registration and allowing me to carry out this research

work in the area of my interest.

I am deeply indebted to my research Gurus, Professor (Dr.) Dev Malya Dutta and Professor

(Dr.) Anindya Dutta for presenting me such an interesting research topic. It has been an

honour to be their research scholar. They taught me, both practically and conceptually how

good researches are done. I appreciate all their contributions of ideas, time, and relentless

support to make my Ph.D. experience productive and stimulating. Each meeting with them

added invaluable aspects to the implementation and broadened my perspective. The joy

and enthusiasm they have for research was contagious and motivational for me, even

during tough times in the Ph.D. pursuit. I am also thankful for the excellent example they

have set as ‘successful professors’

I feel immensely indebted to the Department of Business Administration, the University of

Burdwan, as a whole and my teachers in particular: Prof. (Dr.) Sankar Kumar Sengupta, Prof.

(Dr.) Tanmoy Dasgupta, Prof. (Dr.) Gautam Mitra, Pradyumna, Prof. (Dr.) Kumar Tripathy,

Prof. (Dr.) Partha Sarkar, Prof. (Dr.) Amir Jafar, Prof. and (Dr.) Bivraj Bhusan Parida. They all

gave me kind support in my research work. I am also thankful to the teaching and non-

teaching staff of the Centre for Management Studies University of Burdwan.

I am extremely grateful to the authorities of Xavier Institute of Social Service and in

particular: Dr. (Fr.) Alexius Ekka S.J., the Director of the Institute and Dr. (Fr.) Ranjit Pascal

Toppo S.J., Assistant Director of the Institute, for their constant motivation and co-operation

for this research activity from time to time.

I am enormously grateful to my colleagues and superiors at Xavier Institute of Social Service

in particular: Prof. Anmol Roshan Bodra, Dr. Himadri Sinha, Prof. Pinaki Ghosh, Prof. Indrajit

Banarjee, Dr. Rohit Vishal Kumar, Prof. Arana Kausar, Prof. Amar Eron Tigga, whose

constant motivation and scholarly guidance has acted as a major driving force for this

research activity.

Further, I am extremely thankful to all my respondents whose priceless practical inputs in

the subject have helped me to conceptualize and execute this research activity.

I am also indebted to my students, Subhayu Mazumdar and Shan Prabhakaran who have

contributed during the typing and formatting of the thesis and many other students who

have helped me to collect books and research journals.

It will be very unfair on my part if I do not acknowledge the contribution of my family

members, especially my father Mr. Sanat Bhattacharya , my mother Mrs. Sondhya

Bhattacharya, my elder brother Dr. Satyajit Bhattacharya , my wife Trina, my son Bisakh

(Jishu), my father in law Mr. Jagabandhu Ray and my mother in law Mrs. Kalpana Ray.

My wife Trina has always been with me and given me great support and motivation so that I

could achieve this much awaited objective. My son Bisakh deserves appreciation for many

lost hours of his convictable association with me.

I feel highly indebted to those persons who extended me support directly or indirectly in

this research. I thank them all.

Dated: SUBHAJIT BHATTACHARYA

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SL NO. CHAPTER PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION 2-38

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 39-88

3 METHODOLOGY 89-112

4 ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 113-283

5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

284-319

ANNEXURE 320-352

BIBLIOGRAPHY 353-379

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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

SL. NO. CHAPTER CONTAINS PAGE NO. 1.1 AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE ON TOURISM 3

1.2 GROWTH OF WORLD TOURISM: TOURISM: A NEW PILLAR TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

5

1.3.1 STRONG TOURISM GROWTH IN 2012 IN SPITE OF MANY ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

13

1.3.2 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION IN EMPLOYMENT GENERATION

13

1.4 COMPARATIVE SCENARIO OF INDIAN TOURISM GROWTH

17

1.5 THE WORLDWIDE CHANGING DIMENSIONS IN TOURIST MOTIVATION AND PREFERENCE

25

1.6 MANY COUNTRIES ARE DOING WELL WITH ADVENTURE TOURISM

26

1.7 DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN TOURISM SCENARIO IN INDIA

27

1.8 TOURISM SCENARIO OF WEST BENGAL 31

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1.1. AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE ON TOURISM

Man since the crackdown of civilization has a hunger to know new places.

Christopher Columbus has risked his life to find the new places, Marcopolo‘s

journey to Kublai Khan‘s palace was no less troublesome Fa-hien and

Hyunseung came to India in to find a better way of living. The eternal desire

to know the unknown has made us the only species that have travelled in

almost all the regions of the planets. Human beings are born with an intrinsic

desire of what the Germans called wanderlust.

Australian economist Hermann Von Schullard (1910) has propagated the

earliest definitions of tourism. He defined tourism in his own way that is ―sum

total of operators, mainly of an economic nature, which directly relate to the

entry, stay and movement of foreigners inside and outside a certain country,

city or a region.‖

In the year 1941, Hunziker (Swiss Professor who founded the Tourism

Research Institute at the University of St. Gallen ) and Kurt Krapf (the then

existing Director of the Bern Research Institute of Tourism, Switzerland)

defined tourism as "the sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from

the travel and stay of non-residents, in so far as they do not lead to

permanent residence and are not connected with any earning activity."

Burkart and Medlik (1974) in their book ―Tourism Past Present and Future‖

have talked about five universal characteristics of tourism those are as

follows:

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Tourism is a mixture of phenomena and relationships of several factors

rather than a single one.

These phenomena and relationships arise from a movement of people to,

and a stay in, various destinations; there is a dynamic element (the

journey) and a static element (the stay)

The journey and stay are to and in destinations outside the normal place

of residence and work, so that tourism gives rise to activities which are

distinct from those of the resident and working populations of the places

through which tourists travel and of their destinations

The movement to the destinations is of a temporary, short-term character

Destinations are visited for purposes not connected to paid work –that is,

not to take up employment.

In 1976 the Tourism Society of England defined it as "Tourism is the

temporary, short-term movement of people to destination outside the places

where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each

destination. It includes movements for all purposes

In 1981 International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism defined

Tourism in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken

outside the home environment.

Mathieson & Wall (1982) defined tourism as ―the temporary movement of

people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence, the

activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the facilities

created to cater to their needs‖.

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But according to World Tourism Organization defines tourism in their basic

glossary ―Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which

entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual

environment for personal or business/professional purposes. These people

are called visitors (which may be either tourists or excursionists; residents or

non-residents) and tourism has to do with their activities, some of which

imply tourism expenditure‖.

The World Tourism Organization defines Tourists as people who "travel to and

stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24)

hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other

purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within

the place visited"

Smith (1989) proposed a very interesting definition of tourism in equation

format ―tourism = leisure time + discretionary income + positive local

sanctions.‖ According to Smith‘s another definition, tourism is the social

interaction between tourists as ‗guests‘ and residents in the tourist

destination as ‗hosts‘.

1.2. GROWTH OF WORLD TOURISM: TOURISM: A NEW PILLAR TO THE

GLOBAL ECONOMY

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (2000), the tourism

industry is the biggest industry in the terms of investment, employment and

GDP. Tourism is significant export product and employment generator.

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A report published by the Harvard Kennedy School (2007) on economic

contribution of tourism has discussed about the direct and indirect

contribution of tourism towards economic development. (Peter De Brine, Amy

Lehr, and Hannah Wilde, December 2007).

According to The Creative Economy Report (2008) Tourism has found a

position for itself as an effective instrument for generating employment,

significant generator of earning revenue and foreign exchange at the national

level. It has the power in enhancing environment preserving culture and

tradition thereby facilitating overall development. The travel and tourism

industry generates various products and services to provide for the

entertaining as well as business needs of both domestic and international

travellers.

In the last two decades, an increasing number of destination economies have

come to rely on the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, as their main

source of livelihood or income.

Tourism has become a significant industry in both poor and rich economies

because of its important impacts on economic, livelihoods and socio-cultural

development. On the other hand, poverty reduction has become an important

item on the tourism agenda.

Tourism is one of the world‘s largest and fastest growing industries and this

industry has grown rapidly worldwide, resulting in economic and social

benefits; this industry may play a vital role in enhancing a country`s trade

performance. With proper interventions, such economic benefits can play a

crucial role in the process of poverty alleviation (Shah, 2000).

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The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (1999) has

acknowledged that tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon and has become

one of the largest industries in the world. It plays an important and certainly

positive role in the socio-economic development and also creating the new

employment opportunities.

According to the UNWTO (2010 Edition) it can be seen that the current

changes in world tourism market that has suffered a lot under the impact of

the worldwide financial crisis and following economic recession, international

tourist arrivals declined by 4.2% in 2009 to 880 million. International tourism

receipts reached US$ 852 billion (€ 611 billion) in 2009, corresponding to a

decrease in real terms of 5.7% on 2008. Growth returned to international

tourism in the last quarter of 2009 after 14 months of decline. According to

the August 2010 Interim Update of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer,

worldwide international tourist arrivals increased by 7% between January

and June 2010 compared to the very depressed levels of the same period of

2009. Thus continuing the recovery trend started in the last quarter of 2009.

In the second half of the year the rate of growth was slow. As growth has been

particularly fast in the world’s emerging regions, the share in international

tourist arrivals received by emerging and developing countries has steadily

risen, from 32% in 1990 to 47% in 2009(UNWTO 2010) UNWTO has been

predicted that by 2020 international arrivals are expected to reach 1.6 billion.

Travel & tourism ’s global economic contribution, 2000-2010 gross domestic

product (GDP) Between 2000 and 2010,the growth in Travel & tourism’s

direct contribution to global GDP was volatile, with economic uncertainties,

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diseases and terrorist attacks all having an impact. The decade recorded a

growth of 9.7% overall, with Travel & tourism ‘s direct contribution to GDP

ending the period at US$1,770 billion in 2010 (based on 2011 prices).

Regionally, the balance of growth was uneven. Africa and the Middle East

witnessed travel & tourism ‘s direct contribution to GDP to rise by 69.6%

and 64.7% respectively, while Asia Pacific and Latin America enjoyed

increases of approximately 43%. Europe, meanwhile, suffered a decline of

9.9% over the same period, and the USA, the world‘s largest market in

monetary terms, was down 5.3%. If the GDP impacts created by investment

and supply-chain effects are taken into account, the total travel & tourism

industry was worth US$ 5,760.9 billion in 2010 (in terms of its contribution

to GDP) – a rise of 16.6% over its 2000 level, albeit down US$ 98.2 billion on

its 2007 pre-credit crunch peak.

Travel & tourism ’s Global Economic Contribution, 2000-

2010

Growth in %

Travel & tourism‘s total contribution to GDP 16.6

Travel & tourism‘s direct contribution to GDP 9.7

Travel & tourism‘s direct contribution to employment 8.3

Travel & tourism‘s total contribution to employment 3.0

Capital investment 41.8

Visitor exports 20.1

Source: WTTC/Oxford Economics 2011

As per the report of wttc.org on World Regional Tourism (2011) the direct

contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP is expected to be US $1,850 billion

(2.8% of total GDP) in 2011, rising by 4.2% per annum to US $ 2,860.5 billion

(2.9%) in 2021. The total contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP, including

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its wider economic impacts, is forecast to rise by 4.2% per annum from US$

5,991.9 billion (9.1% of GDP) in 2011 to US$ 9,226.9 billion (9.6%) by 2021.

Travel & tourism is expected to support directly 99.048 million jobs (3.4% of

total employment) in 2011, rising by 2.0% per annum to 120.427 million jobs

(3.6%) by 2021.The total contribution of Travel & tourism to employment,

including jobs indirectly supported by the industry, is forecast to rise by 2.3%

per annum from 258.592 million jobs (8.8% of total employment) in 2011 to

323.826 million jobs (9.7%) by 2021. Travel & tourism visitor exports are

expected to generate US $1,162.7 billion (5.8% of total exports) in 2011,

growing by 6.6% per annum to US $1,789.2 billion (4.7%) in 2021. Travel &

tourism investment is estimated at US $ 652.4billion or 4.5% of total

investment in 2011. It should rise by 5.4% pa to reach US$1,487.9billion (or

4.6%) of total investment in 2021.

Travel & tourism is one of the world‘s leading industries, or economic

sectors, representing a major source of GDP, employment, exports and taxes.

In 2011, the World Travel & tourism Council (WTTC) expects it to contribute

almost US$6 trillion to the global economy, or 9% of global gross domestic

product (GDP).

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Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 2012.

Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO),2012.

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This is more than the world automotive industry which accounts for 8.5%,

and only slightly less than the world banking sector which accounts for 11%

(WTO 2012).

Source: Travel & tourism Economic impact 2012, World travel & tourism council (WTTC 2012)

According to WTTC (2011) ―Travel & tourism will become more important to

the global economy over the next ten years.‖

The above graph is supporting that notion and also projecting the probable

picture of tourism of 2022 along with the GDP contribution.

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During the year 2007-09 there was the downfall in the tourism sector the

renowned research group Oxford Economics has strongly shown that the

tourism GDP also decreased during that time frame but after 2009 it can be

seen there is a huge growth has taken place in the field of world tourism GDP

and that growth rate sustained continuously. It is also indicates that in

future this growth rate will be sustaining. That is why tourism is becoming

significantly stable contributor to the world GDP.

The Travel & tourism industry also plays a key economic role in facilitating

international opportunities for work – important not only for highly skilled

professionals but also for manual workers who repatriate at least part of their

earnings back to their home countries and communities. There are some 214

million migrants across the world today – up from 150 million in 2000 – and

the remittances sent home by these migrant workers were estimated at over

US$ 440 billion in 2010 (WTTC 2011).

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1.3.1. STRONG TOURISM GROWTH IN 2012 IN SPITE OF MANY

ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

The total contribution from travel & tourism to the world GDP grew by 3.0%

in 2012. This was faster than growth of the world economy as whole (2.3%),

and also faster than growth of a number of broad industries including

manufacturing, financial & business services and retail. Tourism‘s direct

contribution to GDP in 2012 was US$ 2.1 trillion and the industry directly

supported 101 million jobs (WTTC 2012).

Taking account of its direct, indirect and induced impacts, travel & tourism

‘s total contribution in 2012 was US$6.6 trillion in GDP, 260 million jobs,

US$ 760 billion in investment and US$ 1.2 trillion in exports. This

contribution represented 9.3% of global GDP, 1 in 11 jobs, 5% of investment

and 5% of exports. Global Travel & tourism contribution to direct GDP in

2013 is forecast to grow by 3.1% and is again forecast to outpace growth of

the total global economy (2.4%) in 2013. Longer-term prospects are even more

positive with annual growth forecast to be 4.4% per year over the ten years to

2022 (WTTC 2012).

1.3.2. TOURISM CONTRIBUTION IN EMPLOYMENT GENERATION

Globally direct employment in Travel & tourism rose 8.3% from 2000 to

2010, equivalent to the creation of an additional 7 million jobs. But annual

growth rates fluctuated sharply. The impact of 9/11, in particular,

contributed to a decline of 3.1% in 2001, while 2004 saw the fastest growth of

the decade, of 4.5%. An employment peak of 98.6 million was reached in

2006 and not exceeded until 2011.Travel & tourism provides a vital source

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of income and employment in many developing countries around the world.

As an example, Travel & tourism directly or indirectly supports 76% of all

jobs in Aruba, 31% in Belize and 27% in Namibia. Without this economic

lifeline, millions more people would live in poverty in these countries, or be

forced to leave their home countries in search of work. Almost 50 million

people are directly employed by the travel & tourism industry in China and

India alone. However India is holding the leadership position in generating the

largest direct travel & tourism employment with more than 25 million jobs.

Figure: Direct Contribution of Travel & tourism to Employment (total-I )

Source: Travel & tourism Economic impact 2012, World Travel & tourism Council

(WTTC 2012)

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Figure: Direct Contribution of Travel & tourism to Employment (total -II)

Source: Travel & tourism Economic impact 2012, World travel & tourism council

(WTTC 2012)

It can be observed that tourism sector is having huge potential in employment

generation world widely; it is also promoting other industries to grow and

indirectly by creating opportunities of employment. Employment

opportunities across the world are ensuring direct economic development and

to some extent it is working as a catalyst in the job market. Day by day the

contribution of the tourism sector in employment generation is increasing and

that is optimistic for long run sustainability of the global economy.

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Source: Travel & tourism Economic impact 2012, World travel & tourism council

(WTTC 2012)

This is highlighted by the growth in international arrivals worldwide from

2000 to 2010, as recorded by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Over

the ten-year period, average annual growth was 3.4% – from 674 million in

2000 to 940 million in 2010 – with emerging markets (5.6%) strongly

outpacing advanced economies (1.8%).

The global trend of tourism nowadays is looking for new areas where tourist

can explore new ideas as well as non-conventional way to see the world in

their own way with the experiential knowledge and curiosity.

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1 2011 constant prices & exchange rates; 2 2012 real growths adjusted for inflation (%);

4 '000 jobs; Source: Travel & tourism Economic impact 2012, World travel & tourism

council (WTTC 2012)

1.4. COMPARATIVE SCENARIO OF INDIAN TOURISM GROWTH

World tourism has traditionally been measured by international tourist

arrivals and international tourist revenues.

A report published by WTO (The 2006 edition of the UNWTO Compendium of

Tourism Statistics) relating to foreign exchange earnings per tourist in

selected countries of the world and in India‘s neighbourhood country in 2005

- has ranked ten countries according to international tourist arrival and

international tourism receipts or revenue; India is absent in that list. It is

matter of big question why India is not getting position in top ten tourism

destinations or in top ten tourism earners while India is having second

highest position in foreign exchange earnings per tourist in 2005 which is

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next to USA (WTO report 2005). India should not be proud to have only the

second highest position in foreign exchange earnings per tourist. Total

international tourism revenue or earning not only depends on the foreign

exchange earnings per tourist, it is also depends on international tourist

arrival. India has somehow failed to attract the international tourist to come.

The per tourist foreign exchange earnings is giving a strong indication that

international tourist has to pay more if they visit India.

The cost burden may be the main obstacle for growth of Indian tourism in

international market. India has to concentrate not only to attract

significant larger number of international visitors by ensuring an

encouraging atmosphere but also by giving value for money services to

international visitors for increasing their stay and expenditure per day.

According to WTTC facts and figure, [Tourism Highlights 2001,2005, 2006,

2009,2011 published by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)] Indian

comparative tourism growth and tourist arrivals and foreign exchange

earnings from tourism (tourism receipts) in respect to South East Asian

Nations (ASEAN) countries depicts that, indicates that In 2006, the number

of tourist arrivals within ASEAN-5 were highest for Malaysia (17.5million),

followed by Thailand (13.8 million), Singapore (7.5million) and Indonesia

(4.8million). In comparison, India attracted only 4.4 million visitors that year.

In 2007, the number of tourist arrivals within ASEAN-5 were highest for

Malaysia (20.9 million), followed by Thailand (14.4 million), Singapore

(7.9million) and Indonesia (5.5million). In comparison, India attracted only

5.08 million visitors that year.

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In terms of tourism receipts in ASEAN-5 in the same year, Thailand was the

highest earner with US $16,669 million followed by Malaysia (with US $

14,044 million), India (with US$ 10,729millon), Singapore (with US$ 9,066

million), and Indonesia (with US $5,346 million).

In 2008, the number of tourist arrivals within ASEAN-5 were highest for

Malaysia (22.05 million), followed by Thailand (14.5 million), Singapore

(7.7million slight fall compare to 2007) and Indonesia (6.2 million). In

comparison, India attracted only 5.2 million visitors that year. In terms of

Tourism Receipts in ASEAN-5 in the same year. Thailand was the highest

earner with US$ 18,173 million followed by Malaysia (with US$ 15,277

million), India (with US$ 11,832 million), Singapore (with10, US$ 722

million), Indonesia (with US$ 7,375 million),

In 2009, the number of tourist arrivals within ASEAN-5 were highest for

Malaysia (23.6million), followed by Thailand (14.1million), Singapore (7.4

million slight fall compare to 2008) and Indonesia (6.3million). In comparison,

India attracted only 5.1million visitors that year which is slight fall compare

to 2008. In terms of tourism receipts in ASEAN-5 in the same year, Thailand

was the highest earner with 15,901 US$ million (minimized the cost of

tourism by exploring the unutilized natural resources) followed by Malaysia

(with US$ 15,772 million), India (with US$ 11,136 million), Singapore (with

US$ 9,187 million), Indonesia (with US $ 6,318 million),

The percentage share of global tourism in the number of tourist arrivals

within ASEAN-5 in 2009 were highest for Malaysia (13.1%), followed by

Thailand (7.8%), India (5.5%), Singapore (4.1% ) and Indonesia (3.1%).

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From the above data it can be said that India is doing well but it is not

satisfactory when compared to even small countries like Malaysia and

Thailand.

In this context assessment of India tourism growth position can easily be

possible in comparison with other ASEAN countries.

One of the resent report Tourism Highlights 2012 published by World

Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is giving the specific idea about the Foreign

Tourist Arrivals (FTA) in India this is also supported by India Tourism

Statistics 2011 , Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India those are as

follows:

The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India witnessed an increase

in 2010 as well as 2011. It increased from 5.78 million in 2010 to 6.29 million

in 2011 registering a growth rate of 8.9% over 2010. Similarly in 2010, it

increased to 5.78 million from 5.17 million in 2009, registering a growth rate

of 11.8% over 2009.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals during the Month of May 2012 was 0.37 million as

compared to FTAs of 0.35 million during the month of May 2011 and 0.33

million in May 2010. There has been a growth of 4.6 per cent in May 2012

over May 2011 as compared to a growth of 3.3 per cent registered in April

2012 over April 2011. FTAs during the period January-May 2012 were 2.80

million with a growth of 7.8 per cent, as compared to the FTAs of 2.60 million

with a growth of 11.4 per cent during January-May 2011 over the

corresponding period of 2010.

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Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from tourism during the month of May

2012 were US$ 1.02 billion as compared to FEE of US$ 1.12 billion during

the month of May 2011 and US$ 0.95 billion in May 2010. The growth rate in

FEE during May 2012 over May 2011 was (-) 9.0 per cent as compared to the

growth of 18.2 per cent in May 2011 over May 2010. This decline may be

partly due to substantially depreciated value of Indian Rupees in May 2012 as

compared to May 2011. FEE from tourism during January-May 2012 were

US$ 7.29 billion with a growth of 10.6 per cent, as compared to US$ 6.59

billion with a growth of 13.3 per cent during January-May 2011 over the

corresponding period of 2010.

International Tourism Receipts Worldwide and Regions

(2001 to 2011)

(Receipts in Billion US$)

Region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010$ 2011*

World

Receipts 462.2 480.1 527.2 629 679 742 857 939 853 927 1030

% Annual

Change

-2.5 3.9 9.8 19.3 7.3 9.1 15.3 9.6 -9.4 8.7 11.1

Africa

Receipts 11.5 11.9 16 18.9 22 24.6 29.5 30.3 28.8 30.4 32.6

% Annual Change

10.6 3.5 34.4 18.1 14.1 13.9 16.9 4.5 -4.9 7 7

% Share in World

2.5 2.5 3 3 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2

Americas

Receipts 119.8 113.4 114.1 132 145 154.1 171.1 189 166.1 180.7 199.1

% Annual Change

-8.4 -5.3 0.6 15.7 9.9 6.5 10.9 10.3 -12.1 8.7 10.2

% Share in World

25.9 23.6 21.6 21 21.4 20.9 20 20.1 19.5 19.5 19.3

Asia and Pacific

Receipts 88 96.3 93.5 123.9 135.7 156.5 187 208.5 204.2 255.3 289.4

% Annual Change

3.3 9.4 -2.9 32.5 8.8 16.4 19.2 11.5 -2.6 25 13.4

% Share in World

19 20 17.7 19.7 19.9 20.9 21.8 22.2 23.9 19.5 19.3

Europe

Receipts 227.4 242.2 283.8 328.9 349.3 376.9 435.4 471.7 412.3 409.3 463.4

% Annual Change

-2.2 6.5 17.2 15.9 5.3 7.5 15 8.4 -12.9 -0.7 13.2

% Share in World

49.2 50.4 53.8 52.3 51.5 51.4 50.8 50.2 48.3 44.2 45

Middle East

Receipts 15.6 16.2 19.7 25.2 26.6 29.9 35.2 39.9 42.2 51.7 45.9

22 | P a g e

International Tourism Receipts Worldwide and Regions

(2001 to 2011)

(Receipts in Billion US$)

Region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010$ 2011*

% Annual Change

2.6 3.8 21.6 27.9 8.3 14.1 16 15.3 5.3 22.5 -11.2

% Share in World

3.4 3.4 3.7 4 4 3.6 4 4.2 4.9 55.6 4.5

India

Receipts 3.2 3.1 4.5 6.2 7.5 8.6 10.7 11.83 11.13 14.19** 16.56

% Annual Change

-7.5 -3.1 43.9 38.3 21.4 15.2 24.3 10.3 -5 27.5 16.7**

% Share in World

0.69 0.65 0.85 0.98 1.1 1.16 1.25 1.26 1.31 1.53 1.61

Note: * - Provisional, ** Advance estimates of ministry of tourism

Source: India Tourism Statistics 2011 at a Glance; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India

With reference to the above table it is clear that Indian tourism receipt is not

as good as Europe, Asia pacific countries, Africa and middle east. The tourism

receipt is significantly high of those countries where as India is having

US$16.56 billion but has a huge potential in terms of growth and is

comparatively stable in comparison to other countries.

Number of Foreign Tourist Visits to all States/UTs in India, 1991-2011

Year Foreign Tourist Arrivals

in Numbers

Foreign Exchange Earnings

in Crores

Foreign Exchange

Earnings in USD Millions

Domestic Tourist Visits

in Numbers

1991 1677508 4318 1861 66670303

1992 1867651 5951 2126 81455861

1993 1764830 6611 2124 105811696

1994 1886433 7129 2272 127118655

1995 2123683 8430 2583 136643600

1996 2287860 10046 2832 140119672

1997 2374094 10511 2889 159877208

1998 2358629 12150 2948 168196000

1999 2481928 12951 3009 190671034

2000 2649378 15626 3460 220106911

2001 2537282 15083 3198 236469599

2002 2384364 15064 3103 269598028

2003 2726214 20729 4463 309038335

2004 3457477 27944 6170 366267522

23 | P a g e

Year Foreign Tourist Arrivals

in Numbers

Foreign Exchange Earnings

in Crores

Foreign Exchange

Earnings in USD Millions

Domestic Tourist Visits

in Numbers

2005 3918610 33123 7493 392014270

2006 4447167 39025 8634 462321054

2007 5081504 44360 10729 526564478

2008 5282603 51294 11832 563034107

2009 5167699 53700 11136 668800482

2010 5775692 64889# 14193# 747703380

2011 6309222 77591# 16564# 850856640

Note: # - Provisional; Source: India Tourism Statistics 2010 at a Glance; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India, for 2009, 2010& 2011

Source: India Tourism Statistics 2010 at a Glance; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India, for 2009, 2010 & 2011

Source: (i) India Tourism Statistics 2011 at a Glance; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India, for 2009, 2010& 2011. (ii)Reserve Bank of India, form 1997 to 2008.

24 | P a g e

The above data shows that there was a downfall in tourism in the year 2009

but after 2009 it is showing the significant stable growth which is indicating

sustainability.

According to the press release of WTTC (17 September 2012) regarding the

performance of Indian Tourism Sector during 2012 it is said that tourism in

India contributes more to GDP than automotive manufacturing.

This is according to new research from the World Travel & Tourism Council

(WTTC) sponsored by American Express. The research shows that the tourism

sector‘s direct contribution to India‘s GDP is INR 2 billion which is almost

three times more than the contribution of automotive manufacturing. Travel

& tourism‘s total contribution – including direct, indirect and induced

impacts - to GDP in India was INR 6.7 billion around 6.4% of total GDP. This

compares to 3.3% for automotive manufacturing, 4.5% for education and

3.7% for the mining industry and supporting 39 million direct, indirect and

induced jobs in India (WTTC 2012).

Travel & tourism generates more jobs than the mining industry,

communications services, financial services, manufacturing and chemical

Industries. It also highlights that travel & tourism is a significant source of

export revenue for India. In 2011, visitor exports totalled INR 950 billion

which was 12% of all service exports and 3.9% of all exports. The study

compared the effect of travel & tourism spending on GDP and the wider

economy. In India INR 55 million (US$1 million) in travel & tourism

spending:

• Generates INR 72 million (US$1.3 million) in GDP which is greater than the

agriculture, automotive and chemicals industry

25 | P a g e

• Generates INR 10 million (US$189,000) of gross value added in agriculture

• Generates INR 6 million (US$109,000) in the wholesale and retail sector.

According to UNWTO World Tourism Barometer (2012) India Travel & tourism

economy is ranked number 14th in absolute size worldwide, 144th in relative

contribution to national economies, 5 in long-term (i.e.10-year) growth.

1.5. THE WORLDWIDE CHANGING DIMENSIONS IN TOURIST

MOTIVATION AND PREFERENCE

Not only in the product market but also in the tourism sector tastes and

preferences vary. Researchers were primarily focused with outdoor locations

and it has been argued that recreation and adventure often serve different

clientele with different needs, expectations, and motivations (Ewert &

Hollenhorst, 1989; Schreyer & White, 1979; Schuett, 1993)

While travel costs remain a significant determinant in making travel

decisions, tourist satisfaction is increasing in importance (Krinppendorf,

1987). A true travel product must provide something extra besides value for

money to attract the tourist for some deeply satisfying purpose. This has led

to a remarkable shift towards new patterns in vacation choices to

accommodate the expanding range of interests and leisure travel activities

(Hall & Weiler, 1992) and 'experience-oriented' vacations.

It can be seen that the world tourism scenario is changing so fast towards a

positive dimension the international tourism is growing significantly with a

large GDP contribution. The global trend of tourism is nowadays looking for

new areas where tourist can explore new ideas as well as nonconventional

way to see the world in their own way with the experiential knowledge and

26 | P a g e

curiosity. It has been observed that the conventional tourism can cater the

huge range of satisfaction to the major portion of the global tourist

community but on the other side the nonconventional alternative tourism is

getting its market gradually. The experimentation is taking place in the global

tourism sector in coping up with the changing international tourist behavior

that‘s why the new form of tourism such as eco-tourism, medical tourism, sex

tourism, wild life tourism, nature tourism and adventure tourism are

emerging with its impact.

The conventional and the mass tourism have its own market but new age

tourism deserves more, Alternative tourism is one of the ways to counter the

alternative globalization which is directly affecting the tour and travel

industry in the world. Alternative tourism is the concept which is more

connected to human life related ingredients associated with core values

commitment towards the nature compare to mass tourism (Weaver & Lawton,

2002.)

1.6. MANY COUNTRIES ARE DOING WELL WITH ADVENTURE TOURISM

Many countries those are not economically well-off but are still doing very

good in terms of developing tourism circuits. Adventure travel is being

promoted by many regions such as ASEAN (Association of South-East

Asian Nations), where tourism resources are heavily dependent on less-

developed, natural environments (Hall, 1989).

Several countries in the world have nature-based tourism as a key component

of their most important export industry. They are already promoting

adventure tourism for better economic impact. The demand for adventure

tourism comes from a wide group of visitors, both domestic and foreign.

27 | P a g e

These countries include Australia, Kenya, Nepal, New Zealand, Tanzania,

Costa-Rica, Botswana, Chile, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Israel,

Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Korea Republic, Hungary and others.

Recognizing the potential of nature and adventure tourism, many countries

are prioritizing the segment in terms of developing important environmental

policies which ultimately provide the foundation for adventure travel, and

emphasizing adventure and nature in their national marketing. The growth of

adventure tourism can be seen everywhere. Many countries have spent

considerable time in developing tourism packages that are in demand.

1.7. DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN TOURISM SCENARIO IN INDIA

Domestic tourism in India continued to grow in double digits with the number

of domestic tourist visits to the various tourist destinations in the country

rising to 851 million in 2011 from 748 million in 2010 and 669 million in

2009.

During 2011, the number of domestic tourist visits to various places within

the country posted an increase of 13.8 per cent year-on-year, compared to an

11.8 per cent growth in 2010 over 2009 (India Tourism Statistics; Ministry of

Tourism, Government. of India 2010& 2011).

The top ten states in terms of number of domestic tourist visits during 2011

were: Uttar Pradesh (155.4 million), Andhra Pradesh (153.1 million), Tamil

Nadu (137.5 million), Karnataka (84.1 million), Maharashtra (55.3 million),

Madhya Pradesh (44.1 million), Rajasthan (27.1 million), Uttarakhand (25.9

million), West Bengal (22.3 million) and Gujarat (21.0 million).

28 | P a g e

The top 10 states accounted for about 85.3 per cent of the total number of

domestic tourist visits during 2011. The percentage shares of top 5 states

were: Uttar Pradesh (18.3 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (18 per cent), Tamil

Nadu (16.2 per cent), Karnataka (9.9 per cent) and Maharashtra (6.5 per

cent).

Uttar Pradesh has occupied the first rank in terms of domestic tourist visits

in 2011, whereas Andhra Pradesh, which was at first place in 2010, has

moved down to the second rank.

During 2011, the number of foreign tourist visits to the he various states and

union territories in India was 19.5 million as compared to 17.9 million in

2010 and 14.4 million in 2009 (India Tourism Statistics 2011). This year, the

number of foreign tourists to states/UTs registered a growth of 8.85 per cent

over 2010 as compared to a growth of 24.6 per cent in 2010 over 2009. The

top ten states in terms of number of foreign tourist visits during 2011 were

Maharashtra (4.8 million), Tamil Nadu (3.4 million), Delhi (2.2 million), Uttar

Pradesh (1.9 million), Rajasthan (1.4 million), West Bengal (1.2 million), Bihar

(0.97 million), Kerala (0.73 million), Karnataka (0.57 million) and Himachal

Pradesh (0.48 million).

Being seen the current tourism scenario of India it can be argued that India

can increase tourism GDP by proper utilizing the unutilized tourism

resourced because India is having huge potential in the field of tourism.

29 | P a g e

State / UT Wise Domestic and Foreign Tourist Visits, 2010- 2011 2010 2011 % Growth

(2011/10)

S. No. State/ UT Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign

1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands

180781 14615 202221 15814 11.86 8.2

2 Andhra Pradesh 155789584 322825 153119816 264563 -1.71 -18.05

3 Arunachal

Pradesh

227857 3395 233227 4753 2.36 40

4 Assam 4050924 15157 4339485 16400 7.12 8.2

5 Bihar 18491804 635722 18397490 972487 -0.51 52.97

6 Chandigarh 905450 39333 909904 37181 0.49 -5.47

7 Chhattisgarh 566298 1586 644425 1726 13.8 8.83

8 Dadra &

Nagar Haveli

495575 1698 422265 1412 -14.79 -16.84

9 Daman & Diu 774166 5139 832906 4484 7.59 -12.75

10 Delhi 13558353 1893650 15428865 2159925 13.8 14.06

11 Goa 2201752 441053 2225002 445935 1.06 1.11

12 Gujarat 18861296 130739 21017478 166042 11.43 27

13 Haryana 6915269 106433 5988062 130435 -13.41 22.55

14 Himachal Pradesh (R)d

12811986 453616 14604888 484518 13.99 6.81

15 Jammu & Kashmir

9973189 48099 13071531 71593 31.07 48.85

16 Jharkhand 6885273 15695 10796286 72467 56.8 361.72

17 Karnataka 38202077 380995 84107390 574005 120.16 50.66

18 Kerala 8595075 659265 9381455 732985 9.15 11.18

19 Lakshadweep 7705 1512 9424 567 22.31 -62.5

20 Madhya Pradesh 38079595 250430 44119820 269559 15.86 7.64

21 Maharashtra 48465492 5083126 55333467 4815421 14.17 -5.27

22 Manipur 114062 389 134505 578 17.92 48.59

23 Meghalaya 652756 4177 667504 4803 2.26 14.99

24 Mizoram 57292 731 62174 658 8.52 -9.99

25 Nagaland 21094 1132 25391 2080 20.37 83.75

26 Odisha 7591615 50432 8271257 60722 8.95 20.4

27 Puducherry 835872 50964 897896 52298 7.42 2.62

28 Punjab 10583509 137122 16416638 150958 55.12 10.09

29 Rajasthan 25543877 1278523 27137323 1351974 6.24 5.74

30 Sikkim 700011 20757 552453 23602 -21.08 13.71

31 Tamil Nadu (R)df 119188187 2804504 137512991 3373870 15.37 20.3

32 Tripura 342273 5212 359515 6046 5.04 16

33 Uttar Pradesh (R)f 144754977 1732707 155430364 1887095 7.37 8.91

34 Uttarakhand 30206030 127258 25946254 124653 -14.1 -2.05

35 West Bengal 21072324 1192187 22256968 1213270 5.62 1.77

Total 747703380 17910178 850856640 19494879 13.8 8.85

Source: India Tourism Statistics 2011 at a Glance; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India

30 | P a g e

State / UT Wise Domestic and Foreign Tourist Visits, 2011 along with Rank

S. No. State/ UT Tourist Visits (Numbers) Percentage Share Rank

Foreign Domestic Foreign Domestic Foreign Domestic

1 Andaman &

Nicobar Islands 202221 15814 0.02 0.08 31 25

2 Andhra Pradesh 153119816 264563 18.00 1.36 2 13

3 Arunachal Pradesh 233227 4753 0.03 0.02 30 28

4 Assam 4339485 16400 0.51 0.08 20 24

5 Bihar 18397490 972487 2.16 4.99 11 7

6 Chandigarh 909904 37181 0.11 0.19 22 22

7 Chhattisgarh 644425 1726 0.08 0.01 26 31

8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 422265 1412 0.05 0.01 28 32

9 Daman & Diu 832906 4484 0.10 0.02 24 29

10 Delhi 15428865 2159925 1.81 11.08 13 3

11 Goa 2225002 445935 0.26 2.29 21 11

12 Gujarat 21017478 166042 2.47 0.85 10 14

13 Haryana 5988062 130435 0.70 0.67 19 16

14 Himachal Pradesh

14604888 484518 1.72 2.49 14 10

15 Jammu & Kashmir

13071531 71593 1.54 0.37 15 19

16 Jharkhand 10796286 72467 1.27 0.37 16 18

17 Karnataka 84107390 574005 9.89 2.94 4 9

18 Kerala 9381455 732985 1.10 3.76 17 8

19 Lakshadweep 9424 567 0.00 0.00 35 35

20 Madhya Pradesh 44119820 269559 5.19 1.38 6 12

21 Maharashtra 55333467 4815421 6.50 24.70 5 1

22 Manipur 134505 578 0.02 0.00 32 34

23 Meghalaya 667504 4803 0.08 0.03 25 27

24 Mizoram 62174 658 0.01 0.01 33 33

25 Nagaland 25391 2080 0.00 0.01 34 30

26 Odisha 8271257 60722 0.97 0.31 18 20

27 Puducherry 897896 52298 0.11 0.27 23 21

28 Punjab 16416638 150958 1.93 0.77 12 15

29 Rajasthan 27137323 1351974 3.19 6.94 7 5

30 Sikkim 552453 23602 0.06 0.12 27 23

31 Tamil Nadu 137512991 3373870 16.16 17.31 3 2

32 Tripura 359515 6046 0.04 0.03 29 26

33 Uttar Pradesh 155430364 1887095 18.27 9.68 1 4

34 Uttarakhand 25946254 124653 3.05 0.64 8 17

35 West Bengal 22256968 1213270 2.62 6.22 9 6

Total 850856640 19494879 100.00 100.00

Source: India Tourism Statistics 2011 at a Glance; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India

31 | P a g e

1.8. TOURISM SCENARIO OF WEST BENGAL:

West Bengal, now proposed to be renamed as Paschim-Banga is located in the

Eastern part of India and is the nation‘s fourth most populous state. The

State lies between 27013'15" and 21025'24" North latitudes and 85048'20"

and 80 953'04" East longitudes. It is bounded on the North by Sikkim and

Bhutan, on the East by Assam and Bangladesh, on the South by the Bay of

Bengal and on the West by Orissa, Bihar and Nepal. The State stretches from

the Himalayas in the North to the Bay of Bengal in the South. West Bengal

adjoins three international borders viz. Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The state is spread over an area of 88,752 sq. km. and a population of 80.18

million as per 2001 census. There are 19 districts, 341 blocks and 40782

villages. The State has a population density of 903 per sq. km. (as against the

national average of 312). The decadal growth rate of the state is 17.77%

(against 21.54% for the country).

The capital and largest city of the State is Kolkata the third-largest urban

agglomeration and the fourth-largest city in India. Siliguri, Asansol and

Durgapur are key cities. Other major cities and towns in West Bengal are

Howrah, Raniganj, Haldia, Jalpaiguri, Kharagpur, Burdwan, Darjeeling,

Midnapore, Tamluk, Malda and Cooch Behar.

West Bengal is the sixth largest economy in the country after Maharashtra,

Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The tertiary sector

is the largest contributor to the net domestic product of the state,

contributing 65.52% of the net state domestic product compared to 18.76%

from primary and 15.72% from secondary sector. During 2011-12 the rate of

32 | P a g e

growth of per capita income in the state was 6.21%. As against the present

growth rate of index of industrial production of 2.8 % at the national level, the

index of industrial production in West Bengal stands at 1.8 % (2011-12, April

- November).During the year 2011-12, the growth of Net State Domestic

Product of West Bengal was 6.66% as against 6.48% growth of gross domestic

product of the country over this period.

West Bengal is having relatively optimistic trend in the tourism sector, the

growth & employment generation in west Bengal several places like

Sundarbans, Digha, Darjeeling, Dooars where key employment generation

and key economic activity is evolving around tourism, where people are

directly and indirectly dependent on tourism.

Year wise tourism performance of West Bengal (1996-2011)

Year Domestic Tourists (in

Lakhs)

Foreign Tourists (in

Lakhs)

Total (in Lakhs)

Total Domestic in India(in

Lakhs)

WB Share (in

percentage)

Total Foreign in India (in

Lakhs)

WB Share (in

percentage)

1996 44.49 1.83 46.32 1401 3.18% 50.03 3.66%

1997 45.77 1.94 47.71 1598 2.86% 55 3.53%

1998 46.45 1.95 48.4 1682 2.76% 55.4 3.52%

1999 47.03 1.99 49.02 1906 2.47% 58.3 3.41%

2000 47.37 1.98 49.35 2201 2.15% 58.9 3.36%

2001 49.43 2.84 52.27 2364 2.09% 54.4 5.22%

2002 88.44 5.29 93.73 2669 3.31% 51.6 10.25%

2003 113.01 7.05 120.06 3090 3.66% 67.1 10.51%

2004 123.80 7.76 131.56 3662 3.38% 83.6 9.28%

2005 135.67 8.96 144.63 3919 3.46% 99.5 9.01%

2006 156.00 8.86 164.86 4623 3.37% 117.5 7.54%

2007 185.80 11.54 197.34 5265 3.53% 132.7 8.70%

2008 193.14 11.33 204.47 5629 3.43% 141.12 8.03%

2009 205.28 11.8 217.08 5630 3.65% 142.12 8.30%

2010 210.72 11.92 222.64 5631 3.74% 143.12 8.33%

Source: India Tourism Statistics; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India (2009, 2010& 2011)

33 | P a g e

During the year 2001-02, west Bengal had a good position in tourism in

terms of percentage share but from 2003 there was a downfall in that

percentage share and after 2008 again the growth started that is indicating

the west Bengal tourism is not holding the stable rank in national level

tourism contribution. But it can be seen in terms of domestic tourist and

foreign tourist visit the state is having sustainable percentage growth rate

that proves other states of India are doing far better than west Bengal. It is

not being seen as top five tourism performer (State) in the country. But it

shouldn‘t be like that. West Bengal is full with natural resources. It is having

good connectivity with other part of India as well as abroad with the help of

railway and air transport. The cost and expenses are also less compared to

other states. There must be some lacunas which need to be explored.

West Bengal is home to some of the best national parks in the country. The

distinct climate and topography of West Bengal helps in keeping the diversity

of flora and fauna flourishing. The national parks of the state not only are

wildlife resources, they are surrounded by some of the most exotic locations,

which make a trip to these parks value. The most famous beyond imagination

is the Sunderbans National park. Earned recognition for the Royal Bengal

Tigers, it also is the largest Mangrove forest in the world.

Most states in India are fortunate to have one hill resort, but West Bengal the

gateway to the Eastern Himalaya. A land of infinite attraction with breath

taking views of Kanchanjunga, bewildering variety of flora and fauna,

colourful festivals, bush green tea gardens, inching adventure spots, laundry

34 | P a g e

trekking rocks, perfect solitude. All this makes the East Himalayas your

chosen destination.

Tourism in West Bengal is a wonderful revenue earner for the local people.

West Bengal Tourism has enhanced the economic activities of the state. Due

to the increasing number of visitors that the state is receiving every year the

West Bengal Government is also taking interest in developing the Tourism

Industry here.

Trekking in the Darjeeling Hills began almost a century ago. In fact, the first

organised trekking route in India was established here along the Sangalila

range. The most popular of treks is the one through high altitude areas

across the Singalila range in Darjeeling. The trek starts at Maneybhanjang

(2134 m), goes to Meghma (2900 m), Toughu (3070 m), Gairibas (2621 m),

Sandakphu (3636 m), and Phalut (3600m). The fourth and last day is the

return trek to Darjeeling which may be taken along the along the same route

or via Ramman, Rimbick and Bijanbari. Trekking in Ajodhya Hill (in Purulia

district) or camping in Biharinath hill can bring the hardcore untamed

adventure feelings.

Beach Activity holidays in Junput , Shankarpur , Sagardwip , Frazerganj,

Digha or the trip to Bakkhali can also create the ample scope of adventure

and stimulation for the tourist.

Other major excitements of National Park In West Bengal can be huge with

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Buxa Tiger Reserve. Dooars, is the habitat of

the rare one-horned rhinoceros, the mighty bison, the spotted deer, the

barking deer, huge tuskers, fearsome wild boars and a variety of birds and

35 | P a g e

animals. Elephant safaris can be enjoyed at the Sanctuary. The forest is

mainly savannah covered with tall elephant grasses. The wild life, in addition

to one-horned rhinos, consists of Royal Bengal Tigers, wild elephants, deer,

Sāmbhar, barking deer, spotted deer and hog deer, wild pig, bison and a

number of birds, peafowls. Elephant ride is arranged for viewing of wild life

preferably at dawn.

West Bengal is ranked 6th in terms of foreign tourist visit but it can be

uplifted and it is not also having good position in terms of domestic tourist

visit compared to the states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu,

Karnataka as well as Uttarakhand.

The top 5 States in domestic tourist visits in 2011 were Uttar Pradesh (155.4

million), Andhra Pradesh (153.1 million), Tamil Nadu (137.5 million),

Karnataka (84.1 million) and Maharashtra (55.3 million) with their respective

shares being 18.3%, 18.0%, 16.2%, 9.9 % and 6.5 %. These 5 States

accounted for about 68.9% of the total domestic tourist visits in the country.

In respect of foreign tourist visits in 2011, the top 5 States/UTs were

Maharashtra (4.8 million), Tamil Nadu (3.4 million), Delhi (2.2 million), Uttar

Pradesh (1.9 million) and Rajasthan (1.4 million) with their respective shares

being 24.7%, 17.3%, 11.1%, 9.7% and 6.9% These 5 States/UTs accounted

for about 69.7% of the total foreign tourist visits to the States/UTs in the

country. The top 10 States/UTs in terms of domestic tourist visits during

2011 were the same as in 2010, except some changes in relative ranks of

these States.

36 | P a g e

Share of top 10 states/UT's of India in number of foreign tourist visits in 2011

Rank State/Union Territory Number Share in %

1 Maharashtra 48,15,421 24.7

2 Tamil Nadu 33,73,870 17.3

3 Delhi 21,59,925 11.1

4 Uttar Pradesh 18,87,095 9.7

5 Rajasthan 13,51,974 6.9

6 West Bengal 12,13,270 6.2

7 Bihar 9,72,487 5

8 Kerala 7,32,985 3.8

9 Karnataka 5,74,005 2.9

10 Himachal Pradesh 4,84,518 2.5

Total of top 10 states 1,75,65,550 90.1

Others 19,29,329 9.9

Total 1,94,94,879 100

Source: India Tourism Statistics; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India (2010& 2011)

Share of top 10 states/UT's of India in number of domestic tourist visits in year 2011.

Rank State/Union Territory Number Share in %

1 Uttar Pradesh 15,54,30,364 18.3

2 Andhra Pradesh 15,31,19,816 18

3 Tamil Nadu 13,75,12,991 16.2

4 Karnataka 8,41,07,390 9.9

5 Maharashtra 5,53,33,467 6.5

6 Madhya Pradesh 4,41,19,820 5.2

7 Rajasthan 2,71,37,323 3.2

8 Uttarakhand 2,59,46,254 3

9 West Bengal 2,22,56,968 2.6

10 Gujarat 2,10,17,478 2.5

Total of top 10 states 72,59,81,871 85,3

Others 12,48,74,769 14.7

Total 85,08,56,640 100

Source: India Tourism Statistics; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India (2011& 2012)

The following graph shows the percentage share of top 10 States/UTs in

terms of domestic tourist visits in 2011.

37 | P a g e

Source: India Tourism Statistics; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India (2011)

In terms of domestic tourist visit it holds 9th rank which is not desirable it is

rich with natural tourism resources and then also it is not able to do well now

the question is that can west Bengal be able to uplift its tourism scenario

towards sustainability and growth compare to top 10 tourism performer

(states) in the country India.

The top 10 States/UTs in terms of foreign tourist visits during 2011 were

mostly the same as in 2010, with marginal changes in relative ranks of States

except that the State Karnataka has replaced Goa. The following graph shows

the percentage share of top 10 States/UTs in terms of foreign tourist visits in

2011.

Source: India Tourism Statistics; Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India (2011)

38 | P a g e

It can be seen that tourism performance of West Bengal is not too good in

compare to other states of India. It is high time that West Bengal, as a good

and proper tourist destination should do the needful to achieve its full

potential, since the tourism sector in West Bengal has the dissatisfactory

growth in respect to Indian overall tourism sector growth. West Bengal could

get high growth in overall tourism sector if it could steer the focus to the

changing demand of the tourists. It is not too late to redesign the tourism

sector. Proper balanced approach should be maintained between environment

influence and the growth of tourism sector. It can be seen that the different

states like Madhya Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Rajasthan, Kerala, Andhra

Pradesh, Uttar hand as well as north east region of country (Sikkim, Assam,

Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunanchal) are continuously experimenting in the field

of tourism they are identifying the new unexplored places and putting it in to

the tourism product basket. They are also experimenting with new forms of

tourism such as adventure tourism; eco-tourism, medical tourism, special

interest tourism and that experimentation are most of the time proving

advantageous. Whereas west Bengal as a state is having the traditional

approach this is only catering to the main stream tourism. West Bengal is

blessed with natural forest area sea beeches, hill station, rivers those tourism

resources are somehow not properly utilised. It can be seen that the tourism

market is changing because of the changing need pattern of the modern

tourist so for that reason tourism is becoming much more challenging service

product. To sustain with the changing requirement of the modern tourism,

any destination needs to explore the hidden opportunities with proper

planning and management.

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Chapter 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

SL. NO. CHAPTER CONTAINS PAGE NO.

2.1.1 TOURISM PRODUCT AND SERVICE 40

2.1.2. TOURISM AND ITS ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION 43

2.1.3. TOURISM DESTINATIONS MARKETING AND

MANAGEMENT

47

2.1.4. DESTINATION BRANDING AND POSITIONING 52

2.1.5. SEGMENTATION OF TOURISM MARKET 57

2.1.6. TOURISM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 61

2.2. NEW AGE TOURISM VERSUS OLD TOURISM 62

2.3. APPEARANCE ADVENTURE TOURISM AS NEW

FORM OF TOURISM

67

2.4. ADVENTURE TOURISM IS BECOMING VITAL

PART OF WORLD TOURISM

69

2.4. FUNCTIONAL DEFINITIONS AND THEORETICAL

BACKGROUND OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

74

2.5. PRESENT MARKET SCENARIO OF ADVENTURE

TOURISM AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS

82

2.6. THE RESEARCH GAP 85

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2.1.1. TOURISM PRODUCT AND SERVICE

Middleton (1989) has introduced the term total tourist product or the overall

tourism product. He suggests that ―from the standpoint of a potential

customer considering any form of tourist visit, the product may be defined as

a bundle or package of tangible and intangible components, based on activity

at a destination. The package is perceived by the tourist as an experience,

available at a price‖ (Middleton & Clarke, 2001).

This tourist product can be divided in two levels: the total level referring to

the complete experience of the tourist from the time one leaves home to the

time one returns, being synonymous with the components model. The other

level is the specific level, which is that of a discrete product offered by a single

business. (Middleton, 1989; Middleton & Clarke, 2001).

Tourism and travelling is regarded as a service industry the authors in

tourism marketing literature (Middleton 1989, Middleton & Clarke , 2001;

Seaton & Bennet, Smith 1994 ) use the term ‖product‖ instead of the term

‖service‖ when they refer to the offering of the company targeted for the

customer.

Authors often refer to the service marketing literature when introducing the

characteristics of the industry but use the traditional marketing management

terminology when discussing the product/service.

According to Middleton and Clarke (2001) the tourist product means

customer value, which is ―the perceived benefits provided to meet the

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customer‘s needs and wants, quality of service received, and the value for

money‖(Middleton & Clarke,2001).

The tourist product is fundamentally a complex human experience (Gunn

1988), which is an output of a production process, where the tourist utilises

the facilities and services to generate the final output, experience

(Smith,1994).

Value is added in each stage of the production process and the consumer is

an integral part of the process (Smith 1994). Regarding tourist product three

levels can be there the core product, the formal (or tangible) product and the

augmented product (Middleton & Clarke 2001; Kotler, Bowen & Makens

1999; see also Levitt 1981, and Grönroos 1990). The core product, the idea,

the key message, is the essential service or benefit designed to satisfy the

identified needs of target customer segments. The formal product means the

specific offer for sale stating what a customer will receive for the money. This

tangible product is a marketing interpretation that turns the core into a

specific offer.

It contains the facilitating products, the services and goods that must be

present for the guest to use the core product as well as some extra supporting

products. The brochure description of the formal product forms the basis for

the sale. The terms product design or ―physical evidence‖ are identified as one

way to differentiate the formal product. (Middleton & Clarke, 2001; Kotler et

al.1999).

The service management literature points out that new-product development

in service industries should follow a structured planning framework (Zeithaml

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& Bitner 1996). The fact that services are intangible makes it even more

imperative for a new-product development system to have certain basic

characteristics.

In the highly competitive tourism industry, improving service quality to gain

competitive advantages is one of the keys to sustainable tourism and

destination management (Liu and Yen, 2010).

Tourist satisfaction is recognized as one of the key judgments that tourists

use to measure tourism services, while future behaviour intentions are very

closely connected with satisfaction. The expression of satisfaction will result

in behavioural responses to recommend, say positive things about and revisit

to destinations. (Cole et al., 2002; Kouthouris and Alexandris, 2005; Cole and

Illum, 2006).

Service quality is a consumer‘s judgment about an entity‘s overall excellence

or superiority (Kang and James, 2004).

Tourism service quality should start from the needs of the customer and ends

with customer satisfaction and positive perceptions of service quality. Both

consumer and the service provider have a significant influence on the creation

and delivery process of a service therefore service was defined heterogeneous

(Kvist and Klefsjö 2006).

The researcher has rightly characterised tourism as a service product which

is having high degree of customer interaction. The proper marketing is

required to project the tourism product to attract the target group. It provides

ultimate satisfaction to the needs of the tourist where quality is also required

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along with other marketing mix such as physical evidence, people and

processes where promotion and price plays the vital role in attracting the

prospective tourist.

2.1.2. TOURISM AND ITS ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION

Today tourism represents one of the most dynamic economic sectors in the

world. Even if the majority of international tourism still takes place within the

developed world, recently tourism to developing countries is becoming a

significant and increasing phenomenon, mainly to South-East Asian and

Pacific countries.

Tourism represents one of the most important and dynamic sectors in the

world economy (Neto, 2003; Balaguer and Cantavella-Jordà, 2002; Jamieson,

2000; Lanza and Pigliaru, 1999). Small countries specialized in tourism tend

to grow faster than other countries (Lanza and Pigliaru, 1999 and, later,

Brau, Lanza and Pigliaru, 2003).

The role of international tourism in generating economic benefits has long

been recognized in many developing countries (Jenkins, 1991). Therefore,

tourism as a sector of developing countries` economies deserves priority on

the part of the governments and the business community (United Nations,

1999). Tourism development becomes more and more a complex phenomenon

whose social, political, cultural and economic implications are bigger and

bigger, becoming the main engine of local economy, at the level of certain

territorial systems (Peptenatu et al, 2009).

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There is a multidimensional economic impact of tourism which are very much

important for the growth of the country (Daniel J. Stynes, 1997).

According to Robert B. Richardson (2010) several developing countries have

achieved to increase their contribution in the global economy by uplifting

their tourism sector, it has been also argued by him that tourism

development is progressively observed as a significant tool in promoting

economic growth, eradicating poverty, and progressing in food security.

The characteristics of employment and the effects of tourism development

vary according to the type of tourist activity, some types of tourism being

more labour intensive than others. (Russell King & L. Puczko: 1998).

The potential economic benefits of tourism are a major attraction for

developing countries due to three pro-tourism arguments (Mill & Morrison,

1999). First, the trend in demand for international travel is projected to

continue at astonishing rates due to the economic stability and travel

preferences. Second, the income elasticity of demand for tourism means that

as the household incomes of people in the developed world increase, more

disposable income will be directed towards travel. And thirdly, developing

countries are in need of foreign exchange earnings to support their economic

development initiatives and to satisfy the demands of their own residents. The

positive economic impacts of tourism are commonly listed as increased

foreign exchange earnings, increased income, and increased employment in

destination areas (WTO, 1996; Mill & Morrison, 1999; Edgell, 1999; Lundberg

et al, 1995).

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Tourism due to its great contribution to the improvement of the standard of

living for the local population, the formation of employment posts, the

ensuring of capitals for new investments, the improving and the development

of infrastructures etc. is employed by many governments as a mean of

financial and social development (Smith and Krannich, 1998; Keller, 2002;

Andriotis, 2001).

Tourism has become a well-liked worldwide leisure activity (Butler,

1991).Tourism is becoming an increasingly important component in the

economies of many developing nations (Mowforth & Munt 1998; Hall & Lew,

1999; Honey, 1999; Stabler, 1997).

Tourism is not only a social phenomenon it is also big business (Malley, 2002;

Cohen, 1979; Krippendorf 1986).

Marcouiller and Xiani (2008) have argued that travel and tourism sector is

having substantial impact on economic activities that pays a vital role in the

growth of regional economies and creates the platform for employment,

entrepreneurial and household income.

According to Robert B. Richardson (2010) several developing countries have

achieved to increase their contribution in the global economy by uplifting

their tourism sector, it has been also argued by him that tourism

development is progressively observed as a significant tool in promoting

economic growth, eradicating poverty, and progressing in food security.

There are also other hidden economic benefits from tourism. Horváth and

Frechtling (1999) have said that ―tourism benefits regional and local

46 | P a g e

economies through raised output, manual labour incomes and employment.‖

Tourism multipliers symbolise the total increase in output, manual labour

incomes and employment through inter industry relationships in a region as

an outcome of tourism expenses. This has been also supported by Daniel

Peak (2008).

The Role of the Tourism Sector in Expanding Economic Opportunity

(Economic Opportunity Series, Issue 23) published by the Harvard Kennedy

School in collaboration with the Overseas Development Institute and the

International Business Leaders Forum George (2008) has described the

tourism activities as tourism the industry consists of all firms, organisations

and facilities that service the needs and wants of the tourist. All of the

businesses and organisations in the delivery service fall under the tourism

industry ranging from car rentals to travel agencies.

Source: Adapted from George, 2008

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George has also highlighted the aspect of a common structure relating to the

tourism industry throughout the world. Any county in the world involved in

tourism business somehow having similar structure and operational format

relating to tourism industry as prescribed by George.

Tourism is one of the largest service industries in the world which contributes

in world GDP and employment generation moreover it is a big business.

Tourism now a day has recognised as vital industry concern with huge leisure

industry with multi-dimensional economic impact. Tourism is not only

helping the developing nation‘s economically but it is also serving for the

under developed and developing nations. Tourism is the significant economic

element in promoting economic growth, eradicating poverty. The food

security, environmental consciousness, regional development and

mobilisation of the resources are the outcomes of responsible tourism. Several

countries in the world are doing very good with their tourism resources which

are creating the economic opportunities, social development.

2.1.3. TOURISM DESTINATIONS MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT

Competitiveness among the subjects in the international tourist market

becomes emphasized in the modern conditions of globalisation, liberalisation

and deregulation. As a consequence, there is a need to obtain and maintain

the competitive advantage of a particular tourist destination (Dwyer et al.,

2009).

The creation of tourist offers is carried out at the site of a particular tourist

destination, which consists of many participants who offer their own partial

48 | P a g e

tourist products; it is rational to coordinate the efforts of all participants, in

order to create the integral tourist product (Bramwell & Sharman, 1999)

Collaboration between different stakeholders improves the coordination of

policies and related actions, and promotes consideration of the economic,

environmental, and social impacts of tourism. The resulting outcomes are

potentially more efficient and sustainable (Dredge, 1999,)

Every tourist destination represents as an integral tourism product. Yet, at

the same time, it is also a complex social system, sometimes called a

destination system. Its complexity derives from the multitude of elements that

participate to make it work. These elements can be grouped into three basic

subsystems: consumers (tourists), producers (tourism supply providers) and

state and other organisations and institutions. A destination system is

confined by the scope of a specific spatial unit, whose boundaries are

determined by tourism demand, regardless of administrative borders.

Development planning is a fundamental function of tourist destination

management, and it is the primary function to which all other destination

management functions are connected (D. Bošković et al., 2010).

One of the most important challenges arising from the goal of sustainable

tourism development is destination planning which has been concerned with

reducing barriers and in stimulating market interest (Getz 1987). This

emphasis has resulted from importance being placed on the economic

benefits of the industry, such as income generation, employment creation and

regional development. However, researchers into the impacts of tourism are

increasingly noting that the traditional market-driven approach does not

49 | P a g e

always provide the most appropriate or sustainable solution (Inskeep 1987,

1988).

Some form of intervention is necessary to protect the environmental assets on

which tourism is based, to mitigate social and cultural impacts, and to

maximize economic benefits and minimize negative impacts (Inskeep 1991).

While the most desirable framework for this intervention depends upon the

nature of tourism itself as well as political and administrative frameworks, it

is increasingly being recognized that development issues should be addressed

as part of a comprehensive planning process (Getz 1986, 1988; Inskeep

1991).

In addition to market planning, the spatial implications of tourism also need

to be addressed (Fagence 1991, 1995; Gunn 1993). In addressing the

pragmatic concerns associated with destination management, (Ashworth and

Dietvorst 1995) argue that it is essential to integrate tourism into local place

management policy. That is, tourism is reliant upon a community's stock of

natural and human resources; however, these resources are frequently

planned and managed under other statutory and non-statutory planning

regimes, such as land use planning, natural resource management and

community economic development schemes. Most of these regimes are

primarily concerned with other issues and are conducted independently of

tourism planning initiatives. Accordingly, if destination place management is

to be effective, it should be integrated into existing planning frameworks.

The tourism destination is a link between all parts of the tourism industry,

maintains and propels these parts, is a complex and specific element of the

50 | P a g e

tourism industry (Stancioiu, 2002). The management of the tourism

destination is a concept widely utilized in the theory and practice, while the

image of the destination is an important point of interest for the researchers,

as well as for the people managing the tourism industry.

Destinations are regarded as well-defined geographical areas, such as a

country, an island or a town, with an amalgam of tourism products, offering

an integrated experience to tourists. Destinations are not a single product,

but composite products consisting of a bundle of different components

including: accommodation and food establishments, tourist attractions, arts

establishments and cultural venues, and the natural environment (Pop et al.,

2007).

It is a combination of tangible physical attributes (such as product, facilities,

location and accessibility) and less tangible attributes (such as service,

experience and community attitude). Destinations are places towards which

people travel and where they choose to stay for a while, are places with

personality and with consistent tourist product (Suarez, 2007), so the

perceived attractiveness and the competitiveness of destination are the most

important issues to study.

Tourism destinations are intangible or abstract because travel experiences

cannot be processed or evaluated before purchasing (Awaritefe, 2003).

Marketing communications has become important for destinations to promote

their band identity and brand image to target audiences (Fakeye& Crompton,

1991).

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Hunt (1975) suggested that different natures of destinations may have

different approaches of destination attractiveness in marketing planning and

advertising proposals.

Kotler and Gurtner (2002) specified that destinations can use logos in

commercial advertisements, promotional materials and associated product

package to present consistent communications to the target market. On the

other words, brand messages or information as the form of brand knowledge

may facilitate memory reinforcement to prospective visitors (Keller, 2003a;

Mill &Morrison, 1985).

Most destination products and services are intangible and simultaneous

production and consumption (Ritchie & Ritchie, 1998).

The tourism destination marketing is becoming very challenging task because

the international tourist market is changing with the globalisation effect

where stake holder‘s benefit has to be protected along with mutual

association with the tourist in terms of value sharing. To sustain with the

proper destination and its management monitoring of the environment is

becoming very much important. For a good destination it is obvious that it

must be equipped with tourism attractiveness, environmental management,

utilisation of the resources in a positive direction. Destination must offer

several elements like physical attribute, tangible benefits (such as services,

experience and community attitude). It must offer the basic facilities like

transportation, stay, safety. The marketing communication is also having a

vital role in promoting the destination products and services because those

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are intangible here there should be zero gap in between offer, expectation and

actual performance.

2.1.4. DESTINATION BRANDING AND POSITIONING

In tourism marketing, destination branding has become a powerful force for

transmitting a favourable brand image to target market. An optimal branding

campaign should build both functional and symbolic attributes into the

brand construct to bring about a memorable experience. Any branding effort

should be specially designed in accordance with the unique nature of the

destination place. ( Jalilvand et al. ,2010)

According to Gunn (1988) proposition of evolving brand images (organic,

induced, and complex), Fakeye & Crompton (1991) proposed that image

promotions can be developed through informative, persuasive, and reminding

messages. During informative stage, the formation of organic image is

dependent on the exposures of general information sources, such as

newspapers, magazines, television or other media (Gunn, 1988). This

informing process coincides with name awareness for promoting brand

recognition and brand recall (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993, 2001, 2003b). Fakeye

& Crompton (1991) insisted that effective informing can impress prospective

visitors with brand messages in their minds. They believed that persuasive

promotions can be achieved by the use of commercial advertisements or

posters to motivate potential visitors to choose a specific destination. Thus,

this stage helps prospective visitors refine their perceptions of brand images

(Goodrich, 1978). This is also where induced images form by the comparison

of organic images, word of mouth, and marketing promotions (Fakeye &

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Crompton, 1991). The reminding promotion is to retain the image in visitors‘

minds, which may lead to repeat visits. The complex image forms after

visitors have travel experiences to judge and help readjust the destination

brand (Fakeye & Crompton, 1991). Just as the complex image can change by

the frequency of visitation, travel experiences can influence visitors‘ original

perceptions or attitudes toward the destination (Pool, 1965). Therefore, a

successful image promotion at this stage lays the groundwork for brand

loyalty through positive reminders (Fakeye &Crompton, 1991). In view of the

above three types of image formation, Bieger & Laesser (2004) noted

destination hosts should seek effective communication channels.

The literature in this area emphasises the importance of establishing a

balance between competing objectives and environmental objectives relevant

to the tourist (Walker, Hanson, 1998).

Gnoth (2002), for example, sees destination branding as a management

process that leads to a strategic plan to build a brand identity based upon

destination attributes selected on the basis of competitiveness, uniqueness

and desired identity.

Hall (1999) defines the core objective of destination branding as the

production of a consistent, focused communication strategy, based upon the

selection of a collection of core intangible values existing in the mind of the

consumer.

Positioning involves identifying potential visitors‘ perception of the strong

attributes of a destination, comparing them with their perceptions of the

attributes of competitive destinations, and selecting those which differentiate

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a destination from its competitors. These features are then emphasized and

form the cornerstone of marketing strategy (Crompton, Fakeye and Lue,

1992). Calantone, et al (1989) point out that multinational tourism research

requires researchers to investigate the problem of multinational origin,

multinational (or multi-regional) destination, and multi-attribute criteria.

Tourism planners should have a sound understanding of tourist perceptions

and how they may differ across countries (Calantone, et al, 1989). Chen and

Uysal (2002) use a new approach that could be applied to market positioning

studies from a regional perspective (Chen and Uysal, 2002).

Destination image has been one of the major topics in tourism scholarly

inquiry due to its importance for destination marketing, management, and

branding (Chon, 1990; Ritchie, Tung, & Ritchie, 2011; Stepchenkova & Mills,

2010; Tasci, Gardner, & Cavusgil, 2007).

Recent reviews of the literature (e.g., Ritchie et al., 2011; Stepchenkova &

Mills, 2010; Tasci et al., 2007) indicate that significant progress has been

made in research into destination image as well as its theoretical antecedents

and consequences. To name a few, both Kim and Yoon (2003) and Martín and

Rodrígues del Bosque (2008) document that destination image has both

cognitive and affective components. Beerli and Martín (2004) note that

destination image is influenced by personal factors including motivations and

vacation experiences. A number of scholars (e.g. Byon & Zhang, 2010; Chi &

Qu, 2008; Lee, 2009; Rittichainuwat, Qu, & Mongknonvanit, 2002) have

provided empirical support for the notion that destination image has direct

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and/or indirect influences on destination loyalty in terms of tourists‘

behavioural intentions such as spreading positive word-of-mouth information.

As tourism services are intangible, images become more important than

reality (Gallarza, Saura, and Garcia, 2002) and the tourism destination

images projected in information space will greatly influence the destination

images as perceived by consumers. The latter are generally accepted (Echtner

and Ritchie, 1993; Padgett and Allen, 1997; Tapachai and Waryszak, 2000) to

be based on attributes, functional consequences or expected benefits and the

psychological characteristics that consumers associate with a specific

destination or tourism service.

As a consequence, projected images influence destination positioning and

ultimately the tourist‘s buying behaviour. Tourism destinations use

promotion and marketing communication strategy to influence destination

image (Beerli and Martín, 2004; Fridgen 1984; Gartner 1993). Narratives and

visuals, for example, are used to create meaning in the market, deploying

media and information and communication technology as enablers (Magala

2001).Destinations can influence image formation indirectly through

secondary place interactions with consumers, that is ―vicarious experiences‖

(Kim and Richardson 2003). These are facilitated by intermediaries and

produced imagination in, for instance, the media, literature, arts, and popular

culture (e.g., motion pictures, TV shows, or music) (Cohen-Hattab and Kerber,

2004). Fairweather and Swaffield (2002) found that ―destination image also

sets up criteria for negative evaluation. The promotional image is largely

skewed towards a set of favourable experiences. When visitors encounter

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settings or experiences that differ markedly from their expectations, their

evaluations can be very negative.‖

The actuality of tourism has been suggested as being less important than its

expressive representations in that ―what is depicted or not in destination

image advertising, and on whose authority it is selected, involves a more

complex question of what comprises the destination and who has the power

to define its identity‖ (Fesenmaier and MacKay,1996).

Tourism promotion is vital part art of the image building process does not

stand alone; instead it is interdependent with many other available

information sources that are often perceived to be biased in nature and

influence the decision making concerning projected and perceived images. In

order to clarify the relative position of promotion and its influence on

destination image, this article will first place pro-motion in a wider context;

that of the tourism destination image formation model (Govers and Go 2004).

In the modern time branding, positioning is becoming so much crucial for any

marketing activity especially in the case of tourism marketing it is so

important compare to the product marketing because tourism is so dynamic

in nature. The image of a destination is depending how correctly it is branded

and positioned with in the mind of the target group. The positioning and the

branding of tourism destination creates the attractiveness and also help in

increasing the pull factor in positioning and branding of the tourism

destination depends on promotional activities. It helps in projecting the image

in front of the target group with proper media. Promotion helps in providing

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the in-depth information about the destination properly it works as a tool of

motivating prospective tourist in selecting a tourism destination.

2.1.5. SEGMENTATION OF TOURISM MARKET

In benefit segmentation (Frochot, 2005; Kemperman and Timmermans, 2006;

Sarigo¨llu¨and Huang, 2005), tourists are distinguished according to the

benefits they seek rather than traditional factors such as demographic, socio-

economic or geographic characteristics (Frochot and Morrison, 2000). This

method has yielded valid results in many studies ( Frochot, 2005;

Yannopoulos and Rotenberg, 1999), in which benefits refer to travellers‘ push

motivations (Beh and Bruyere, 2007; Boksberger and Laesser, 2009; Koh et

al., 2010; Lee et al., 2004; Park and Yoon, 2009) or pull attributes of a

destination (Kastenholz et al., 1999; Sarigo ¨llu ¨ and Huang, 2005;

Yannopoulos and Rotenberg, 1999), or a combination of these (Bieger and

Laesser, 2002; Jang et al., 2002; May et al., 2001).

There are many studies dealing with consumer segmentation in the

hospitality industry. For an exhaustive overview of different segmentation

approaches and there are some pros and cons, Bowen (1998) and Johns and

Pine (2002).

Traditionally, segmentation was based on demographic characteristics, later

on other variables were used, e.g. geographic, psychographic, and

behaviouristic variables (Bowen, 1998). For example, Legoherel (1998) focuses

on expenditure-levels in terms of consumers‘ estimation of travel

expenditures; Grazin and Olsen (1997) identify groups depending on their

frequency of use with regard to fast food restaurants; Nayga and Capps (1994)

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relate demand for different types of restaurants to different socio-economic

segments; and Binckley (1998) shows that population density has a powerful

effect on demand. Victorino, Karniouchina, and Verma (2009) use

segmentation based on consumers‘ comfort with technology to tailor

communication service to guests‘ computing and connectivity needs. Oh and

Jeong (1996) base their segmentation on characteristics of the organization.

Lewis (1981) finds that segments in restaurants differ in their opinions about

the importance of several service attributes, while Bahn and Granzin (1985)

find that nutritional concerns affected restaurant selection. As hospitality

organizations provide a number of services, it seems appropriate to consider

the benefits in terms of the attributes of the total service product provided

(Bahn and Granzin, 1985).

According to Palacio and McCool (1997), knowledge of the benefits sought by

tourists helps to provide facilities which are attractive to them and to

understand the preferences of different market segments as well as to design

effective promotion. Understanding of preferences is particularly important

when the aim is to identify markets for a certain tourism product.

Frochot and Morrison (2000) strongly argued about the further application

and benefit of segmentation in specific tourism market for long run

destination management.

Nature-based tourism, eco-tourism and rural tourism have been contexts for

several benefit segmentation studies (Frochot, 2005; Jang et al., 2002; May et

al., 2001; Palacio and McCool, 1997; Sarigo¨llu¨and Huang, 2005; Weaver

and Lawton, 2002; Yannopoulos and Rotenberg, 1999). These studies are

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closely related to the topic at hand as nature-based tourism and rural

tourism are important and very prominent parts of destination marketing.

Travel and tourism markets are changing. Socio-demographic changes

marked by an active aging population, two-income families, childless couples,

and a rising population of single adults have led to substantial changes in

travel and lei-sure demand and in patterns of travel markets (Chon and Singh

1995; Loverseed 1997; Morrison et al. 1996; Ross 1999).

Various studies have dealt with tourist motivations and market segmentation.

Factors that motivate tourists for leisure travel are classified into two types,

i.e. ―push‖ and ―pull‖ factors (Crompton, 1979; Dann, 1977; Pearce, 1993;

Uysal and Hagan, 1993; Uysal and Jurowski, 1994).

An analysis on tourist motivation and activities is important for destinations

to understand leisure tourist destination choice (Moscardo, et al, 1996); it can

also enhance destination image (Beerli and Martin, 2004; Trauer and Ryan,

2005) and its interplay with tourist satisfaction and loyalty (Yoon and Uysal,

2005).

The analysis of tourist motivation can focus on one destination (Kim, Lee and

Klenosky, 2003); or it can be conducted by a comparative study by nationality

and destination (Kozak, 2002). The motivation study can also focus on one

type of target group such as on senior travellers (Jang and Wu, 2006) and on

backpackers (Maoz, 2007).

There are a number of articles dealing with tourism motivation, tourist

perception and market positioning (Calantone, et al, 1989; Chen and Uysal,

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2002; Uysal, et al, 2000; Crompton, Fakeye and Lue, 1992; Oh, Uysal and

Weaverm, 1995), have recognized the relationship among the tourism

motivation, tourist perception and market positioning.

The segmentation is the crucial part of the marketing which divides the

prospective markets in to several groups in terms of homogeneous

characteristics. Though the consumers are different with their different need

sets the marketing approach should be different for different group. In the

field of tourism it has been observed tourists are different and they are having

different set of needs. Some people are having inclination towards spiritual

and holiness they will prefer spiritual tourism. Some tourist likes fun and

food they may prefer festival and event tourism. Some are very much

motivated with historical monuments and places they may prefer historical

tourism. So the segmentation principle is also applied for tourism marketing.

The specific tourism destination is catering to the certain target group. In

promoting that tourism destination marketing communication must hit the

proper segment. In doing the segmentation better, the tourist data has to be

properly analysed to get the in-depth idea about the target group. There are

several factors which are involved in analysing tourism segmentation those

are geographic, demographic, behavioural pattern of the tourist.

Segmentation principle is very much helpful in marketing of the tourism

product which helps in developing marketing mix strategies to enjoy the

tourism completive advantages. There is several push and pull factor which

motivate the tourist in selecting the destinations those factors includes

pleasure, the attractiveness of the place, facilities available, safety etc. Those

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factors require proper marketing communication. The tourist motivation

analysis is becoming crucial day by day because the test and preference of

tourist are changing so fast. The tourism marketer should follow that trend of

changing motivation which will help them in formulating marketing

strategies.

2.1.6. TOURISM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Researchers have stated that the tourism and hospitality industries have

widely adopted information technology (IT) to reduce costs, enhance

operational efficiency, and most importantly to improve service quality and

customer experience. (Kim & Ham, 2007; Singh, Kim, & Huh, 2006; Winata &

Mia, 2005).

IT helps to meet the demands for timely and accurate information by

customers and the IT diffusion in the tourism and hospitality industries has

recently increased at an unprecedented rate (Connolly & Lee, 2006; Singh &

Kasavana, 2005).

Previous research has revealed that more customers now purchase tourism

products through websites, and perceive that a website‘s image and usability

directly affects their purchase intentions (Chiang & Jang, 2006; Law &

Cheung, 2006; Law & Hsu, 2006).

Various research has claimed that tourists expect to find functional

information, education information, and emotional information on heritage

websites (Poria & Gvili, 2006), and such websites should therefore be

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customized in accordance with tourist perceptions of the site in relation to

their own heritage (Gvili & Poria, 2005).

It is obvious that to maximize the utility of websites as marketing tools,

consistency among the website elements is vital (Lee, Cai, & O‘Leary, 2006).

Kim and Han (2007) examined the perceptions of potential customers of seven

online travel agencies through an online survey, and identified low fares and

security as being the most important website attributes.

The information technology has added the extra power with the tourism

marketing which helps in exchanging the information‘s in a systematic

manner. Research in the field of tourism has become much more impactful

with the help of IT. The modern time is the era of internet. Internet has

become the blessing for tourism industry which helps in promoting the

information to the target market in cost effective manner. The IT has created

the platform for better accountability of the tourism initiatives, marketing and

customer relationship. With the help of e-marketing tourism as a commodity

is getting better market and acceptability. It has also created the platform for

direct (B2C i.e. Business to Customer) selling.

2.2. NEW AGE TOURISM VERSUS OLD TOURISM

The tourism industry has undergone profound changes, which have been

categorized by Poon (1993) in the following groups: new consumers, new

technologies, and new forms of production, new management styles, and new

prevailing circumstances.

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Times are changing and so are the demands and expectations of the 'new'

traveller, the search for different experiences, different adventures, different

lifestyles has paved the way for this concept called the 'new tourism' Attention

is being turned to exploring new frontiers or daring to go where traditional

thought did not allow. Travel and tourism markets are changing. Socio-

demographic changes marked by an active aging population, two-income

families, childless couples, and a rising population of single adults have led to

substantial changes in travel and lei-sure demand and in patterns of travel

markets (Chon and Singh 1995; Loverseed 1997; Morrison et al. 1996;

Ross1999).

Things that would never appear on the list of the "mass" tourist such as

adventure, getting off the beaten track and mingling with the locals are now

the foundations of the new tourist experiences. Responding to the shift in

market dynamics towards a "New" style of tourist, a number of initiatives

have or are likely to fuel the growth of experiential tourism, these include:

network tourism initiatives; the development of interpretive highways; the

explosion of interpretive centres; the latest trend towards regional base

camps. A new era has arrived, and a new kind of tourism is emerging,

sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible, and characterized by

flexibility and choice. A new type of tourist is driving it: more educated,

experienced, independent, conservation-minded, respectful of cultures, and

insistent on value for money. Typically these tourists are turning away from

travel and prefer to have a high level of involvement in the organisation of

their trip (Stanciulescu et al., 2011).

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By definition, special interest tourism refers to ―the provision of customized

leisure and recreational experiences driven by specific interests of individuals

and groups‖ (Derrett, 2001) In this, satisfaction and self-actualization appear

to be crucial in understanding a traveller‘s engagement with an activity or a

product for a distinct and specific purpose to satisfy his or her particular

interests and needs (Hall 1989; Loverseed 1997; Sorensen 1993).

Examples of special interest tourism include ecotourism (Boo 1990; Cater and

Lowman 1994), nature tourism (Whelan 1991), and adventure tourism

(Christiansen ,1990; Hall et al., 1992)

The emergence of the special interest tourism segment, for instance, has been

driven by market demand to cater to today‘s travellers who are pursuing

special interests in more diversified categories than in the past (Hall and

Weiler 1992). By definition, special interest tourism refers to ―the provision of

customized leisure and recreational experiences driven by specific interests of

individuals and groups‖ (Derrett, 2001) In this, satisfaction and self-

actualization appear to be crucial in understanding a traveller‘s engagement

with an activity or a product for a distinct and specific purpose to satisfy his

or her particular interests and needs.

(Hall 1989; Loverseed 1997; Sorensen 1993). Examples of special interest

tourism include ecotourism (Boo 1990; Cater and Lowman 1994), nature

tourism (Whelan 1991), and adventure tourism (Christiansen 1990; Hall

1992), just to name a few. Adventure travel has been developed out of a

broader growth of traditional outdoor and wilderness recreation (Ewert 1989).

It has broadened its scope and appeal among travellers who want to

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―experience‖ a vacation by participating in specific activities (Black and

Rutledge 1995; Madrigal 1995; Vellas and Becherel 1995) that are adventure

based (Ewert 1987; Hall 1989). According to Sung, Morrison, and O‘Leary

(1997), the notion of adventure from past leisure and recreation studies can

be linked to a tourism perspective in defining adventure travel as ―a trip or

travel with the specific purpose of activity participation to explore a new

experience, often involving perceived risk or controlled danger associated with

personal challenges, in a natural environment or exotic outdoor setting‖.

Despite its growing popularity and expansion in the travel and tourism

industry, little scholarly investigation has been attempted in adventure travel

(Fluker and Turner 2000; Walle 1997; Weber 2001). Moreover, such

diversified products and services in adventure travel have attributed to a

great complexity for business entities in developing, delivering, and packaging

product offerings to today‘s marketplace (Loverseed 1997; Ross 1999). While

both active holidays and value for money have become key factors in selecting

an adventure vacation (Hall 1992; Oden 1995), it is challenging for adventure

travel practitioners to match the enormous variety of adventure travel

products and/or services with diversified consumer demands. Following this

line of reasoning, Sung et al. (1997) suggested that research in adventure

travel should start from understanding two dimensions: (1) the distinct notion

of adventure that had been often referred to as ―outdoor adventure recreation‖

or ―risk recreation‖ in past leisure studies and (2) the travel components in

serving the movement of individuals for specific activity participation.

Furthermore, understanding adventure travellers should be focussed on

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distinct travel psychographics emphasizing specific needs, motivations, and

expectations (Fluker and Turner 2000) or individuals‘ subjective experiences

and perceptions of adventure need (Weber 2001). In travel and tour-ism

marketing, analysing travellers‘ decision-making process generally aims at

obtaining two lines of information: (1) traveller characteristics and (2) their

consumer and travel behaviour. As Swarbrooke and Horner (1999) claimed,

today‘s marketing is based on the idea that knowing your customers and then

anticipating and meeting their needs is the key to success. The current

business and industry trend toward increasing diversity in travel demands

and travel-related products requires tourism marketers to identify detailed,

specific characteristics of travellers and their travel behaviour to effectively

pinpoint their target segments (Kotler, Bowen, and Makens 2002; Middleton

2001; Morrison 2001). To enhance the effective strategy formulation for

adventure travel providers and marketers, this study aims to improve

understanding of distinct adventure traveller subgroups through development

of a classification construct with specific focuses on (1) traveller

characteristics, (2) trip-related factors in the decision-making process, and (3)

perception of the adventure components.

Alternative tourism provides alternative opportunities to mass tourism. For

the purpose of this research, alternative tourism can be defined as: ―forms of

tourism that set out to be consistent with natural, social and community

values and which allow both hosts and guests to enjoy positive and

worthwhile interaction and shared experience‖ (Wearing, 2001). This

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definition includes the ecological, social, and economic tenets of sustainability

and encapsulates various forms of alternative tourism.

2.3. APPEARANCE ADVENTURE TOURISM AS NEW FORM OF TOURISM

Not only in the product market but also in the tourism sector tastes and

preferences vary. Researchers were primarily focused with outdoor locations

and it has been argued that recreation and adventure often serve different

clientele with different needs, expectations, and motivations (Ewert &

Hollenhorst, 1989; Schreyer & White, 1979; Schuett, 1993)

While travel costs remain a significant determinant in making travel

decisions, tourist satisfaction is increasing in importance (Krinppendorf,

1987). A true travel product must provide something extra besides value for

money to attract the tourist for some deeply satisfying purpose. This has led

to a remarkable shift towards new patterns in vacation choices to

accommodate the expanding range of interests and leisure travel activities

(Hall & Weiler, 1992) and 'experience-oriented' vacations.

It can be seen that the world tourism scenario is changing so fast towards a

positive dimension the international tourism is growing significantly with a

large GDP contribution. The global trend of tourism is nowadays looking for

new areas where tourist can explore new ideas as well as nonconventional

way to see the world in their own way with the experiential knowledge and

curiosity. It has been observed that the conventional tourism can cater the

huge range of satisfaction to the major portion of the global tourist

community but on the other side the nonconventional alternative tourism is

getting its market gradually. The experimentation is taking place in the global

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tourism sector in coping up with the changing international tourist behaviour

that‘s why the new form of tourism such as eco-tourism, medical tourism, sex

tourism, wild life tourism, nature tourism and adventure tourism are

emerging with its impact.

The conventional and the mass tourism have its own market but new age

tourism deserves more, Alternative tourism is one of the ways to counter the

alternative globalization which is directly affecting the tour and travel

industry in the world. Alternative tourism is the concept which is more

connected to human life related ingredients associated with core values

commitment towards the nature compare to mass tourism (Weaver & Lawton,

2002.)

Adventure tourism occupies a unique place in the tourism paradigm because

‗adventure‘ can mean many things to many people. With the release of a book

on the topic, Adventure Tourism: The New Frontier (Swarbrooke et al, 2003),

adventure tourism is now receiving the attention it deserves. Adventure

tourism helps create a foundation for the concepts and issues presented in

the case studies because of adventure tourisms‘ popularity, the defining

characteristics and how the industry is poised to grow. Studies have shown

that adventure tourism is gaining popularity. According to the winter 2006

edition of Adventure Travel News two studies show that roughly 69% of

survey participants plan on taking an adventure vacation in the future.

The same study showed a strong willingness to include hiking and bird

watching in the soft adventure category. The increase in popularity may also

be due to the broadening of adventure tourism‘s definition to include more

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focus on cultural exchange. The following are characteristics which can be

used to measure whether a given activity can be classified as an adventure:

1) uncertain outcomes, 2) some element of danger and risk, 3) challenge, 4)

anticipated rewards, 5) novelty, 6) stimulation and excitement, 7) escapism

and separation, 8) exploration and discovery, 9) absorption and focus and 10)

contrasting emotions (Swarbrooke, et al. 2003).

As many of these characteristics are related, it is the authors‘ belief that if all

these elements are present an adventure is assured. Some of the stimuli that

can impact these characteristics include: the environmental setting, the core

activities undertaken and the transportation needed (Swarbrooke et al, 2003).

Other factors include remoteness, skills needed, effort required, responsibility

and level of contrivance. Adventure tourism has the potential to grow

significantly relative to the participants, the activities and products, the

destinations and the operators (Swarbrooke et al. 2003).

2.4. ADVENTURE TOURISM IS BECOMING VITAL PART OF WORLD

TOURISM

Now a day with the changes in tastes and preferences of the international and

domestic tourists, the new areas of tourism like eco-tourism as well as

adventure tourism have emerged (WTTC/WEFA, 2000). Adventure travel

appears to have developed out of the broader, wider growth of traditional

outdoor and wilderness recreation during the 20th century .Unlike other

forms of recreation, adventure travel offers a unique opportunity in which

participants become more experienced and pursue extended scales of

"adventurous endeavours" ( Ewert, A., & Hollenhorst, S. 1989.) referred to

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this notion as the "adventure pursuit." Traditional forms of recreation usually

involve elements of skill in a specific outdoor setting. It is this "setting" that

provides the primary attraction in special interest travel. However, in

adventure travel, it is the "activity" that attracts travellers as participants.

What distinguishes the adventure travel activities from those of traditional

outdoor recreation is "the deliberate pursuit of risk and uncertainty of

outcome often referred to as adventure" (Ewert, 1989) where an individual

often faces increasing levels of risk or personal threat (Hall, 1992). Although

Ewert (1989) asserted that adventure pursuits can be subsumed under the

broader category of outdoor recreation, it is arguable whether such a category

is broad enough to cover the overall scope of adventure travel. Moreover, his

term "adventure pursuit" should be considered as a sub domain, that is, not

at an equivalent level with adventure travel but with adventure activities.

Also representing the development of the adventure travel market is the

growth of journals, magazines, and periodicals such as the Specialty Travel

Index illustrating "thousands of unusual travel opportunities worldwide"

(Hall, 1992).

It has been argued that outdoor recreation and outdoor adventure often serve

different clientele with different needs, expectations, and motivations (Ewert &

Hollenhorst, 1989; Schreyer & White, 1979; Schuett, 1993). The similarities

and differences between adventure travelers and outdoor

recreationalists are difficult to identify, particularly in the areas of motivation

(Ewert, 1989), challenge (Ewert, 1987; Yerkes, 1985), risk (Ewert, 1987; Ewert

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& Hollenhorst, 1989; Meier, 1978), and the specific setting (Robinson, 1992;

Schuett, 1993).

Ewert (1989) argued that the concept of risk-taking is essential to adventure

travel activities. One can predict that the absence of risk may result in a

decrease in satisfaction as well as a decrease in the desire to participate. As

such, risk is considered to be an important element in distinguishing outdoor

adventure activities and other outdoor recreation activities that are not

adventure-based (Ewert, 1987; Ewert & Hollenhorst, 1989; Meier, 1978). The

challenging nature of adventure experiences, as Iso-Ahola (1980) reported,

comes from the interaction of situational risk and personal competence. In

other words, the degree of risk-taking appears to have a positive correlation

with the level of experience and skill of the participant (Ewert, 1989). Past

recreation studies have observed that performance in adventure travel is

consistently associated with skill level (Ewert, 1987; Ewert & Hollenhorst,

1994; Martin & Priest 1986). It is more often linked to the

accomplishment of self-imposed, more abstract, personal goals than with

the tangible outcomes of traditional forms of outdoor recreation (Ewert,

1989).

The outdoor adventure experience has been conceptualized in many ways and

generally consists of two constructs: perceived risk and perceived

competence. Ewert and Hollenhorst (1989) described such experiences as a

'search for competence' coupled with 'the valuation of risk and danger.' Priest

(1992) proposed five concepts of competence related to the adventure

experience: fear, eustress, distress, abilities, and attitudes. He tested a model

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to represent the role which perceived risk and perceived competence play in

the adventure experience domain. Another underlying assumption is that an

adventure experience is essentially associated with a psychological state and

the participation in physical activities while facing the challenges and risks of

a specific environmental setting. Therefore, in adventure travel, the

environmental setting is highly interrelated with the experience of engaging in

a particular activity (Hall & Weiler, 1992). Thus, it can be argued that

adventure travel is associated with specific activities as a primary motive for

trips, as well as the expected outcomes from the participants' experiences in

particular environments. Another ingredient of adventure travel is an

amount of risk associated with the performance of these activities.

Adventure tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism

market. It has become so popular that approximately 100 million adults have

chosen vacations that are classified as soft adventure (Miller, 1997). In the

past, the tourism industry has focused on young, wealthy, and able-bodied

adventure tourists; however, this is slowly changing as marketers become

increasingly more aware of the active and adventurous baby boomers (Lehto

et al., 2008; Muller & O‘Cass, 2001; Patterson, 2002). It has been

acknowledged that people over 50 are more adventurous than their parents,

and they are often driven to discover new destinations and to try out new and

exciting leisure activities (Sellick, 2004).

Tourism industry is one of the most dynamic industries which interacts with

the tourist in regular basis and tries to cope up with the changes. World

widely the tourist test and preferences are changing. In this modern time it

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has been observed tourism demands are changing because of growth of

technology, cultural exchange, globalisation impact as well as life style

change. The modern tourists are very much enthusiastic in accepting the

challenging destination or the new unexplored places rather than the

traditional form of tourism. The tourists are not trying to restrict themselves

with the sightseen, relaxation, food and comfort they want more. Activities,

exploring new things experimentation as well as the thrill of discovering the

inner abilities as well as communication with the nature are becoming so

important part of the tourism. That‘s why the new age tourism is coming in to

the picture.

The new age tourism offers the new form of tourism such as eco-tourism,

adventure tourism, activity tourism, event tourism, special interest tourism

etc. The new form of tourism is breaking the conventional way of looking at

tourism. It can be seen that adventure tourism is one of the budding segment

of tourism which is gradually taking the popularity because of its unique

features. Adventure tourism offers exploring new things, experimentation,

cultural exchange, involvement with the nature, enjoying the destinations

with activities. The different forms of adventure tourism are Mountaineering,

Trekking, Camping, Rafting, Mount Biking, Wild Life Safari, Hot Air

Ballooning, Bungee Jumping, Parasailing, Paragliding, Diving and

Snorkelling.

Adventure tourism is categorically divided in to two parts, one is soft

adventure tourism and other is hard adventure tourism. Some degree of risk

are associated with adventure tourism, for soft adventure tourism perceptual

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risk is their but physical risk is less but in case of hard adventure tourism,

the perceptual as well as the physical risk both are high. In that case some

degree of skill is required in conducting and participating this type of hard

adventure tourism. Adventure tourism is mostly nature oriented tourism, the

tourist want to explore the natural environment without influencing the

richness of the environment as well as core natural and ecological balance.

This type of tourism is showing the phenomenal growth in the world tourism

market.

2.4. FUNCTIONAL DEFINITIONS AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

When the term ―adventure‖ is mentioned, images and associations flood the

mind. This word has different meanings to different people (Swartbrooke &

Beard, 2003).

According to Cashmore (2002), most people think of adventure as an

adrenaline rush and that the followers thereof are driven by a death wish.

According to Standeven (1999), adventure activities indicate a ―quest for

excitement‖ and they provide an opportunity to produce pleasurable forms of

tension and excitement, which offer an important counterbalance to the

routines of daily life in modern society.

Whiles interacting with the environment, participants engage in hiking,

rafting, kayaking, mountain biking and many more. There is a growing trend

towards adventure-orientated holiday behaviour in people seeking a more

intensive recreational experience (George R, 2004 & Hudson, 2003).

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According to the Global Adventure Travel Trade Association (USA), "adventure

travel" may be any tourist activity including two of the following three

components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange or interaction, and

engagement with nature.

Adventure tourism is an outdoor leisure activity that generally takes place in

an unusual, exotic, remote or wilderness setting, sometimes involving some

form of unconventional means of transportation and tending to be associated

with low or high levels of physical activity.

Adventure tourists want to be thrilled and perhaps frightened but not actually

endangered (Cater, 2005).

Muller and Cleaver (2000) defined adventure tourism as ―physically bracing,

adrenalin-driven, somewhat risky, with moments of exhilaration punctuated

by many opportunities to assess and reassess what has been done or

accomplished‖ An essential component of adventure tourism is travel to

unusual, exotic, and remote wilderness destinations (Kane & Tucker, 2004;

Millington, Locke, & Locke, 2001). Activity, experience, environment,

motivation, risk, and competence were identified as primary dimensions that

often characterize the traveller‘s perception of adventure travel (Sung,

Morrison, & O‘Leary, 1997). Examples of adventure activities are white-water

rafting, horseback riding, hiking, skiing, and scuba diving, mountain biking,

backpacking, and camping.

Swarbrooke, Beard, Leckie, and Pomfret (2003) concluded that adventure is

not defined according to the specific activities that are undertaken but more

by the state of mind and approach of the participant. However, there is no

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doubt that adventure denotes action, which is not a passive experience and is

generally found to be engaging and absorbing. Adventure also involves effort

and commitment, and mental and physical preparation or training is often

necessary. Studies have suggested that older travellers are finding adventure

tourism more appealing and are becoming more adventurous than previous

cohorts, wanting to travel to experience something they find personally

satisfying.

The adventure experience varies along a number of dimensions, including

type of travel, group membership, and amount and spectrum of risk (Cleaver

& Muller, 2002; Ewart & Jamieson, 2003; Muller & Cleaver, 2000). Thus,

participants can engage in the adventure activity according to several

dimensions, such as location (a remote wilderness trip traveling alone versus

a trip to Cancun on a cruise ship), which suggests that there are a variety of

levels and types of risk and danger that need to be seriously considered

(Bentley & Page, 2001).

Baby boomers in particular often crave adventurous and authentic learning

experiences and prefer to be part of the decision-making process. Some older

adults are now demanding trips that ―involve physical challenge, if not actual

danger, travel that involves an inner journey, intellectual challenge, as well as

exploration of new places and cultures‖ (Lipscombe, 1995, p. 44). This finding

is supported by Fortosis (2009), who contended that many baby boomers

desire a stimulating cultural and social experience that entails lots of

interaction and adventure.

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The research indicates that baby boomers prefer soft adventure experiences

under controlled conditions that are less physically demanding and the use of

trained guides who are employed to provide an educational component

(Muller & Cleaver, 2000). Travel companies should be aware of these

preferences as well as of the importance of catering to their customers‘ health

needs, providing activities that are less physically demanding, slower-paced

tours, greater choice in regard to food menus, and plenty of social activities so

as to enable the group to mix and get to know each other (Massow, 2000).

Gender differences have been noted, with older males preferring more

physically demanding activities, such as white-water rafting, rock climbing,

and caving, and older females preferring less physically demanding but more

educational activities, such as bird watching, horseback riding, and bush

walking (Muller & O‘Cass, 2001).

To define adventure travel, various components including activity, motivation,

risk, performance, experience, and environment must be considered.

Equally important is how these components can be combined to compose a

definition. Ewert (1989) suggested that outdoor adventure involves an

interaction with the natural environment, and this interaction requires an

element of risk, often exposed to physical danger. Given these factors,

adventure travel has been defined as: Any number of leisure pursuits which

provide exposure to physical danger (Meier, 1978).

A variety of self-initiated activities utilizing an interaction with the natural

environment, that contain elements of real or apparent danger, in which the

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outcome, while uncertain, can be influenced by the participant and

circumstance (Ewert, 1989).

Another factor to distinguish adventure travel from adventure recreation was

identified by Ewert (1987). He noticed that the distinction lies in the degree to

which participants have travelled from their home and have engaged in

formal, commercialized adventure-based activities.

As activities become commercialized, it is the tour operator who manages and

provides the adventure experience or package. As Hall (1992) pointed out, this

is particularly true when the nature of the risk elements in adventure

activities has to present perceived danger controlled by the expertise of an

operator. Hall's effort to define adventure travel was:

A broad spectrum of outdoor touristic activities, often commercialized and

involving an interaction with the natural environment away from the

participant‘s home range and containing elements of risks in which the

outcome is influenced by the participant, setting, and management of the

tourists' experience (Hall, 1989).

It is also noticeable that some of the other definitions of adventure travel often

propose to integrate the major components such as activities (or 'pursuits' in

many traditional leisure or recreation studies), environment, and experience.

These example adventure travel definitions are:

All pursuits that provide an inherently meaningful human experience that are

related directly to a particular outdoor environment - air, water, hills,

mountains, (Darst and Armstrong, 1980).

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Activities which involve human participation as a response to the challenge

offered primarily by the physical, natural world such as hills, air current,

and waves (Progen, 1979).

Participants can enjoy the unknown pleasures at outdoor activities in the

natural environment (Yerkes, 1985).

Apart from the six major components of adventure travel discussed earlier,

the fundamental framework to compose adventure travel must consist of

the constructs 'adventure' and 'travel.' A comprehensive definition of

adventure travel must contain a reasonable balance between these two

constructs. Johnston, 1992) considered adventure travel to be: Travel for the

specific purpose of pursuing adventurous recreation (Johnston, 1992)

Adventure Tourism Market report (2010) has indicated about the adventure

tourism activities such as Mountaineering, Rock-climbing, Diving &

Swimming, water activity, Trekking, Beach adventure, Natural beauty or

Jungle& Wildlife adventure, etc. It has been already expressed in adventure

tourism oriented books by John Swarbrooke et al. (2003) and Ralf Buckley

(2006).

Adventure tourism is generally divided in two types soft Adventure and hard.

According to John Swarbrooke et al. (2003) hard adventure denotes activities

with high or huge level of risk, requiring strong commitment and adventure

skill on the other hand soft adventure denotes activities with a perceived

hazard or risk but little real risk. Millington et al. (2001) has said that ―Hard

adventure requires some experience and proficiency in the activity prior to the

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tourism experience, whereas soft adventure does not necessarily require

previous experience.‖

It can be argued that many tourists might be looking for experiences in

addition to adventure recreation, particularly if their tour schedule is longer

ones and associated with other elements such as risk or performance.

The activity holiday market can simply be described as holidays that involve

sport or a form of physical activity (Mintel, 1999), though others note that it

can also include special interest and theme or hobby holidays (Roberts and

Hall, 2001). It is therefore very broad, and includes activities ranging from

sky-diving to landscape painting to learning a language.

It is apparent that activity tourism has a major role to play in adventure

tourism. Millington et al. (2001) reached the same conclusion, and suggested

that adventure tourism could be divided into two basic types –activity-driven

and destination-driven.

Nature-based tourism is a generic term that covers tourism based on the ‗use

of natural resources in a wild and undeveloped form (Goodwin, 1996: 287).

Ecotourism and wildlife tourism are forms of nature-based tourism. Of these,

ecotourism is the most well-known and frequently used in-phrase.

Grant (2001) suggests that there is an overlap between adventure tourism

and ecotourism. An activity such as whale watching could be described as

either an adventure tourism experience or an ecotourism experience,

depending on the emphasis and value the describer wishes to convey. Exactly

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the same argument applies to activity tourism, and the way it can overlap

with both adventure tourism and ecotourism

Fennell and Eagles (1990) created a ‗tourism activity spectrum‘, illustrated in

his diagram, which they use to explain the similarities and differences they

perceive between adventure tourism and ecotourism. The three types of

tourism that are included in the spectrum –adventure travel, ecotourism and

tour travel –are associated with differing degrees of certain variables (risks,

known and unknown results, certainty/safety, preparation/training). The

unique character of adventure travel is based on the high degree of

preparation and training needed prior to the experience, the high levels of

uncertainty of outcome and high degrees of risk.

Fig: Tourism activity spectrum (adapted from Fennell and Eagles, 1990)

Adventure tourism is different from the main stream tourism but it is having

some similarities with the eco-tourism. The similarities consists of the

connection with the nature as well as involvement with the natural

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environment in adventure tourism there is huge scope of exploring new things

and experimentation, activities which requires physical and mental

involvements. The scopes of self-learning and personal fulfilment are the main

source of motivation in adventure tourism.

2.5. PRESENT MARKET SCENARIO OF ADVENTURE TOURISM AND ITS

CONTRIBUTIONS

Adventure travel is gaining more popularity among today's urbane travellers

who want to "experience" a vacation rather than just spend their vacations on

sitting in tour bus (Black & Rutledge, 1995; Madrigal, 1995; Tourism Canada,

1995; Vellas, 1995). Adventure tourism over the world has become the new

budding sector of tourism.

A ―geotourism‖ study undertaken by National Geographic and TIA in 2002

suggests that adventure or ―active‖ travel is 20% of the leisure travel market,

between 16 million and 20 million adult travellers.

A survey of ATTA (Adventure Tour and Travel Association) members in 2009,

all of which are international adventure travel companies, provides an

indication of the size of the market. Of the 276 responding companies, a total

of 2 million customers each year were carried (ATTA, 2009). This equates to

an average of 7,842 customers per company per year, with an average price

point of US$2,748.

A survey by YouGov in 2009 (quoted in TUI, 2010) provides fascinating data

on the demand for (outbound) adventure travel. The analysis report by TUI

(2010) predicts a 70% increase in participation in adventure travel over the

next 3 years, in particular a doubling in activity, ‗off-the-beaten track‘ and

‗special interest holidays‘ and a trebling in ‗adventure‘, ‗eco-friendly/ethical‘

and ‗discovery‘ holidays. Small group travel (all types, not just adventure) is

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predicted to increase to nearly eight million over the next three years (YouGov

research 2009)

Adventure tourism is a large but little-studied sector (Buckley 2004a, Travel

Industry Association of America, 2005).

A World Travel and Tourism Council report indicated that ―eco-tourism,‖ with

its many similarities to adventure travel, contributed US$ 154 billion in

worldwide receipts in 2000 and is growing at 20% annually.

The Mintel Report 2001 on the European Adventure Travel Market suggests

that the adventure side of the package tourism business in Europe accounts

for something in the region of 25% of the total package sales. This indicates

that, excluding domestic travel, the total size of the European Adventure

travel market is some 443,000 holidays per year.

81%

68%

55%

54%

53%

53%

50%

46%

46%

45%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Hiking/Walking

Cultural Activities

Trekking

Wildlife/Nature

National Parks

Bird Watching

Sea Kayaking

Historic Sites

Mountain Biking

Rafting

Top Activities Offered by Adventure Tour Operators in the world Tourism Market (% of Tour operators)

Source: Adventure Tourism Market Report, Study by George Washington

University, Adventure Travel Trade Association, Xola Consulting; 2010

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Adventure tourism is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel

industry with recent estimates based on consumer surveys indicating 17%

growth from 2009 – 2010.Additionally, in 2007, a survey among one hundred

tourist boards showed that less than half recognized adventure tourism as a

stand-alone sector within tourism at their destination. Today, however, nearly

90 percent qualify adventure tourism as a stand-alone sub-sector (ATTA,

2011). Tourists are increasingly seeking travel experiences involving physical

activity, culture interactions and engagement with nature during their

vacations, and destinations are responding by updating their brands, building

networks of public-private partnerships to increase capacity building, and

revising policies to help promote and develop locales as adventure tourism

destinations.

Several countries in the world have nature-based tourism as a key component

of their most important export industry. They are already promoting

adventure tourism for better economic impact. The demand for adventure

tourism comes from a wide group of visitors, both domestic and foreign.

These countries include Australia, Kenya, Nepal, New Zealand, Tanzania,

Costa Rica, and Botswana Chile, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Israel,

Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Korea Republic, Hungary and others.

Since adventure tourism is strongly linked to the natural and cultural

resources that support it, this sector has the unique potential to promote

long-term environmental and socio-cultural conservation while preventing

excessive leakages and helping to keep tourist dollars in the destination

economy. The sustainability and profitability of new initiatives will depend on

a coordinated effort between industry, government, local communities, and

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project supporters. These actors will need to take a development approach

uniquely tailored to the local political, economic, social, and environmental

landscape. This can be challenging, especially in emerging markets where

adventure tourism development efforts often occur at a grass-roots level, with

a small pool of skilled labour, lack of technology, and limited institutional

support. Improvements in education and training, the promotion of

collaborative efforts, and the sharing of adventure tourism best practices can

all help support the sustainable growth of the adventure travel sector in these

markets.

2.6. THE RESEARCH GAP

On the Indian front not much research has been done on Indian Adventure

tourism aspect as compared to international studies. Jauhari (2009) has

discussed that the potential that tourism holds for India and its economic

growth. Gopal et.al (2008) has focused Healthcare tourism sector also has its

own challenges. He prospects of economic growth through the development of

rural and agri-tourism. Rural tourism has many challenges and is yet to be

developed (Halder 2007) and rural tourism can be utilized for entrepreneurial

purpose for the development of the villages (Singh 2010). Gautam (2008) has

talked about rich heritage of healthcare systems, such as Ayurveda and Yoga,

Healthcare tourism sector and its prospects and challenges. He has also

discussed that leveraging the tourism potential with Indian strengths in

healthcare sector would attract more tourists, than now. Asia‘s medical

tourism industry is expected to be worth at least US$ 4 billion by the

year 2012. Currently (2011), an estimated 1.32 million medical tourists

come to Asia from all over the world, including the U.S. and Europe

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(actually, quite a bit of the current travel comes from within the Asian region

itself) (Vequist, Valdez and Morrison, 2009). Prakash et.al (2011) have

conducted an in depth study of the various problems faced by medical

tourists visiting India viz. important concerns of medical tourists visiting

India vis-à-vis various service providers in value chain, and are

commended solutions for them . Manaktola et.al (2007) have discussed the

various dimensions relating to tourist behaviour and also providing a huge

view of environmental management by hotels and related tourism businesses

in India. Gupta et.al (2009) have done a research on the tourism and various

magnitude of sustainable tourism in India. Jauhari (2009) has discussed the

various scope of tourism in economic growth of India. Sanjeev (2007) has

properly measured the efficiency of the hotel as well as restaurant industry in

India to find the proper tourism growth. Dabas et.al (2007)have talked about

the about managing the customer evaluated current room inventory

distribution strategies of mid-segment hotels in India, identifying factors that

influence the managerial decisions in selecting electronic distribution channel

for their property. Dwivedi, (2009) has paying attention on the use of the

internet in destination image formation by exploring India's online image

through consumer queries posted on travel message boards. Yadav et.al

(2009) have explored the online destination image of Goa. Dutta et.al (2009)

have discussed role of the internet as an instrument for sustainable tourism

in India, especially as organised by a large segment of three star and four star

hotels in India. Khan (2008) has argued about service community and service

provider skill development for the improvement of the tourism industry in

India. Jauhari (2010) has identified that there are numerous factors affecting

infrastructure quality as well as service-related fundamental elements which

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should be organized to achieve the improved levels of service. Karar (2010)

has talked about various contribution of pilgrim tourism at Haridwar in socio-

economic development. The book by Harsh Nevatia ―A guide to spiritual

tourism in India‖ (ISBN 978-93-80149-02-8) has talked about religious

tourism, according to him Religious tourism has a big future in India. India is

richly endowed with ancient temples and religious festivals. Religions

originating in India, be it Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism or Buddhism, have a

vibrant culture and spiritual philosophy. Together, they present a viable,

alternative way of life as compared to the materialism and confrontation

prevalent in the West. Religious Tourism - India's Very Unique Selling

Proposition. Jauhari et.al (2010) has also done noble research on consumer

experience regarding cultural and spiritual tourism in India. Aggarwal et.al

(2008) have talked about tourism value promotion through Spiritual & Yoga

Tourism of Rishikesh also analised the motivation of the foreign tourist.

Yadav et.al (2010) have explored a significant connection between socio-

cultural causes and tourist pleasure and they have also analysed how Indian

tourism is responsibly supporting that. Harish (2010) has analyzed the

structural design and promotional modelling of Indian tourism branding.

Singh et.al (2004) has talked about the prospective of mountain resources

which can be used to encourage the green tourism in India with huge natural

and cultural inheritance.

From the above research areas it can be easily said that most of the

researcher has concentrated on historical tourism, spiritual tourism & yoga

tourism, heritage tourism, pilgrimage tourism, eco-tourism medical tourism,

sustainable tourism, information technology & tourism and rural tourism. On

the other hand so many researcher has tried to explore the prospect of Indian

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tourism with significant effect in GDP contribution, hospitality industry

related growth aspect, quality management of tourism. Some researchers are

trying to explore the different state wise tourism activity and growth but

somehow the research relating to adventure tourism is not popular in India

and this has been clearly shown by review of the different Indian tourism

literature. Till today marketing of adventure tourism is considered as the

niche segment of tourism. At international level adventure tourism has

become the popular area of the research. The researchers from the different

countries are showing interest in exploring this new segment of tourism and

they are contributing well and establishing that this adventure tourism sector

can significantly contribute to national and international growth. It has been

observed that the nature based tourism, wild life tourism and expeditions are

becoming much more popular with the changing behaviour of the tourist in

present situation globalization era. Instead of considering adventure tourism

as niche segment the global researcher are considering this adventure

tourism as new age tourism which is competing mass tourism and traditional

tourism.

Here the gap of the research can easily identify that the present research ―A

Study on Adventure Tourism as an Emergent Sector in West Bengal.‖ is

significant in exploring the new areas of adventure tourism dimensions. The

present study can contribute in finding the scope of adventure tourism for

India in general and West Bengal in particular. It can also provide the space

to generate new ideas and thoughts how this adventure tourism sector can be

branded, positioned and marketed with the objective of overall tourism growth

and for boosting up the GDP.

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Chapter 3

Methodology

SL.NO. CHAPTER CONTAINS PAGE NO.

3.1 INTRODUCTION 90

3.2 DATA SOURCE 91

3.3 OBJECTIVES & HYPOTHESIS 92

3.4.1 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACH 98

3.4.2 CASE STUDY ANALYSIS 99

3.4.3 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) 101

3.4.4 IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS 104

3.5.2 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH 105

3.5.2 POPULATION 105

3.5.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE FOR

QUANTITATIVE DATA COLLECTION

106

3.6 USE OF DATA ANALYSIS TOOLS IN THE

CURRENT STUDY

111

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3.1. INTRODUCTION

This research is based on a good combination of qualitative and quantitative

research approach. In qualitative research the case study method and the

observational method has been followed. The tools are used in qualitative

research are focus group discussion (FGD), In-depth Interview in collecting

the primary data in connection with observational study.

In quantitative research approach the questionnaire survey method with

random sampling technique is followed in gathering the primary data.

The sampling plan started with defining the population and after that the

data collection method has finalized then sample frame has been identified.

After defining the sample frame the sampling method has been chosen in this

current research systematic random sampling method has been followed in

primary data collection the determination of sample size is based on

statistical calculation and literature review.

Mostly the non-parametric statistical analyses and tools are being used for

testing the hypothesis. The factor analysis has been conducted in analysing

the tourist segments as well as their preferences. The multidimensional

scaling (MDS) is being used in finding the mental map of different activities in

connection with adventure tourism.

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3.2. DATA SOURCE

Secondary data:

The basic source of the secondary data source are national and international

tourism literatures, facts and figures provided by national and international

organization, several books on adventure tourism as well as several research

paper on adventure tourism etc. Internet databases relating to tourism has

also been utilized for the purpose of secondary data collection. The secondary

data have been used in case study analysis.

Primary data:

The tools are used in gathering primary data are questionnaire surveys. The

random sampling technique has been used to fill up the questionnaire. The

questionnaire is a mix of open-ended and close-ended question in a

structured way. The scale are being use for close-ended question are mostly

Nominal and Ordinal scale. The sample size is 250, which have been collected

from different parts of West Bengal.

Three focus group discussions (FGD) have been conducted for gathering the

information as much as possible concerning to present research. In each

focused group there were eight participants, the Session of discussion has

been maintained as per the slandered timing one to 1.5 hours. The total of 26

participants were being selected on basis of convenience from the database of

125 listed members (the database consisting of tourist; stakeholder/tour

operates and tour expert). The sites of the focus group interviews are Kolkata

and Ranchi.

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In this present research more than 25 depth interviews were conducted of

tourist, stakeholder/tour operates and tour experts. The interview was

conducted with a good set of structural and open-ended questions to find the

real fact associated with the research objectives.

3.3. OBJECTIVES

The current research is trying to explore different selected dimensions of

adventure tourism and its marketing in connection with the research topic

with the intention to find the best possible outcomes, that quest is guiding

and helping the research in formulating the objective of the research which

are as follows :

The current research aims to study the scope of India in general and West

Bengal in particular as an Adventure tourism destination.

Present study shall try to find out expectations and experiences of

adventure tourists to recognize the factors like; target group

attractiveness, i.e. how for each target group of adventure tourism in India

in general and West Bengal in particular is being catered.

The study shall try to find out what are the lacunas in the marketing field

and in the infrastructural field, if any.

The study shall try to find out how different marketing and promotional

strategies can be developed to promote sustainable adventure tourism in

India in general and West Bengal in particular.

Current study also aims to study the different aspect of adventure tourism

destination branding and also to identify where India in general and West

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Bengal in particular stands in the Global tourism market in respect of

adventure tourism brand. It also attempts to identify how well-planned

branding of adventure tourism can indeed bring a big opportunity to West

Bengal & its people in the days to come.

HYPOTHESIS

To examine the Demographic Variables and its relation with Tourism interest

in General and Adventure Tourism in Particular several hypothesis have been

formulated and tested with different statistical methods.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Age of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Age of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference

or priority.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Income of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Income of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Education of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or

priority.

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Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Education of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Occupation of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or

priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Occupation of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Gender of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Gender of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

To find the parity in preference to Adventure Tourism of all the groups

several hypothesis has been formulated

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean rank for preference to Adventure Tourism

of all the age groups is equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across age groups.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean rank for preference to Adventure Tourism

of all the gender groups is equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across gender groups.

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Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean ranks for preference to Adventure Tourism

of all the income groups are equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across income groups.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean ranks for preference to Adventure Tourism

of all the education groups are equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across education groups.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean ranks for preference to Adventure Tourism

of all the occupation groups are equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across occupation groups.

Several hypotheses has been formed to validate the importance of marketing

related components or factors in making decision of Adventure tourism

Destination

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s age is not significantly associated with the

components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s age is significantly associated with the

components of adventure tourism destination making.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s personal income is not significantly

associated with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

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Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s personal income is significantly

associated with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s education is not significantly associated with

the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s education is significantly associated

with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s Occupation is not significantly associated

with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s Occupation is significantly associated

with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s gender is not significantly associated with the

components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s gender is significantly associated with

the components of adventure tourism destination making.

For the segmentation analysis several hypotheses has been formed

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between gender

and tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

gender and tourism preference or priority.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between

education level and types of tourism preference or priority.

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Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

education level and types of tourism preference or priority.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between income

level and types of tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

income level and types of tourism preference or priority.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between age level

and types of tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

age level and types of tourism preference or priority.

To study the Marketing Communication and Its Effectiveness to Promote West

Bengal as Adventure Tourism Destination several hypothesis has been

formulated.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Marketing communication of West Bengal tourism is

not adequate to promote West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination in

present market condition.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Marketing communication of West Bengal

tourism is adequate to promote West Bengal as an adventure tourism

destination in present market condition.

To test the above hypothesis the sub hypothesis has been developed those are

as follows

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Null Hypothesis (H0): Marketing communication with different media is not

adequate in creating awareness of West Bengal as an adventure tourism

destination in present market condition.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Marketing communication with different media

is adequate in creating awareness of West Bengal as an adventure tourism

destination in present market condition.

Null Hypothesis (H0): there is no significant relation in between awareness of

West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination and Intention to visit West

Bengal for adventure tourism purpose.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): there is a significant relation in between

awareness of West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination and Intention

to visit West Bengal for adventure tourism purpose.

3.4.1. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACH

Smith, et al, (2001) and Walle, (1997) described that ―qualitative research‖

methods nowadays are widely used in tourism research and are gaining wide

acceptance in the social sciences . Walle, (1997) explained that the use of

qualitative research methods in tourism is useful and appropriate.

In the current research qualitative approach consist of Case Study method

and the Observational Study method.

The tools are used in qualitative research are Focused Group Discussions and

In-Depth Interview have been conducted in collecting the primary data in

connection with observational study.

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3.4.2. CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

A case study, according to Hartley (1994, cited by Brotherton, 1999), consists

of ‗A detailed investigation, often with data collected over a period of time with

a view to provide an analysis of the context and processed involved in the

phenomenon under study. The phenomenon is not isolated from its context of

research but is of interest precisely because it is in relation to its context.‘

Case studies can also help to understand the existing difference between the

ideal and the real (Kane and Brun, 2001). Therefore, they can show how

things happen in reality in contrast to what the theoretical literature

considers should happen. And at the same time, it contributes to a better

understand the phenomenon researched by studying single examples (Veal,

1997).

For case study analysis the different source of secondary facts are being used

for gathering the relevant data. Current research is not only focusing on

national level case studies but it is also focusing on international cases too.

The main objective of the case study is to identify the secrets regarding the

growth of adventure tourism sector. The current research is also trying to

identify the various aspects of marketing and promotion of adventure tourism

product in different countries. How they are attracting the domestic as well as

the international tourist in sustainable manner. The secondary data source

are national and international tourism literatures, facts and figures provided

by international organizations of tourism, several books on adventure tourism

as well as several research paper on adventure tourism etc. the main focus of

the case study are to identify the world tourism growth and its behavioral

aspect how the different countries are contributing to the world tourism. In

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case study analysis the main focus was to identify the growth, marketing

efforts, branding and positioning and the analysis of the aspect regarding the

promotion of adventure tourism sector by enhancing the core competency

(how the different countries are differentiating themselves by using proper

strategic action in order to utilize their core competency) Apart from the

international cases the study is also focusing on different domestic tourism

cases relating to several Indian states such as North-East India, Uttrakhand,

Andra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala etc.

The main purpose to analyze the domestic cases are to gather the information

regarding the successive factors, marketing efforts, positioning strategy, State

government initiatives in connection with adventure tourism and also to find

the significant contribution of adventure tourism in attracting the foreign as

well as domestic tourist. This is also helping the research to identify the

government initiatives, utilization of natural tourism resources, marketing

and promotion as well as how they are managing the adventure tourism

circuit and management of tourism circuit and how far West Bengal is lacking

behind the overall case study approach.

Case study is the qualitative and interpreting research which can be used in

finding the in-depth idea about a specific issue/incident or the specific area

and the phenomenon which can provide a significant idea with its qualitative

data, logical arguments, historical background, and correlations among the

factors. It can be also helpful in simulation and experimentation. In this

research two types of case study approach has been used these are

descriptive and collective research and multiple case studies approach.

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In descriptive case study and collective case study approach the research is

trying to describe and intervention or phenomenon and real time context in

which it occurred in several countries regarding the adventure tourism and

growth. Several international and national level cases have being studied to

gather the proper knowledge relating to the present study. In multiple case

studies helping the research to explore differences within and between

different cases to replicate the findings across the cases because comparison

and the differences strengthens the study by providing opportunities for

triangulations during the analysis phase of the study. A standard structure of

the case study analysis has been followed in the current research. First step

in this research was to determining and defining the research problem and

how it can be solved with case base analysis. The second step was to selecting

the relevant cases and gathering the data relating to the case study from

different secondary sources. The qualitative evaluation and analysis of the

case was the third step in the current research and the final step was to

preparation of the report on base of case studies.

3.4.3. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD)

A focus group is ―an interview with a small group of people on a specific topic‖

(Patton, 2002). Focus groups discussions provide multiple points of view on a

topic, which can be discussed and explained by the participants face to face

and in detail. More specifically, focus groups involve the coordination of a

discussion with a group of people, which requires the development of

particular skills. Indeed, the presence of different personalities within a group

leads some individuals to dominate the discussion whereas other participants

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may not feel free to express their opinion. Focus groups are used for multiple

purposes, but mainly for understanding discursive group dynamics and

exploring new perspectives (Lindlof and Taylor, 2002). It may also be used for

collecting in-depth data (Morgan 1996). According to Rafipoor, (2005) FGD is

special important technique in social sciences.

Focus group discussion has been considered as one of the vital qualitative

tools in this research. The original idea for using focus group is to investigate

how people are having the knowledge regarding a specific issue or the fact.

The projective experience, ideas and the knowledge of the responder helps in

gathering the significant information regarding a specific issue or the fact. A

focus group is a formal method for interviewing multiple responders at the

same time. A focus group technique allows the researcher to develop an

understanding about why people feel the way they does. In a normal

individual interview the interviewee is often asked about his or her responses

for holding a particular independent view, but the focus group approach

offers the opportunity of allowing people to probe each other‘s responses for

holding a collective view.

Three focus group discussions (FGD) have been conducted for gathering the

information as much as possible concerning to present research. In each

focused group there were eight participants, the Session of discussion has

been maintained as per the slandered timing one to 1.5 hours. The total of 26

participants were being selected on basis of convenience from the database of

125 listed members (the database consisting of obtained tourist,

stakeholder/tour operates and tour expert). The sites of the focus group

interviews are Kolkata and Ranchi. The point has been discussed regarding

103 | P a g e

the various scope of India in general and West Bengal in particular as an

Adventure tourism destination and identification of the problems in

association with Adventure tourism promotion in India in general and West

Bengal in particular. In that focused group interview open-ended responses

from each individual‘s has been properly recorded and moderated. The ideas

have been discussed properly in a structural way for clarification,

combination and evaluation and also to identify the expression of the

individual participants. In focus group interview the structured that have

been used are -Ice breaking session, Discussions on the topic/Questions for

focused group, Debriefing the discussion and concluding the discussion

In planning the Session in focused group interview consist of scheduling that

is determining the time frame, Setting and Refreshments as well as

introduction with the participants, ground rules and norms discussion,

putting up agenda and finally it has been planned to record the session with

an audio recorder.

In facilitating the Session the steps has been followed are to gathering useful

information, Introduction of the facilitator , co-facilitator and the moderator

have been given in a structured manner, explain of the means to record the

session has been given properly ,then the agenda has been put up. Then

after each question has been positioned before the group, then the agenda

have been carried out and discussed by all the group members. The entire

participants have been motivated to participate and talk on the issue to

gather the significant information. In closing the session after expressing

gratitude it has been committed that all the members will receive a copy of

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the report generated from their answers. During and after session several

written notes have been taken by the moderator.

3.4.4. IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS

As common with quantitative analyses, there are various forms of interview

design that can be developed to obtain thick, rich data utilizing a qualitative

investigational perspective (Creswell, 2007).

Coll and Chapman‘s (2000) explained Depth interviews is a key data-

gathering tool, allowing the researcher to probe stakeholders‘ views in depth

The Present research has also considered the in-depth interview as another

vital tool of gathering qualitative data. In this research more than 25 depth

interviews were conducted of tourist, stakeholder/tour operates and tour

experts. The interview was conducted with a good set of structural and open-

ended questions to find the real fact associated with the research objectives.

The interview is a key tool in the qualitative researcher. However, conducting

interviews is a complex and demanding task. There is a large literature on the

conducting of interviews (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998; Jaeger, 1997). The depth

interview has been panelled in structural framework which has covered the

overall objective, interview protocol and discussion on the probable topic. The

research questions were mostly open-ended. All the documentation has done

before and after the interview. The follow up interviews has also conducted as

a means of investigating particular aspect of interest in more depth. During

those follow up interviews a combination of critical incident techniques and

content analysis are used were relevant with the participants to investigate

various elements which are very much significant with the research.

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3.5.1. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

In quantitative research the questionnaire survey has been used in collecting

the primary data. The questionnaire is one of the well-established as well as

popular and important tool instruments in social science research for gaining

information on participant social features, present and past behaviour,

standards of behaviour or attitudes and their opinions and motives for action

with respect to the topic under research (Bulmer, 2004).

The present study has focus on the structure and the design of the

questionnaire by maintaining the proper flow and current study is having the

respect on the concept that ―Good questionnaire design is crucial‖ (Bulmer,

2004; Creswell, 2003; de Vaus, 2002; McGuirk and O‘Neill, 2005; Parfitt,

2005).

The random sampling technique has been used to fill up the questionnaire.

The questionnaire is a mix of open-ended and close-ended question in a

structured way. The scale are being use for close-ended question are mostly

Nominal and Ordinal scale.

3.5.2. POPULATION

The Population consist of the following people which have been determined

after the pilot research.

Intending travel to different destinations of West Bengal, people who are

staying in West Bengal.

Intending travel to different destinations of West Bengal, people who are

not staying in West Bengal.

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Intending travel to other Indian destinations as well as West Bengal,

people who are staying in West Bengal.

Intending to travel to other Indian destinations, but not West Bengal ,

people who are staying in West Bengal

Travellers who are staying in West Bengal

Non travellers, people who are staying in West Bengal.

3.5.3. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE FOR QUANTITATIVE DATA COLLECTION

Step I: There are several cities and district towns of West Bengal from where

good number of tour operators organise and provide or offer tourism service

like historical and heritage tourism, religious place tourism, cultural events

tourism, rural tourism, urban areas and shopping tourism, sightseeing

tourism, eco-tourism, mountain & hill stations tourism, beach tourism,

national parks/reserve forest tourism, as well as explorers & adventurers

activity tourism either within the State or outside the State . Among those

cities and district towns, Kolkata, Burdwan, Siliguri, Chandannagar & Hoogli,

Durgapur & Assansol were selected for study considering the easy

accessibility of the researcher and cost of survey. Incidentally these cities

and town are among top ten places in west Bengal from where different

tourism takes places every year. Databases were prepared consisting of 105

tour operators who are working with a structure format (having permanent

office and contact) among the selected cities and district towns. They were

properly numbered for the purpose of survey.

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Step II: Among the selected cities and district towns, 30 percent (30%) tour

operators were selected randomly with the help of random number tables from

tour operators database (total of 105 tour operators) with the objective of

getting the contacts of the tourist for the survey purpose.

Table of Sample distribution

Place Total no. of

Tour operator

information

gathered

Randomly

selected Tour

operator

No. of respondents

(tourist) from selected

tour operator

No. of

rejected

cases

Kolkata 50 15 150 24

Burdwan 14 4 40 9

Siliguri 17 5 50 14

Chandannagar & Hoogli

11 3 30 5

Durgapur &

Assansol

13 4 40 8

Total 105 31 310 60

Step III: Having selected the tour operators, 10 respondents (tourist) were

selected through random sampling from database of tourist that database

was supplied by the tour operators that have been only used for the current

research not for any commercial use. For this purpose of unbiased survey the

tourist database were numbered as per survey numbering. From that tourist

database first respondents (tourist) was selected randomly with the help of

two digit random number table and every 10th tourist was selected

subsequently till 10 number of respondents were completed. In every selected

tour operator, around 25-27% tourists or responders refused to give their

interview. Thus altogether 310 respondents were interviewed with the

questionnaire.

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Step IV: Filtration- having collected all interview schedules, schedules with

incomplete and inappropriate answers was discarded or rejected. In the

process 60 samples were discarded or rejected.

Margin of error before rejection it was 5.566 at 95% Confidence Level, but

after rejection margin of error become 6.198 at 95% Confidence Level. At 90%

level of significance is 5.2 and the confidence interval or the margin of error at

80% level of significance is 4.1. In all the cases percentage of picking a choice

maintained is 50 % (or 0.5).

There are so many tourism research, Social Science research and other

behavioral research have been done with higher margin of error than this

current research‘s margin of error 6.198 (at 95% Confidence Level) and which

is with less than 250 samples .

The book on cross-cultural tourism behaviour (Reisinger and Lindsay, 2003) is

also based on less than the sample size 250.

The well-known research of Jean-Michel Chapuis (2012) is also based on a

sample of 250 tourists the research has explained the fairness of the pricing

has more impact on consumer satisfaction than some attempts to explain the

price.

In the year 2012 Professor Jean Michel Chapuis (Department of management at

the University of Paris) has analysed the consumer behaviour with the sample

of 250 tourists the research work is appreciated by several people.

The Ph.D. thesis of Bayon, Samuel Edson has been submitted and approved

by to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor

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of Philosophy in the Centre for Recreation and Tourism at the University of

Zululand, in the year 2000. Where the researcher has used a quantitative

approach by means of statistical techniques, the study is based on 250

customers sample.

Muhammad Sabbir Rahman (2012) has tested the tourist‘s perception

towards selection the destinations in Bangladesh. The survey instrument was

employed by researcher using convenience sampling procedure on 250

tourists from significant tourist‘s destination places from Bangladesh.

In December 2011 PhD Thesis of Francine Mahoro Nahimana title of the

thesis is ― The attitude and perception of local and international tourists

regarding the protection of the genocide memorial sites in Rwanda" has been

submitted and approved by The Cape Peninsula University of Technology,

Cape Town.

There are several arguments regarding methodological aspect of segmentation

analysis. Some researcher are saying that market segmentation is a process

of discovery, an exploratory research can give better impact ( Aldenderfer and

Blashfield ,1984) on the other hand data-driven segmentation (Dolnicar,

2004) is another approach for improved segmentation analysis . Response-

based approaches have received significant attention in the marketing

literature (Wedel & Kamakura, 1998),

Tourists are not completely the similar; they have different needs, motivations

and preferences about their ideal vacation. Tourists are heterogeneous (Sara

Dolnicar , 2008). Market segmentation is the premeditated tool to justify the

heterogeneity among travelers by grouping them into market segments which

110 | P a g e

comprise members homogeneous to each other and heterogeneous to

members of other segments. In marketing of the tourism product

segmentation is so important (Dolnicar, S. & Kemp, B; 2008). Both tourism

studies and tourism business use the concept of market segmentation widely

to analyze openings for competitive advantages and marketing mix strategy

development matters in the marketplace.

According to Standeven (1999), an adventure activity takes about a ―quest for

excitement‖ and they provide an opportunity to produce pleasurable forms of

tension and excitement, which offer an important counterbalance to the

routines of daily life in modern society. Adventure tourism has been

numerously defined (Weaver, 1998; Fennell, 1999; Manning, 1999; Bentley et

al., 2000, 2001a,b,c; Buckley, 2000, 2004a; Bentley and Page, 2001;

Newsome et al., 2001; Page and Dowling, 2002). Generally, it means guided

commercial tours where the main attraction is an outdoor activity which

depends on features of the natural topography. Adventure Tourism Market

report (2010) has indicated about the adventure tourism activities such as

Mountaineering, Rock-climbing, Diving & Swimming, water activity, Trekking,

Beach adventure, Natural beauty or Jungle& Wildlife adventure, etc. It has

been already expressed in adventure tourism oriented books by John

Swarbrooke et al. (2003) and Ralf Buckley (2006). There are other factors

related to adventure tourism those are Fulfilment of Expectation , Explore

New Things , Food & Beverage, Night life , Hospitality , Tourism

Information , Feeling Safe , Medical Care, Price of the Consumables,

Quality of the Consumables, Communication and accessibility, Weather &

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climate , Involvement with Nature those factors are being used in

segmentation analysis in this present research.

3.6. USE OF DATA ANALYSIS TOOLS IN THE CURRENT STUDY

After getting the quantitative data it has been properly classified, processed,

coded and verified (data validation) according to the requirement of the data

processing statistical software. This study confirms the reliability with

cronbach‘s alpha test. This present research confirms the reliability with

cronbach‘s alpha test the value of the alpha is of 0.820 the total number of

variables are 103. The value of the cronbach‘s alpha test is assumed to be

good because the value of the alpha is of 0.820. The Microsoft Excel 2010

and SPSS-17 have been used in analysing the data. Normalization and

standardization has been done to justify the study. Descriptive analysis and

Different statistical test and model like Chi-square test, and other non-

parametric test are being conducted; Kruskal-Wallis test has been done. The

Kruskal-Wallis test is regarded as the non-parametric alternative to the

regular one-way analysis of variance and is used to compare the medians of

three or more independent samples (Welman et al., 2009; Weiers, 2008) in

the current research comparing the different target groups relating to

adventure tourism Kruskal-Wallis test benefited a lot. Correlations analysis,

Multidimensional scaling (MDS), KMO and Bartlett's Test Sampling

Adequacy, Factor analysis (Principal Component Analysis) and segmentation

analysis as well as cluster analysis are being done with help of above

specified statistical software (SPSS 17) to find the cause to consequences. To

examine statistical significance Sig-value (i.e. p-value) is being considered

112 | P a g e

because the most common practice is to state the level of significance that

the probability value should attain. A significance level is a statement of the

probability that an observed difference is due to chance. The most frequently

used levels of statistical significance are 0.10, 0.05 and 0.01 (Tustin et al.,

2005).

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Chapter 4

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS SL. NO.

CHAPTER CONTAINS PAGE NO.

4.1 BASIC DESCRIPTIVE DATA ANALYSIS OF THE TOURIST PROFILE AND THEIR PREFERENCES FROM THE RESEARCH SURVEY

114

4.2 ANALYSIS OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND ITS RELATION WITH TOURISM INTEREST IN GENERAL AND ADVENTURE TOURISM IN PARTICULAR

130

4.3 ANALYSIS OF THE WORLD ADVENTURE TOURISM MARKETING SCENARIO WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY

151

4.4 SUCCESSFUL CASES OF ADVENTURE DESTINATION BRAND BUILDING

180

4.5 ADVENTURE TOURISM IN INDIAN AND COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

182

4.6 CHALLENGES IN BRANDING OF INDIA TOURISM 187 4.7 SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS OF THE ADVENTURE

TOURISM MARKET AND NEED ASSESSMENT OF THE ADVENTURE TOURIST OF WEST BENGAL

192

4.8 ANALYSIS OF THE INDIAN CASE STUDIES TO IDENTIFY THE PROSPECT OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL AND TOURISM MARKET

209

4.9 PROSPECT ANALYSIS OF ADVENTURE TOURISM IN INDIA IN GENERAL AND WEST BENGAL IN PARTICULAR WITH FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION

231

4.9.1 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) OF EXPERTS AND TOUR OPERATORS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN ADVENTURE TOURISM BUSINESS

232

4.9.2 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) OF TARGET CONSUMER AND PROSPECTIVE ADVENTURE TOURIST STAYING IN WEST BENGAL

246

4.9.3 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD)OF NON BENGALI YOUTH TOURIST STAYING OUT SIDE WEST BENGAL

260

4.10 PROSPECT ANALYSIS OF THE ADVENTURE TOURISM AS A DEVELOPING SECTOR OF WEST BENGAL TOURISM AND ITS MARKETING WITH IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW

265

4.11 ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS TO PROMOTE WEST BENGAL AS AN ADVENTURE TOURISM DESTINATION

278

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Current research has tried to analysed the primary and secondary data, facts

and figures by using qualitative and quantitative tools and based on those

several analysis major outcome of the present research are as follows:

4.1. BASIC DESCRIPTIVE DATA ANALYSIS OF THE TOURIST PROFILE AND

THEIR PREFERENCES FROM THE RESEARCH SURVEY

Gender classification of the respondent

Male 178

Female 72

In this present research the parcentage of male and female respondrnt

distribution are 71.2% and 28.8% respectively . It can be seen that the

majority of the respondents are male. This is because the current research is

a study on tourism preferences and in our social set up decesions are

genarally patriarchally determined.

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Socio economic clasification (SEC)

Education

Occupation

Illiterate School up to

4 years

School 5–9 years

SSC /HSC

Some college but not graduate

Graduate/ Post graduate general

Graduate/ Post Graduate professional

Unskilled E2 E2 E1 D D D D

Skilled Workers E2 E1 D C C B2 B2

Petty traders E2 D D C C B2 B2

Shop Owners D D C B2 B1 A2 A2

Businessmen with No employees

D C B2 B1 A2 A2 A1

Businessmen with 1-9 employees

C B2 B2 B1 A2 A1 A1

Businessmen with 10+ employees

B1 B1 A2 A2 A1 A1 A1

Self Employed professional

D D D B2 B1 A2 A1

Clerical/Salesman D D D C B2 B1 B1

Supervisory Level D D C C B2 B1 A2

Officers/Executives-Junior

C C C B2 B1 A2 A2

Officers/Executives-Mid/Senior

B1 B1 B1 B1 A2 A1 A1

It divides the population into 3 classes:

Upper most segment of the consuming class-A1,A2 and B1

Middle segment- B2 and C

The lower most segment—D, E1, and E2.

SEC of CWE Frequency SEC of Responder Frequency

A1 84 A1 63

A2 124 A2 105

B1 26 B1 33

B2 16 B2 41

C 0 C 8

D 0 D 0

E1 0 E1 0

E2 0 E2 0

Total 250 Total 250

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It can be seen that most of the respondents and Chief Wage Earner(CWE) of

the family group are from the upper most segment consuming class which is

defined by A1, A2 and B1. Same is the distribution for the class of

respondents. It can be logically stated that tourism activity, generally is liked

and preferred by the people from middle of high consuming group.

Age group classification of the responses

Age class Frequency Percentage

18-24 Years 22 8.8

25-31 Years 78 31.2

32-38 Years 65 26

39-45 Years 55 22

46-52 Years 23 9.2

53-60 Years 7 2.8

Total 250 100

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Descriptive analysis of the data providing the basic information which are the

mode age group who prefer tourism is 25 years to 42 years, the male are

having more interest in tourism rather than women.

Analysis of preference relating to tour companion

Tour Companion Frequency

Alone 3

Wife 23

Friend (s) 72

Family (inclusive of children) 110

Parents 31

Relatives 45

Office colleagues 19

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According to above data existing it can be seen that tourist preference relating

to tour companion are mostly are Family (inclusive of children), Friends or

pear group, and Relatives. As judgment it can be said that tourists mostly

prefer tour companion rather than visiting the destination alone or

unaccompanied. Also according to the results obtained it can be specifically

stated that mostly people prefer tourism activity with family members

(including children).

Tourism interest analysis

Historical /Heritage tourism 126 50.40%

Spiritual enlightenment tourism 114 45.60%

Religious place tourism 127 50.80%

Cultural events tourism 57 22.80%

Rural tourism 64 25.60%

Urban areas and shopping tourism 56 22.40%

Sports tourism 50 20%

Sightseeing tourism 107 42.80%

Eco tourism 76 30.40%

Mountain/ Hill Stations Tourism 130 52%

Beach Tourism 140 56%

National parks/reserve forest tourism 116 46.40%

Explorers and adventurers tourism 73 29.20%

Snorkelling 34 13.60%

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The above descriptive analysis in terms of type of tourism preferred by the

tourist sample are Historical /Heritage tourism is liked by 50.4 %, Spiritual

enlightenment tourism is liked by 45.6 % , Religious place tourism is

favoured by 50.8 %, Cultural events tourism is preferred by 22.8 %, Rural

tourism is liked by 25.6 % , Urban areas and shopping tourism is favoured by

22.4 %, Sports tourism is liked 20 % ,Sightseeing tourism is liked 42.8 % ,

Eco tourism is liked 30.4% , Mountain/ Hill Stations Tourism is liked by 52

%, Beach Tourism is favoured by 56 %, National parks/reserve forest tourism

is loved 46.4%, Explorers adventurers tourism is liked by 29.2 %, Snorkelling

is preferred by 13.6%. The perceived data relating to tourism interest is

representing that tourists are having the interest and inclination towards

Nature, Cultural and Activity oriented tourism.

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Preference Regarding Information Source by the Tourists before Visiting

Any Place or Destination:

Information Source Mean score

Information from Family/Friends/ Relatives 4.44

Information from social gathering 4.24

Travel Shows on TV 4.2

Travel Journals 4.05

Newspaper Feature 4.08

News Channels 4.17

Travel Guides / Brochures from Agents or Tour Operators 4.34

Internet 4.31

Social Networking 4.17

Word of mouth communication 4.24

The most preferred information source by the tourists before visiting any

place or destination are information from family/friends/ relatives,

information from travel guides / brochures from agents or tour operators,

internet and Word of mouth communication. So it can be very well stated

that operators promoting a particular tourism form or destination should

highly focus on providing better services so that the word of mouth image is

not hampered.

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Knowing about Adventure Tourism

Yes 151

No 99

The above data are displaying that tourist are having idea about the

adventure tourism but the awarness is more requred to encourage the

knowledge of adventure tourism . Promotional aspect should be done

keeping in mind that most of the people are aware of the concept of adventure

tourism, what has to focussed is that the type of the activity and services

rendered.

Preferences about adventure tourism because of positive factors

Cost effective 54

natural challenge activities 81

freedom of Experimentation 75

new experience 74

interaction with the natural environment 75

Gather knowledge 80

outdoor recreations 29

building risk taking capacity 31

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According to the preferences about adventure tourism some of positive factors

has been identified those are natural challenge activities, gather knowledge,

freedom of experimentation, new experience, interaction with the natural

environment and some tourists find cost effective which are considered as

motivational imputes. While creating a proper mix of activities involved the

marketer or the operator should focus on the following aspect of the

consumer preference pattern regarding the reasons for adventure tourism.

The Tourist Participation in any of the Adventure Activities

Mountaineering 39

Trekking 83

Rock climbing 15

Bungee jumping 5

River rafting / Surfing 12

Camping / Hiking on gradually 7

Changing terrain bicycle touring 6

Wildlife adventure 86

Swimming 29

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Diving 7

Off road biking / mountain biking 3

Backpacking across rugged terrain 1

Cave exploring 5

Horse- riding 23

Beach Activity 74

Trekking, wildlife adventure, mountaineering, swimming, beach activity are

having higher preferences in connection to adventure activities.

Analysis of Types of Tourism Attraction a Comparative Position in Between

India and West Bengal

Types of tourism attraction

West Bengal India

nature based tourism 86 39

adventure tourism 55 151

Both 43 60

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In the aspect of Adventure Tourism where the India and West Bengal do

stand

Score for adventure tourism attraction West Bengal India

Mean score (in between 1 to 15 points) 6.05 7.36

Over all Total score (in 3750) 1513 1840

From the openion of the respondent it can be seen that they considre West

Bengal as good place for both nature based tourism as well as an adventure

tourism destination. The mean score and the overall total score are indicating

that West Bengal can be considered as possible adventure tourism

destination. So it can be very well stated that if proper steps are taken then

West Bengal can be easily transformed to a adventure tourism hotspot.

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Adventure activities

Already developed in

West Bengal

Number of tourist

are agree

Adventure activities

Need further

development in

West Bengal

Number of tourist are

agree

Mountaineering 82 Mountaineering 117

Trekking 141 Trekking 112

Rock climbing 95 Rock climbing 106

Bungee jumping 7 Bungee jumping 30

River rafting / Surfing 76 River rafting / Surfing 102

Camping / Hiking on

gradually 72

Camping / Hiking on

gradually 108

Changing terrain

bicycle touring 72

Changing terrain

bicycle touring 65

Swimming 28 Swimming 56

Diving 10 Diving 25

Wildlife adventure 156 Wild lif adventure 120

Beach Tourism 175 Beach Tourism 64

Off road biking /

mountain biking 13

Off road biking /

mountain biking 67

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It can be understood from the responses of the people that there are several

areas which can be developed to give a proper shape to adventure activity

related facility in West Bengal to boost the adventure tourism of West Bengal.

Such as mountaineering ,rock climbing, bungee jumping , river rafting /

surfing, camping / hiking on gradually , changing terrain bicycle ,swimming ,

diving , off road biking / mountain biking .etc. The following suggests that

mountaineering ,rock climbing, bungee jumping , river rafting / surfing,

camping / hiking on gradually , changing terrain bicycle ,swimming , diving ,

and off road biking / mountain biking, etc. needs further development is

West Bengal according to the bulk.

positive factor for adventure tourism West

Bengal India

Cost effectiveness 136 118

Infrastructural support 120 146

natural environmental diversity 127 133

good Resource for Adventure Tourism 121 135

information / knowledge providing method 80 122

good organized set up 76 120

proper guidance 78 104

Promotion 78 142

Figure: positive factor for adventure tourism

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Common Tourism Problems of Tourism

Number of tourist are agree for West Bengal

tourism Number of tourist are

agree for India

Cost 82 95

Lack of Government. support 139 12

Risk /fear Factor 126 130

Lack of Motivation 105 126

lack of promotion 186 90

lack of information / lack of knowledge providing 160 113

lack of organized set up 105 93

lack of guidance 120 96

The above data are displaing that West Bengal is having most vital plus

points in terms of tourism that are cost effectiveness or efficiency but the

other factors are somuch neglected such as Government. support, Risk /fear

Factor management, Motivation of the State Government., promotion,

information / lack of knowledge providing, organized set up, and guidance

are not fisible for West Bengal tourism .

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Ranking of the Adventure Destinations in West Bengal.

Adventure Attraction in West Bengal Mean rank Actual Rank

Exploring Dooars 4.39 1

Trekking in Lava and Lolaygaon 7.67 3

nature tourism in Siliguri 7.94 4

Trekking from Manebhanjan to Sandakphu 7.98 5

trek to Ajodhya Hills 8.2 6

River Rafting in Teesta 9.06 7

wild life adventure in Sunderbans 6.98 2

wild life adventure in Buxa Tiger Reserve 9.17 8

Exploring Dooars, wild life adventure in Sunderbans, Trekking in Lava and

Lolaygaon, nature tourism in Siliguri, Trekking from Manebhanjan to

Sandakphu, Ajodhya Hills, River Rafting in Teesta are mostly preferred by

the people in connection with adventure destination in West Bengal.

Comparative rank involving Adventure tourism attractiveness of West

Bengal with other state (at 5 point scale; 1is poor, 2 is Average,3 is

Fair,4 is Good,5 is Excellent)

State in India Mean score Rank

Uttaranchal 4.35 8

Himachal 4.66 1

Jammu and Kashmir 4.65 2

Goa 4.55 3

Andaman & Nicobar Islands 4.53 4

Kerala 4.39 5

West Bengal 4.33 9

Rajasthan 4.38 6

North East India 4.36 7

Arunachal Pradesh 4.38 2

Tamil Nadu 4.29 11

Sikkim 4.31 10

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Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Andaman &

Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Rajasthan, North East India , Uttaranchal are

holding higher rank or position than that of West Bengal in terms of

adventure tourism attractiveness the data is depicting that .

Preferred media of Communication for Adventure tourism

for West Bengal (at 5 point scale) Mean score

Information from Family/Friends/ Relatives 4.44

Information from social gathering 4.24

Travel Shows on TV 4.20

Travel Journals 4.05

Newspaper Feature 4.17

News Channels 4.34

Travel Guides / Brochures from Agents or Tour Operators 4.31

Internet 4.17

Social Networking 4.24

Word of mouth communication 4.44

It has been observed that the most preferred media of Communication for

adventure tourism for West Bengal are Word of mouth communication,

Information from Family/Friends/ Relatives, News Channels, Travel Guides

/ Brochures from Agents or Tour Operators, Information from social

gathering, Social Networking, Internet etc. Those media is having huge role

in communicating with the target customer.

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4.2. ANALYSIS OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND ITS RELATION WITH

TOURISM INTEREST IN GENERAL AND ADVENTURE TOURISM IN

PARTICULAR

To examine the demographical Variables and Tourism Interest in General and

Adventure Tourism in Particular several hypothesis has been formulated

tested with different statistical methods those are allowing the current

research to find the causes to consequences in proper way.

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Age of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Age of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference

or priority.

Hence it can be conclude that Adventure tourism preference or priority

Adventure tourism has no significant relationship or association with Age of

the Tourist which is given by the output below

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df

Asymp. Sig. (2-

sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 9.221 15 .866

Likelihood Ratio 10.322 15 .799

Linear-by-Linear Association .765 1 .382

N of Valid Cases 250

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Error Approx. T Approx. Sig.

Nominal by Nominal Phi .192 .866

Cramer's V .111 .866

Ordinal by Ordinal Kendall's tau-b -.056 .054 -1.044 .296

N of Valid Cases 250

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Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Income of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Income of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

Hence it can be conclude that Adventure tourism preference or priority

Adventure tourism has a significant relationship or association with Income

of the Tourist which is given by the output below (at 1% level of

significance).

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df

Asymp. Sig. (2-

sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 43.318 18 .001

Likelihood Ratio 41.240 18 .001

Linear-by-Linear Association 4.595 1 .032

N of Valid Cases 250

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Error Approx. T Approx. Sig.

Nominal by Nominal Phi .416 .001

Cramer's V .240 .001

Ordinal by Ordinal Kendall's tau-b .062 .055 1.112 .266

N of Valid Cases 250

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Education of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or

priority.

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Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Education of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

Hence it can be conclude that Adventure tourism preference or priority

Adventure tourism has a significant relationship or association with

Education which is given by the output below (at 1% level of significance).

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df

Asymp. Sig. (2-

sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 43.768 12 .000

Likelihood Ratio 30.775 12 .002

Linear-by-Linear Association .335 1 .563

N of Valid Cases 250

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Error Approx. T Approx. Sig.

Nominal by Nominal Phi .418 .000

Cramer's V .242 .000

Ordinal by Ordinal Kendall's tau-b -.009 .064 -.143 .886

N of Valid Cases 250

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Occupation of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or

priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Occupation of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

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Hence it can be concluding that Adventure tourism preference or priority

has a significant relationship or association with Occupation of the Tourist

which is given by the output below (at 1% level of significance).

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df

Asymp. Sig. (2-

sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 73.993 30 .000

Likelihood Ratio 65.325 30 .000

Linear-by-Linear Association 1.783 1 .182

N of Valid Cases 250

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Error Approx. T Approx. Sig.

Nominal by Nominal Phi .544 .000

Cramer's V .314 .000

Ordinal by Ordinal Kendall's tau-b -.031 .055 -.559 .576

N of Valid Cases 250

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant relationship or association in

between Gender of the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant relationship or

association in between Gender of the Tourist and Adventure tourism

preference or priority.

Hence it can be conclude that Adventure tourism preference or priority has

no significant relationship or association with Gender of the Tourist which is

given by the output below

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Chi-Square Tests

Value Df

Asymp. Sig. (2-

sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 1.888 3 .596

Likelihood Ratio 1.848 3 .604

Linear-by-Linear Association .149 1 .700

N of Valid Cases 250

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Error Approx. T Approx. Sig.

Nominal by Nominal Phi .087 .596

Cramer's V .087 .596

Ordinal by Ordinal Kendall's tau-b -.014 .061 -.227 .821

N of Valid Cases 250

Chi-Square Test shows there are significant relationships or association in

between Income, Education and Occupation of the Tourist and Adventure

tourism preference or priority. But in case of Age and Gender of the tourist

and preference for Adventure Tourism are not significantly related or

associated.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean rank for preference to Adventure Tourism

of all the age groups is equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across age groups.

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Kruskal-Wallis Test

Ranks

Age N Mean Rank

Preference for Adventure

Tourism

18-24 years 22 138.50

25-31 years 78 125.63

32-38 years 65 127.02

39-45 years 55 126.25

46-52 years 23 106.41

53-60 years 7 125.93

Total 250

Test Statisticsa,b

Preference for Adventure

Tourism

Chi-Square 2.759

Df 5

Asymp. Sig. .737

a. Kruskal Wallis Test

b. Grouping Variable: Age

The calculated value of Kruskal-Wallis test at 5 d.f. is .737. Hence research

cannot reject H0 and conclude that the adventure tourism is equally liked

across all age groups.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean rank for preference to Adventure Tourism

of all the gender groups is equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across gender groups.

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Kruskal-Wallis Test

Ranks

Gender N Mean Rank

Preference for Adventure Tourism Male 178 126.12

Female 72 123.96

Total 250

Test Statisticsa,b

Preference for

Adventure Tourism

Chi-Square .054

Df 1

Asymp. Sig. .816

a. Kruskal Wallis Test

b. Grouping Variable: gender

The calculated value of Kruskal-Wallis test at 1 d.f. is .816. Hence

research cannot reject H0 and conclude that the adventure tourism is

equally liked by both males and females.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean ranks for preference to Adventure

Tourism of all the income groups are equal.

Alternative hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across income groups.

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Kruskal-Wallis Test

Ranks

Income N Mean Rank

Preference for Adventure Tourism > Rs.10000 6 93.17

Rs.10001-20000 43 103.45

Rs.20001-30000 67 141.84

Rs.30001-40000 70 122.06

Rs.40001-50000 45 130.50

Rs.50001-100000 18 130.94

Rs.100000> 1 90.50

Total 250

Test Statisticsa,b

Preference for

Adventure Tourism

Chi-Square 10.958

Df 6

Asymp. Sig. .090

a. Kruskal Wallis Test

b. Grouping Variable: Income

The calculated value of Kruskal-Wallis test at 6 d.f. is .090 clearly

since p>0.05, therefore at 5% level of significance we can say that the

preference is similar for different income groups taken in to account.

However at 10% level of significance there is heterogeneity in mean

ranks and concludes that the adventure tourism is not equally liked

across all income groups.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean ranks for preference to Adventure

Tourism of all the education groups are equal.

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Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across education groups.

Kruskal-Wallis Test

Ranks

Education N Mean Rank

Preference for

Adventure Tourism

School 5-9 years 2 58.50

Ssc / Hsc(10th

,+2) 44 119.59

Graduation not

completed

4 116.50

Graduate /post-Graduate 183 131.41

Graduate /post-Graduate

(Professional )

17 87.15

Total 250

Test Statisticsa,b

Preference for

Adventure Tourism

Chi-Square 9.489

Df 4

Asymp. Sig. .050

a. Kruskal Wallis Test

b. Grouping Variable: Education

The calculated value of Kruskal-Wallis test at 4 d.f. is .050. Clearly since

p=0.05, therefore at 5% level of significance we can say that the preference

is similar for education age groups taken in to account. However at 10%

level of significance there is heterogeneity in mean ranks.

Null Hypothesis (H0): The mean ranks for preference to Adventure

Tourism of all the occupation groups are equal.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The mean rank for preference to Adventure

Tourism is not homogeneous across occupation groups.

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Kruskal-Wallis Test Ranks

Occupation N Mean Rank

Preference for Adventure Tourism Petty Traders 1 193.50

Shop owners 3 159.00

Business with no employee 24 100.98

Business with 1to9 employees 27 125.81

Business with 10+ employees 24 141.75

Self-employed Professional 15 156.03

Clerical / Salesman 25 109.48

Supervisory Level 49 124.47

Officers/Executives-junior 59 143.15

Officers/Executives-middle /senior

22 73.16

Total 249

Test Statisticsa,b

Preference for

Adventure Tourism

Chi-Square 28.941

Df 9

Asymp. Sig. .001

a. Kruskal Wallis Test

b. Grouping Variable: Occupation

The calculated value of Kruskal-Wallis test at 9 d.f. is .001. Hence research

can reject H0 , clearly since p<0.01, therefore at 1% level of significance and

conclude that the adventure tourism is not equally liked across all

occupation group.

Kruskal-Wallis Test shows that the mean scores relating to the preference

for Adventure Tourism are equal in case of Age and Gender of the tourist ,

but in case of Income, Education and Occupation of the tourist the median

scores relating to the preference for Adventure Tourism are not equal.

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Now testing the hypothesis to validate the components of adventure tourism

destination making with help of tourists demographic variables.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s age is not significantly associated with the

components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s age is significantly associated with

the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Significance

With Age variable

Pearson Chi-Square

Culture 13.274 20 0.865 Not Significant

Local people’s attitudes for Tourist

19.518 15 0.191 Not Significant

Experimentations 15.748 20 0.732 Not Significant

Fulfilment of Expectation 19.112 10 0.039 Significant at 5%

Explore new things 13.752 20 0.843 Not Significant

Accommodation 11.039 15 0.75 Not Significant

Tourism Information 9.156 15 0.869 Not Significant

Feeling Safe 18.517 15 0.236 Not Significant

Medical Care 19.898 15 0.176 Not Significant

Access Money and ATM 19.945 20 0.461 Not Significant

Quality Consumables 19.475 10 0.035 Significant at 5%

Local Artefacts 31.092 15 0.009 Significant at 1%

Weather 14.650 15 0.477 Not Significant

Communication Convenience Transport

21.512 10 0.018 Significant at 5%

Expense 13.762 10 0.184 Not Significant

Hygiene Cleanliness 19.704 15 0.184 Not Significant

Food and Beverages 9.171 10 0.516 Not Significant

Comfort Loading 11.139 10 0.347 Not Significant

Attractiveness of the Place 6.097 10 0.807 Not Significant

Value Addition 7.893 10 0.639 Not Significant

New Experience 30.448 15 0.01 Significant at 1%

Pleasure 8.158 10 0.613 Not Significant

Play, Activity and events 56.899 15 0 Significant at 1%

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From the above table it is clear that the tourist‘s age has a significant

relationship with the following factors:

1. Importance of the fulfillment of expectation linked with tourism activity.

2. Importance of availability of quality consumables. This suggests that if

the tourism industry has to be developed it should keep a close watch

on which age group is has a dominant say regarding the factor and

design the tourism package as per.

3. Local Artefacts:

4. New Experience: A significant relationship with age suggests that the

while there may be an age group which looks seek new experience in a

tourism activity, while there may be other groups for whom it may be

just relaxation. It can be said that the people of generally lower age

groups look for new experience in tourism activities, however a people

of generally higher age group seek relaxation. This is why it the people

of age older age group sometimes prefer going to same places again and

again just for the sake of relaxation. However this tendency cannot be

seen in the younger age groups.

5. Plan, activity and events: As suggested there is a significant

relationship of the importance of this factor at 1% level of significance.

This can be reconciled by the fact that the younger age group generally

preferring new experiences through events such as playing and other

activities. This generally occurs because of their tendency towards

socialization and group activities. However people of older age groups

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who have a tendency to travel because of personal relaxation factor are

not inclined towards group activities and events.

The other factors which are generic among all the age groups do not show any

significant relationship with age because nature of their importance is

homogeneous among different groups.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s personal income is not significantly

associated with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s personal income is significantly

associated with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Chi-Square Tests

Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig.

(2-sided)

Significance

With personal Income variable

Pearson Chi-Square

Culture 33.690a 24 .090 Significant at 10%

Local people’s

attitudes for Tourist

19.915a 18 .338 Not Significant

Experimentations 51.801a 24 .001 Significant at 1%

Fulfilment of Expectation 34.604a 12 .001 Significant at 1%

Explore new things 13.752a 20 0.843 Not Significant

Accommodation 30.959a 18 .029 Significant at 5%

Tourism Information 32.467a 18 .019 Significant at 5%

Feeling Safe 32.875a 18 .017 Significant at 5%

Medical Care 46.833a 18 .000 Significant at 1%

Access Money and ATM 46.344a 24 .004 Significant at 1%

Quality Consumables 37.442a 12 .000 Significant at 1%

Local Artefacts 25.411a 18 .114 Not Significant

Weather 89.904a 18 .000 Significant at 1%

Communication Convenience Transport

43.948a 12 .000 Significant at 1%

Expense 29.797a 12 .003 Significant at 1%

Hygiene Cleanliness 20.992a 18 .280 Not Significant

Food and Beverages 14.279a 12 .283 Not Significant

Comfort Loading 26.183a 12 .010 Significant at 5%

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Chi-Square Tests

Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Significance

Attractiveness of the Place 12.679a 12 .393 Not Significant

Value Addition 18.681a 12 .097 Significant at 10%

New Experience 20.933a 18 .283 Not Significant

Pleasure 12.825a 12 .382 Not Significant

Play, Activity and events 33.194a 18 .016 Significant at 5%

According to the table above the following factors show a significant

relationship with the income level:

1. Culture: The importance of culture of a place is seen to be an aggregate

of ambience, nature, the type of tourists visiting the place etc. Generally

people with higher income level prefer places where there is an

optimum combination of good luxury hotels, better type of tourists etc.

Also the culture of a tourist spot which apart from its imbibed culture

highly depends on the nature of tourists depends on income level of

consumers too. The significance is observed at 10% level of significance.

2. Importance of weather of a place as felt by tourists has a significant

relationship with income level at 1% level of significance.

3. The importance of communication, conveyance and travel as felt by

tourists has a significant relationship with age at 1% level of

significance. This can be explained by the fact that tourists with higher

income level generally prefer private or personal mode of conveyance

and do not always depend on the generic and mass mode of transport.

This personal mode of conveyance may be in two forms:

A) Personal Owned Conveyance.

B) Hired cars.

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In either of the cases there is no much need of mass transport like buses or

trains. But this is generally not the case with people of lower income group.

They prefer mass transport mode like busses, railways etc. So the importance

of conveyance and transportation has a significant relation with income level.

4. Importance of expense is seen to have a significant relationship with

income level at 1% level of significance. This relationship is quite natural as

people with high income generally can afford high costs however people with

lower income generally prefer cheaper and less expensive modes. So for

people with higher income group‘s expense may not be much important while

for people of lower income groups this is the most important factor.

5. Preference towards comfort loading depends upon the ability to spend or

expense bearing capacity which directly depends upon the income level.

Generally people with higher income level prefer higher comfort loading.

However people with lower income groups can sacrifice the factor of comfort

loading.

6. The importance of value addition has a significant relationship with income

level at 10% level of significance.

7. The importance of playing activities and other events is seen to have

significant relationship with income level at 5% level of significance. The

reason attributable to this can be that generally playing other entertainment

activities are offered in hotels and resorts with high expense which is as

discussed earlier preferred ny people with higher income groups however this

may not be the case with people from lower income group. The people in the

low income segment may not find this factor to be of much relevance.

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8. Access to money is seen to have a significant relationship with income at

1% level of significance. This is because the tendency to carry plastic money

is generally dependent upon income level.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s education is not significantly associated with

the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s education is significantly associated

with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig.

(2-sided)

Significance

With Education variable

Pearson Chi-Square

Culture 17.571 12 .129 Not Significant

Local people’s attitudes for Tourist

4.209 9 .897 Not Significant

Experimentations 21.624 12 .042 Significant at 5%

Fulfilment of Expectation 1.487 6 .960 Not Significant

Explore new things 22.072 12 .037 Significant at 5%

Accommodation 9.950 9 .355 Not Significant

Tourism Information 23.756 9 .005 Significant at 1%

Feeling Safe 7.454 9 .590 Not Significant

Medical Care 20.396 9 .016 Significant at 5%

Access Money and ATM 45.540 12 .000 Significant at 1%

Quality Consumables 12.204 9 .202 Not Significant

Local Artefacts 9.534 9 .390 Not Significant

Weather 16.066 9 .066 Significant at 10%

Communication

Convenience Transport

11.973 6 .063 Significant at 10%

Expense 3.364 6 .762 Not Significant

Hygiene Cleanliness 9.463 9 .396 Not Significant

Food and Beverages 4.574 6 .599 Not Significant

Comfort Loading 6.755 6 .344 Not Significant

Attractiveness of the Place 7.851 6 .249 Not Significant

Value Addition 7.479 6 .279 Not Significant

New Experience 5.220 9 .815 Not Significant

Pleasure 9.837 6 .132 Not Significant

Play, Activity and events 11.402 9 .249 Not Significant

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The table above shows significant relationship of importance of the different

factors regarding tourism activities with education:

1. Importance of experimentation as a factor for tourism activities is seen

to have a significant relationship with the education level of the people

at 5% level of significance. Generally people having higher education

level particularly of a specific field may have the tendency of viewing

tourism as a form of experimentation.

2. Importance of exploring new things in tourism has a significant

relationship at 5% level of significance. The importance of exploring new

things in tourism is dependent upon a person's ability to explore which

is dependent on education level.

3. Importance of tourism information has a significant relationship at 1%

level of information. Tourism information is generally obtained from

media sources of various forms like internet and print. The ability to

extract information from the sources is dependent upon the education

level of a person and thus the importance felt by them.

4. The importance of medical care as a factor is significantly seen to be

related with education level at 5% level of significance.

5. As the level of education varies so does the income level. As said earlier

the importance of money availability in the form of ATM and other

modes is dependent on the income level, so is the case with education

level at 5% level of significance.

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6. Importance of weather as felt is seen to have a significant relationship

with education level at 10% level of significance.

7. Importance of conveyance as a factor has a significant relationship with

education level at 10% level of significance.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s Occupation is not significantly associated

with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s Occupation is significantly associated

with the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Chi-Square Tests

With Occupation variable Value df Asymp.

Sig. (2-sided)

Significance

Pearson Chi-Square Not Significant

Culture 55.642 44 .112 Not Significant

Local people’s

attitudes for Tourist

34.724 33 .386 Not Significant

Experimentations 86.643 44 .000 Significant at 1%

Fulfilment of

Expectation

32.953 22 .063 Significant at 10%

Explore new things 67.892 44 .012 Significant at 5%

Accommodation 11.039 15 0.75 Not Significant

Tourism Information 36.899 33 .293 Not Significant

Feeling Safe 21.144 33 .945 Not Significant

Medical Care 60.263 33 .003 Significant at 1%

Access Money and ATM 38.583 44 .702 Not Significant

Quality Consumables 38.336 22 .017 Significant at 5%

Local Artefacts 32.317 33 .501 Not Significant

Weather 26.300 33 .789 Not Significant

Communication

Convenience Transport

33.874 22 .051 Significant at 10%

Expense 25.819 22 .260 Not Significant

Hygiene Cleanliness 27.485 33 .738 Not Significant

Food and Beverages 27.698 22 .186 Not Significant

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Chi-Square Tests

Comfort Loading 30.582 22 .105 Not Significant

Attractiveness of the Place 19.968 22 .585 Not Significant

Value Addition 41.151 22 .008 Significant at 1%

New Experience 62.664 33 .001 Significant at 1%

Pleasure 16.263 22 .803 Not Significant

Play, Activity and events 53.601 33 .013 Significant at 5%

From the table above the relationship of the importance of the following

factors can be found to be significant with occupation:

1. The importance and willingness of experimentation in tourism can be said

to be dependent upon the occupation of a particular person and so is the

result obtained. The intention of experimentation is dependent upon the

occupation at 10% level of significance.

2. Importance of fulfillment has a significant relationship with occupation at

10% level of significance.

3. The importance of medical facility as felt is seen to have a significant

relationship with occupation at 1% level of significance.

4. The importance of quality consumables is seen to be significantly related

with occupation at 10% level of significance.

5. The importance of conveyance, communication and transport has a

significant relationship with occupation level.

6. The importance of value addition as seen has a significant relationship

with occupation at 1% level of significance.

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7. The importance of new experience also has a significant relationship with

occupation at 1% level of significance.

8. Importance of playing and other social activities is seen to be significantly

related to occupation at 5% level of significance.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Tourist‘s gender is not significantly associated with the

components of adventure tourism destination making.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Tourist‘s gender is significantly associated with

the components of adventure tourism destination making.

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

With Gender variable

Pearson Chi-Square

Culture 2.420 4 .659 Not Significant

Local people’s attitudes for Tourist

2.501 3 .475 Not Significant

Experimentations 2.490 4 .646 Not Significant

Fulfilment of Expectation .023 2 .988 Not Significant

Explore new things 8.008 4 .091 Significant at 10%

Accommodation 1.184 3 .757 Not Significant

Tourism Information 1.913 3 .591 Not Significant

Feeling Safe 1.432 3 .698 Not Significant

Medical Care 1.470 3 .689 Not Significant

Access Money and ATM 4.688 4 .321 Not Significant

Quality Consumables 1.544 2 .462 Not Significant

Local Artefacts 2.598 3 .458 Not Significant

Weather 1.893 3 .595 Not Significant

Communication Convenience Transport

1.862 2 .394 Not Significant

Expense 6.251 2 .044 Significant at 5%

Hygiene Cleanliness 5.577 3 .134 Not Significant

Food and Beverages 5.699 2 .058 Significant at 10%

Comfort Loading 2.890 2 .236 Not Significant

Attractiveness of the Place .450 2 .798 Not Significant

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Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Value Addition 4.787 2 .091 Significant at 10%

New Experience 5.818 3 .121 Not Significant

Pleasure 1.443 2 .486 Not Significant

Play, Activity and events 1.599 3 .660 Not Significant

The following factors have a significant relationship with gender:

1. Importance of exploring new things at 10% level of significance.

2. Importance of expense at 5% level of significance.

3. Importance of food and beverages at 10% level of significance.

4. Importance of value addition at 10% level of significance.

From the primary data analysis it has also been observed that tourist‘s

gender, age, personal income, education are significantly associated with the

marketing mix factors in making decision of tourism destination planning for

adventure tourism . So whenever marketing strategy is to be developed for the

sustainable adventure tourism then the above specified factors must to be

considered. Present research is also analysis the tourist‘s preferences which

are also vital. components like Culture, Local people‘s attitudes for Tourist,

Experimentations, Fulfillment of Expectations , Explore new things,

Accommodation, Tourism Information, Safe ,Medical Care, Access Money and

ATM, Quality Consumables, Local Artefacts, Weather, Communication

Convenience Transport , Expense, Hygiene Cleanliness, Food and Beverages,

Comfort Loading, Attractiveness of the Place, Value Addition, New Experience,

Pleasure, Play, Activity and events are so important as per the tourist‘s

preferences . To promote adventure tourism aforesaid factor should be

properly ensured.

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4.3. ANALYSIS OF THE WORLD ADVENTURE TOURISM MARKETING

SCENARIO WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY

The growth of adventure tourism can be seen everywhere. Many countries

have spent considerable time in developing tourism packages that are in

demand. Here are a few examples of countries that have done it well in this

sector.

4.3.1. Nepal: Nepal has been attracting international visitors since long

time when travellers were drawn by stories of an exotic and stunning

landscape, thermal and scenic wonders, curious indigenous wildlife and

flora. Nepalese culture is another huge draw card. From its early

beginnings, Nepal tourism has thrived on innovation and adventure. Some

of the best known contributions to the tourism industry have been invented

such as the bungee jumping, rafting, trekking etc. Tourism promotion

revolves around with the concept ―dream selling‖ and selling one‘s dream

depends on the brand identity. Nepal is strengthening on-going brand of

unique culture, life style and adventure through internet, events, in film

placement, advertising, etc. As a result this country is growing in tourism

significantly in 2007, the number of international tourist arrivals was 0.52

million with earnings of US$ 198 million. In 2008, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 0.5 million with earnings of US$ 336

million. In 2009, the number of international tourist arrivals was 0.51

million with earnings of US$ 371 million.

4.3.2. Czech Republic: In 2011, tourism in the Czech Republic

represented a 2.8% direct contribution to the country‘s GDP, and is

expected to rise by 2.4% per annum over the next decade. Tourism directly

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contributed 4.9% of total employment in 2011, and is forecasted to

decrease slightly by 0.2% per annum to 233,000 jobs in 2022 (WTTC,

2012).

While the Czech Republic is well known for its rich history and array of

cultural resources such as the UNESCO-recognized historic center of

Prague, it also scores highly in terms of its adventure resources. Over one-

third of the country is forested, and the Czech Republic‘s network of

mountain ranges, national parks and protected areas are excellent

resources for the adventure travel market (The World Bank, 2012). The

relatively small size of the country combined with its excellent

infrastructure make adventure-based trips easily accessible from the

country‘s main cities.

The Czech Republic ranked ninth among developing countries in four

pillars of the ATDI: Sustainable Development, Health, Entrepreneurship,

and Cultural Resources.

The Czech Republic ranked 31st on the WEF TTC Index, scoring highly in

Cultural Resources, Health and Hygiene, and Tourism Infrastructure (WEF,

2012).

4.3.3. Slovak Republic: Tourism directly contributed 2.3% of the Slovak

Republic‘s total GDP in 2011 and is expected to increase 3.0% per annum

from 2012-2022. Tourism supported 2.4% of total employment in the

Slovak Republic and is projected to rise .6% per annum to 58,000 jobs in

2022 (WTTC, 2012).

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The Slovak Republic has established itself as a year-round destination for

adventure tourism with 40 ski resorts, nine national parks, and 12

underground caves open for public exploration (Slovak Tourist Board,

2011). The country is maximizing the prime tourism potential of the 6.5

million people living in the CENTROPE Central European region by

participating in the new www.tourcentrope.eu website which maps cycling

routes to natural and cultural attractions and events (Slovenský Dom

CENTROPE, n.d.).

The Slovak Republic ranked 13th among developing nations in the Image

pillar, reflecting its reputation as an emerging adventure tourism

destination. It also ranked 14th among developing nations in the Cultural

Resources pillar, 23.2% of its terrestrial area and territorial waters are

protected (World Database On Protected Areas, 2010). The Slovak Republic

ranked 54th in the WEF TTC Index. The country ranked highly in Health

and Hygiene and Environmental Sustainability, but scored poorly in Air

Transport Infrastructure (WEF, 2012).

4.3.4. Estonia: Tourism directly contributed 3.3% of Estonia‘s GDP and

3.4% of its total employment in 2011. Tourism‘s contribution to GDP is

projected to rise by 2.9% per annum from 2012 to 2022 and employment is

projected to fall by .7% per annum to 18,000 jobs in 2022 (WTTC, 2012).

Ripe with natural resources, Estonia is nearly 50% forest and boasts over

1,500 islands. The capital, Tallinn, was designated the 2011 European

Capital of Culture, spotlighting the country‘s cultural heritage and

spawning a host of high-profile events (Estonian Tourist Board, n.d.).

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Estonia continues to position itself at the forefront of adventure trends,

recently opening the first parkour grounds in Eastern Europe (Tallinn City

Tourist Office & Convention Bureau, 2012). Overnight foreign visitors to

Estonia increased by 15.6% in 2011, setting a record for the second year in

a row (Estonian Tourist Board, 2012).

Estonia ranked fifth among developing countries in the Entrepreneurship

pillar, scoring a 75.2 on the Index of Economic Freedom (The Heritage

Foundation, 2012). It also ranked highly in the Safety pillar due to high

expert panel ratings and an absence of FCO travel alerts. Estonia ranked

25th in the WEF TTC Index. The country ranked 11th in tourism

infrastructure and 13th in ICT infrastructure (WEF, 2012).

4.3.5. Chile is also one of the top 10 performers in Adventure tourism

sector which is representing the developing nations. In 2007, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 2.50 million with earnings of US$ 1,478

million. In 2008, the number of international tourist arrivals was 2.69

million with earnings of US$ 1,674 million. In 2009, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 2.75 million with earnings of US$ 1,568

million. In 2009, it has represented 2 % of the total international tourist

arrivals in America and secured 0.9 % of the total American tourism

earnings. In 2011, Chile took the top spot in the ATDI rankings amongst

developing countries. Tourism represented a 2.9% direct contribution to the

country‘s GDP, and is forecasted to rise by 3.9% per annum from 2012 –

2022. Chile‘s ourism sector directly supported 2.8% of total employment,

and over the next decade is expected to rise by 1.1% per annum to 239,000

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jobs in 2022 (WTTC, 2012). Domestic tourism is a high priority in Chile,

representing nearly 81% of travel and tourism spending in the country.

International tourist arrivals have been increasing steadily since 2002 and

the national tourism board – SERNATUR – has been operating an

International Tourism Promotion program since 1995 with a major

marketing component focused on nature-based tourism (WTTC, 2012).

Chile ranks extremely high as an attractive environment for entrepreneurs,

and its status as the world‘s seventh freest economy supports business

development initiatives in a stable climate free from much of the corruption

common in other countries in the region (The Heritage Foundation, 2012).

This combined with a wealth of adventure activity resources make Chile a

particularly attractive country for adventure tourism development.

Chile ranked 57th in the WEF TTC index. The country ranked high in Policy

Rules and Regulations and Air transport Infrastructure. Chile ranked fifth

for Reliability of Police Services, making the country a safer place for

tourism than all other countries in the region, which ranked considerably

lower (WEF, 2012)

4.3.6. Botswana is also one of the top 10 performers in adventure tourism

sector which is representing the developing nations. In 2007, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 1.45 million with earnings of US$ 546

million. In 2008, the number of international tourist arrivals was 1.5

million with earnings of US$ 553 million. In 2009, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 1.55 million with earnings of US$ 442

million. In 2009, it has represented 3.2 % of the total international tourist

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arrivals in Africa and secured 1.5 % of the total African tourism earnings.

Positioning Strategy of Botswana emphasis on visualizing Botswana as

the Land of Kalahari which support the world class emotional impressions

of Botswana combining wilderness with African wildlife and cultural

heritage as the Kalahari Desert itself is offering a range of different

product components, e.g. adventure, wilderness, wildlife,

culture/heritage, sand dunes, salt pans, camels etc. The Department for

Tourism of Botswana is trying to directly reach all potential consumers of

the identified markets and groups, with a cost effective way. The basic

mechanism for marketing communication are advertising, public relations,

direct marketing, including Internet with the objectives of building-up

the primary demand and a brand preference through an informative

and persuasive advertising campaign. The consumers are informed about

the superiority of Botswana‘s tourist product also aims to create tourist

attractions relating to Botswana tourists‘ attributes. It has been identified

department for tourism (DoT) has established ―Airport Welcome Centers‖ at

the different international air-ports. The strategy is to clearly identify profile

has gradually been created in line with the new marketing concept.

Focusing Botswana holiday propositions on those ―high spots‖ which make

the country fascinating will achieve the goal.

4.3.7. Kenya is also having strong Adventure tourism sector. In 2007, the

number of international tourist arrivals was 1.68 million with earnings of

US$ 972 million. In 2008, the number of international tourist arrivals was

1.14 million with earnings of US$ 762 million. In 2009, international

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tourist earning was US$ 807 million. In 2009, it has represented 2.8% of

the total African tourism earnings.

4.3.8. Tanzania has been long in Adventure Tourism sector to attract

international tourist. In 2007, the number of international tourist arrivals

was 0.69 million with earnings of US$ 1,199 million. In 2008, the number

of international tourist arrivals was 0.75 million with earnings of US$ 1,289

million. In 2009, the international tourist earnings were of US$ 1,260

million. In 2009, it has represented 4.4 % of the total African tourism

earnings.

4.3.9. Vietnam: Vietnam is one of the fastest growing tourist markets in

the world, with an annual average growth forecast of 8.7% in

2007 .International visitors to Vietnam in December estimated 593,408

arrivals, increasing by 32% over the same period last year. Total

international arrivals in 2011 reached 6,014,032 representing a 19.1%

growth over 2010. The slogan ―Vietnam – a hidden charm‖ has been used

for a long time to advertise Vietnam‘s tourism. But as value addition the

new concept has brought for tourism branding with the new slogan

"Vietnam-Timeless charm" and the five colourful petal lotus have just been

approved by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to be the new

slogan and logo of National Tourism Promotion program in the period 2012-

2015. All ways experimentation in marketing is good sign the country

started with the niche marketing of adventure and eco-tourism but now it

is looking for larger segment that that of before .It has develop the strategy

by looking through the prism life cycle planning, Vietnam's tourism

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industry is still in the growing stage and has still a long way to go

optimizing its earning potential from tourism. The combination of lush rain

forests, tropical beaches lends itself to position Vietnam as an ideal eco-

destination. To compete with Thailand, the Philippines or Malaysia and

create another successful beach destination would be sub-optimizing of

marketing dollars and efforts as these nations are well entrenched in their

present positioning. It is about changing the mind share of consumers and

being perceived as different. Achieve clear, long-term sustainable

competitive advantage, can only by designing a business model that

pursues a strategy of differentiation. The strategy becomes thus a

marketing strategy based on design and deliberate planning rather than by

accident. With the perpetual shift of demographics, consumer behaviour

and spending habits have also changed. The aging baby booming

generation has the highest disposable income of all generations. Being

environmentally friendly and showing the appropriate behaviour is the

latest trend among politically correct vacationers. Having seen all the "cool"

beaches of the world from Waikiki in Hawaii to Bali, Tahiti and Zanzibar

the latest trend becomes adventure and eco-tourism. Vietnam is in an

excellent position to highlight its assets primarily in the Mekong Delta and

the inhospitable area of SAPA on the border to China. Vietnam is ranked

98th in The Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI) (2008) produced

by ATTA and also trying to upsurge its position in the world adventure

tourism market.

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4.3.10. New Zealand: Tourism continues to be a major industry in New

Zealand, directly contributing to 3.4% of the country‘s GDP and accounting

for 4.1% of the country‘s employment. Tourism‘s contribution to GDP is

forecasted to rise 2.5% per annum from 2012-2022 and tourism

employment is forecasted to rise 1.4% per annum to 439,000 jobs in 2022

(WTTC, 2012). New Zealand continues to leverage its other-worldly

landscapes, which were popularized throughout the world by the Lord of

the Rings films. Its new campaign ―100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New

Zealand‖ is directly inspired by the film and cast members comments that

the country‘s ―landscapes actually look fake because you just can‘t believe

that such places really exist.‖ (Bowler, 2012) New Zealand also continues

to promote and protect its authentic travel experiences by establishing its

Qualmark green environmental accreditation system and investing $4.5

million in Māori cultural tourism (New Zealand Ministry of Business,

Innovation & Employment, 2012). New Zealand ranked first in the Safety

pillar of the ATDI, based on its impeccable reputation as a safe destination

and low levels of corruption. It also ranked second among developed

countries in the Entrepreneurship pillar, and scored an 82.1 on the Index

of Economic Freedom (The Heritage Foundation, 2012).

New Zealand ranked 19 half of countries for travel and tourism price

competitiveness, which is surprising given its high marks on economic

freedom (WEF, 2012).

New Zealand is also one of the top 10 performers in Adventure tourism

sector which 1s representing the develop nations. In 2007, the number of

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international tourist arrivals was 2.46 million with earnings of US$ 5,436

million. In 2008, the number of international tourist arrivals was 2.459

million with earnings of US$ 5,012 million. In 2009, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 2.458 million with earnings of US$ 4,398

million. In 2009, it has represented 1.4 % of the total international tourist

arrivals in Asia Pacific and secured 2.2 % of the total tourism earnings in

Asia Pacific region. Tourism is a very important industry in New Zealand,

where international tourist expenditure accounted for US$ 9.5 billion or

18.2% of New Zealand‘s total export earnings and 8.7% of total GDP.

Tourism employs one in ten people in New Zealand. The yield of the average

tourist is high, because for the majority of the world it is a long-haul

destination, which inherently includes a higher spend per tourist. 1.6

million International tourists (or 63%) and 11.1 million domestic tourists

took part in nature-based activities in 2008 (Tourism New Zealand,

2011).The branding of New Zealand, ―100% Pure (You),‖ also presents an

adventure and nature-based image. The youth/back-packer markets are

very important to New Zealand (in 2009, the country received 259,574

tourists between the ages of 15 and 24). New Zealand‘s Go All the Way

Campaign was designed to appeal to this demographic. In the ATDI, New

Zealand scores well in the adventure factor, as it scores 99.9 on the

business freedom section of the Economic Freedom Index indicating an

extremely friendly environment for entrepreneurs. As the EFI states, ―Start-

up companies enjoy great flexibility under licensing and other regulatory

frameworks.‖ International tourism expenditure makes a major

contribution to the New Zealand economy, accounting for 8.8% of GDP in

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2010. In the year ended March 2011 it amounted to NZD 9.7 billion or

16.8% of total export earnings. International expenditure in New Zealand is

forecast to increase by 2.7% a year to 2016, with international visitor

arrivals rising by 2.8% a year. International arrivals grew by an average of

2.9% a year between September 2001 and September 2011. While the

sector experienced strong growth in arrivals from 2000 to 2005, growth in

arrivals over the past six years has been slower and in some years declined,

due partly to the global financial crises and, more recently, as a

consequence of the Christchurch earthquake.

Domestic tourists‘ expenditure reached NZD 13.2 billion in the year ended

March 2011.In that year, tourism directly contributed NZD 6.9 billion (or

3.8%) to New Zealand‘s total GDP, with an additional NZD 8.8 billion (or

4.8%) indirectly contributed. Tourism directly and indirectly employs 9.3%

(direct 4.8%) ofthe workforce. Employment in the tourism industry (both

direct and indirect) has risen steadily since 2001, by 13% in the period to

2011, driven largely by growth in indirect employment. Tourist arrivals

were 2.5 million for the year ended September 2011. Australia is the largest

market and accounts for about 44.4% of international visitors and 30% of

expenditure. Latest forecasts show for the first time China overtaking the

United States and the United Kingdom as the country‘s second largest

market. New Zealand‘s National Tourism Forecasts predict that expenditure

by Chinese visitors will reach NZD 847 million by 2016.

In 2010, the Ministry of Tourism was integrated into the Ministry of

Economic Development under a new Tourism Strategy Group (TSG) . This

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move was designed to position tourism policy within the government‘s

broader economic development and growth framework, recognising that

tourism can play a significant part in expanding a high-value, productive

economy. The TSG is responsible for developing a tourism policy

framework, which among other things includes international aviation

linkages, tourism sector productivity, infrastructure requirements,

managing the opportunities and risks associated with New Zealand‘s

evolving market mix, and country brand attributes. It is also responsible for

the provision of research, evaluation and statistics. In addition, the TSG

monitors Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), the Crown entity responsible for

promoting New Zealand overseas as a tourist destination. TNZ has two

subsidiary organisations (Qualmark Limited and VIN Incorporated) that play

an important role in efforts to improve visitor satisfaction and product

quality. In 2011, TNZ took over the management of the Conference

Assistance Programme (CAP) from the industry body, Conventions and

Incentives New Zealand. The CAP fund is used to identify and bid for

international business events, and is a key part of the wider strategy to

attract more quality business events to New Zealand.Now extended to

include Regional Tourism Organisations, airlines, industry and the trade.

There are 29 Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs), owned and operated

by New Zealand‘s local and regional governments and supported by the

tourism industry. RTOs market New Zealand‘s regional destinations.

TNZ‘s marketing strategy is based on six priorities:

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Priorities markets and sectors for growth: Priorities markets and

sectors for growth and adaptation of a portfolio approach to prioritization

reflecting different roles for different markets.

Focus marketing activity on conversion: Focus marketing activity on

conversion for utilizing highly targeted and measureable media to target

and engage Active Considerers, by delivering the ‗New Zealand 100% Pure

You‘ campaign to them in ways that builds preference for New Zealand and

converts this into travel .

Partner to increase marketing reach and effectiveness Form alliances

with the aviation sector to sustain/grow air capacity, collaborate with

Regional Tourism Organizations to maximize conversion results in

Australia, collaborate with the industry and partner with.

Leverage significant events: Leverage significant events to maximize

the short and long range benefits from events e.g. the Rugby World Cup

and The Hobbit.

Support recovery from the Christchurch earthquake: Work to support

the rebuilding of the international visitor sector in Canterbury.

Build organizational capability: Build organizational capability:

Continue the transformation of Tourism New Zealand into a more

accountable, outcomes focused organization.

4.3.11. Brazil: Tourism is one of the key components for economy of

Brazil, in year 2010 there were 5.161 million foreign tourists to Brazil, of

which 2.742 million originated in Brazil‘s five leading markets. The 2010

total was 7.5% above the total for 2009, but only 2.9% above the total

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registered in 2006.The largest source of foreign tourists was Argentina, with

1.4 million tourists (27.1% of the total), followed by the United States

(641000 or 12.4%), Italy (245 000 or 4.7%), Uruguay (229 000 or 4.4%) and

Germany (227 000 or 4.4%). Together these five origin markets supplied

53.1% of all Brazil‘s foreign tourists in that year. Foreign exchange earnings

from tourism (excluding fares) amounted to US$ 5.9 billion, an increase of

11.6% on the previous year and 37.1% above the figure achieved in 2006.

Outbound tourism, however, saw foreign exchange costs of US$ 16.4 billion

in 2010 resulting in a large deficit on the tourism account. Domestic

tourism represents around 85% of Brazil‘s tourism flow, a number that is

growing every year with the improvement of the socio-economic standards

of the country. The Ministry of Tourism has endeavoured to adapt the

national tourism supply to meet this expanding demand. However,

international tourist arrivals have not increased significantly in the last few

years, requiring the government to make greater efforts in this area. In

2010, there were 982 000 people employed in the formal tourism sector,

2.9% of the employed workforce, the same proportion as in 2006. Tourism

organisation in 2008, the Tourism General Act was approved by the

National Congress. It defines national tourism policy and also the

responsibilities of government for planning, developing and stimulating the

sector. The National Tourism System is formed by a strategic core, at the

national level, composed of the Ministry of Tourism, the National Council of

Tourism, the National Forum of State Secretaries and Directors of Tourism.

At the state level, it is composed of the Official State Tourism Agencies, and

State Tourism Forum and Councils in the 27 states. Since the new

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legislation, an inter-ministerial Committee for Tourism Facilitation was

created, in order to integrate the actions of several federal bodies in tourism

development. Since 2004, the Ministry of Tourism has used a regional

approach for tourism development. A total of 276 tourist regions were

defined, covering 3 635 towns and cities, more than half of the country‘s

urban areas. Of these, 62 tourist regions were prioritised, benefitting 65

tourist destinations and 519 towns and cities. The Ministry of Tourism

instituted a programme of decentralised and shared management of

tourism, encouraging the consolidation of a network supporting tourism

throughout the country. This involves the three sectors – public, private

and the third sector. This model began in 2003, and consists of a national

strategic core composed of the Ministry of Tourism, the National Council of

Tourism (CNT), the National Forum of State Secretaries and Directors of

Tourism – For nature, and a decentralised management network that

includes Regional Governance Bodies, the Official State Tourism Agencies,

the State Tourism Forums and Councils, the Municipal Tourism Bodies and

Local Academic Institutions. Brazil offers various attractions for the foreign

ecotourism traveller. In an area of more than 8.5 million square kilometres,

the country possesses 298 nature reserves, 62 national parks and seven

biosphere reserves internationally recognized by the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is for this

reason that Plano Aquarela – International Tourist Marketing of Brazil –

created by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, EMBRATUR, and based on

researches made in 18 countries, chose ecotourism as one of the five

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segments for international promotion apart from Culture, Sun and Beach,

Sport as well as Business & Events.

The potential for adventure tourism in Brazil has not only attracted the

attention of travellers, but also of tourist operators from other countries. As

a result of this and with EMBRATUR‘s support the country was chosen to

host, for the first time, the Adventure Travel Summit South America 2008

(TSSA), one of the segment‘s largest events in the world. The meeting took

place in early September and attracted influencers, entrepreneurs and

world-wide leaders from the tourism industry. At the same time, the

Adventure Sports Fair, already a traditional event in the country was

realized in the city of São Paulo too and attracted more than 70,000

consumers. This is true that the valuation that, given Brazil‘s tremendous

natural, cultural, environmental and other advantages, its inability to date

to develop fully a vibrant, rapidly growing T&T industry stands out amongst

many of its developing-country peers as well as its Latin American

neighbours. It has been observed that in a recent review of the 194

adventure-travel companies rated by National Geographic Adventure

magazine in 2009, that itineraries to Brazil were under-represented when

compared to those to Peru and Chile, for example (Xola Blog, ―2009 Trends

in Adventure Offerings‖ at www.xolaconsulting.com/blog). In September

2008, the Brazilian Tourism Board (EMBRATUR) launched a worldwide

marketing campaign, ―Brazil Sensational!‖ which was to run internationally

through June 2009. The campaign was designed to show potential

travellers how to ―live Brazil‖ through various experiences and sensations.

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The print, TV, online and out-of-home components to the campaign,

totalling millions of dollars in a global media spend, were to highlight

contrasting experiences throughout Brazil and were to feature historical

and modern attractions, adventure, food, culture, beach and the Amazon

forest. In its initial phase, the campaign launched in specific countries in

North and South America and Europe, including Argentina, Chile, Peru, the

United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Holland, England, Italy

and Portugal.

4.3.11. Bulgaria: Bulgaria is also one of the top 10 performers in

Adventure tourism sector which is representing the developing nations. In

2007, the number of international tourist arrivals was 5.15 million with

earnings of US$ 3,550 million. In 2008, the number of international tourist

arrivals was 5.78 million with earnings of US$ 4,204million. In 2009, the

number of international tourist arrivals was 5.73 million with earnings of

US$ 3,728 million. In 2009, it has represented1.2 % of the total

international tourist arrivals in Europe and secured 0.9 % of the total

European tourism earnings. Tourism has played an important role in

Bulgaria‘s recent economic transition, and in 2010 accounted for 10.3% of

GDP, down from the reported 17.1% in 2006. The sector employs 4% of the

workforce. In the first 11 months of 2011, 6.1 million foreign arrivals were

recorded, 4.5% more than in the same period of the previous year. In 2010,

according to UNWTO data, there were 8.4 million arrivals from abroad

including excursionists, 6.4% above 2009. The five main origin countries

for tourists to Bulgaria in 2010 were Romania, Greece, Turkey, Germany

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and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, together accounting for

56% of all foreign visitors. Income from international tourism in 2010

amounted to US$ 3.571 billion, an increase of 3.8% on the previous year.

Bulgaria had 3 500 accommodation units in 2010, of which approximately

half were hotels or similar establishments. The total number of beds

available for visitors was 245 000, a slight decrease on the previous year.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism is responsible for

implementing tourism policy and co-ordinating the activities of other

ministries and institutions. The ministry‘s main activities in tourism are

international relations; The regulation of the tourism sector; development of

the tourism product; Providing assistance to regional, local and branch

tourist organisations; National marketing and advertising; market research;

and tourism market analysis and forecasting. The National Tourism

Council (NTC) functions as a governmental consultative body under the

authority of the Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism. It aims to assist

in the implementation of a national tourism policy. The members of the

NTC are representatives of tourism-related ministries and institutions,

national, regional, local and branch tourist associations, associations of air,

land and water transport undertakings, and national consumer

representatives. The tasks and activities of the NTC are to:

●Approve the national funding support for tourism marketing, including the

annual programme for national tourism advertising, and to co-ordinate its

implementation;

●Analyse the effects of promotional activities;

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●Make recommendations on proposed tourism development programme

and propose measures to raise the quality of all tourist services in the

country;

●Comment on draft regulations affecting the provision of tourist activities;

●Discuss issues related to tourism infrastructure, foreign investment in

tourism, fulfilment of charter programmes, and consumer protection.

4.3.12. Mexico: Tourism in the economy Tourism in Mexico is seen as a

key sector of the country‘s economy and an important source of regional

development, employment, foreign currency and economic activity. In 2009,

output was calculated as US$ 108.2 billion, of which domestic tourists

accounted for 85.7%, and international visitors for 14.3%. According to the

Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), tourism accounted for 8% of GDP in2009,

higher than the combined totals of agriculture and the food industry, and

employed 2.45 million people, 6.9% of total employment. Mexico's Central

Bank shows that international tourism receipts have grown on average by

3.4% a year over the past 20 years, with international arrivals growing

slightly faster (3.5% a year). By 2011, Mexico‘s share of global international

arrivals was 2.3%, with 22.7 million arrivals. The five leading origin

markets in 2011 were the United States (accounting for 80% of all arrivals),

Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and Argentina. Together these five

markets accounted for 90% of all arrivals. The Ministry of Tourism is the

leading organisation in the federal government with a mandate to design,

co-ordinate and implement tourism policy. Specific policy details are set out

by each administration, which in Mexico changes every six years following

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presidential elections. During the first semester of every new

administration, a National Development Plan and individual plans for

economic sectors such as tourism are set out by the executive. The mission

of the Ministry of Tourism is to develop tourism by planning, stimulating

the sector, providing operational support, and promoting tourism services

in co-ordination with the different bodies and levels of government. The

head of the ministry (the Secretary), interacts and co-ordinates actions with

the National Fund to Promote Tourism (FONATUR) and the Mexican

Tourism Board. FONATUR identifies potential large-scale tourism

development projects, assists and supports state governments in the

planning of local projects, partakes in the construction of basic

infrastructure in tourist destinations, and is in charge of attracting private

investment to them. The Mexican Tourism Board develops and executes

strategies to promote tourism to and from Mexico at national and

international level and maintains offices in major tourism origin markets

for promotional purposes. The General Tourism Law (2009) establishes the

basis for co-ordination between federal, state and local authorities, and

defines the main roles and responsibilities for each level of government. It

also states that the ministry is to register all tourism service providers,

organise and publish tourism-related statistics, and conclude international

agreements to promote foreign investment for tourism in Mexico. This

programme presents ten routes throughout the country, enabling travellers

to enjoy Mexico‘s natural, architectural, historical and cultural inheritance

and richness. Combined, the 10 routes cover all 32 states of the country

and include special interest destinations. Each route suggests a different

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travel experience including gastronomy, ecotourism, adventure, extreme-

sports, folk art, beach destinations, historical sites, archaeological sites and

more. Among the strategies and activities held in the past two years to

enhance tourism in Mexico and to strengthen the position of Mexico

worldwide are the:

Development of national campaigns such as ―Live Mexico‖, and ―Did

you know about…?‖ and international campaigns like ―Mexico, the place

you thought you knew‖ that have been successfully launched to address

specific segments of both domestic and international tourism;

Participation in international tourism fairs, seminars and conferences

such as the Professional Convention Management Association, Travel

Weekly Annual Meeting, and International Tourism Fairs held in

different countries;

launching of two Cultural Tourism World Fairs in 2010 and 2011, and

hosting more than 80 national and international representatives

specialising in cultural tourism to exchange experiences, create

business opportunities and promote networking;

Organisation of the Adventure Tourism World Summit in 2011; and

Ensuring that the government and private sector work together to

develop and sponsor medical tourism, thereby strengthening the quality

of medical services and attracting fresh private infrastructure

investment.

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4.3.13. Israel: Israel is one of the top 10 performers in Adventure tourism

sector which is representing the developing nations. In 2007, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 2.06 million with earnings of US $ 3,095

million. In 2008, the number of international tourist arrivals was 2.57

million with earnings of US$ 4,144 million. In 2009, the number of

international tourist arrivals was 2.32 million with earnings of US$ 3,636

million. In 2009, it has represented 0.5% of the total international tourist

arrivals in Europe and secured 0.9% of the total European tourism

earnings. In 2010, Israel swapped places with the Slovak Republic claiming

the 1st spot in the ATDI for developing countries. Despite the volatile

security situation, Israel is not considered unsafe by adventure travel

experts. Furthermore, it has excellent infrastructure and natural and

cultural resources. Israel‘s appeal is broadening, with Israel statistics

(Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 2009) reporting a drop in religious

tourism and a rise in general interest tourism, as well as a drop in tour

groups and a rise in independent tourists. The Ministry of Tourism has a

goal of attracting 5 million tourists and continues to market to various

segments, especially the cultural traveller. The Ministry of Tourism has

launched a ―100 Years of Green,‖ campaign (Israel is one of two countries

that has more trees today than it had 100 years ago) which encourages

travellers to travel more sustainably and promotes green initiatives

throughout the country. Israel scoured 33rd rank on the WEF TCC. While

its competitive advantages are in areas such as Information and

communication technology infrastructure, human resources and health

and hygiene they score poorly in environmental sustainability, especially in

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treaty ratifications. Israel has signed tourism co-operation agreements with

40 countries with the aim of encouraging and facilitating bilateral tourist

travel. Israel is a founding member of the UNWTO and has been a member

of its Executive Council and several of its committees. Tourism contributes

slightly over 2% to national GDP and just over 3.5% of total employment,

counting only direct tourism jobs. In 2010, the combined total of direct and

indirect tourism jobs was some 206000, or 7% of total employees. There

were 3.4 million inbound tourists in 2010 (2.8 million staying at least one

night and 642000 excursionists), 26% more than in the preceding year, and

their expenditure amounted to US$ 3.7 billion. Israel‘s largest international

origin markets in 2010 in order of size, were the United States, the Russian

Federation, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, accounting together

for approximately two-thirds (65%) of all tourist arrivals. Tourism exports

were the equivalent of 4% of total exports. In addition, Israeli airlines

earned USD 745 million from inbound tourism. Inbound tourism rose

steadily until 2000 when 2.7 million tourists were recorded. Arrivals hit a

low point in 2002, with only 862 000 visitors, however, they have recovered

strongly since 2003 to reach a record high in 2010. Domestic tourism saw

its biggest surges primarily in 2001-02. Thereafter it grew until 2006 to

reach 16.3 million overnight stays. Since then, domestic tourism has been

broadly stable at around 15.5-16 million overnight stays. Outbound

tourism has risen steadily since the late 1990s to reach 4.3 million

outbound trips in 2010. The vast majority of departures from Israel (84%)

are by air, with just 12% (531 000) leaving by land to both Egypt and

Jordan. Tourism‘s direct contribution to Israel‘s GDP was 2.5% in 2011 and

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is forecasted to rise 4.2% per annum from 2012 to 2022. Tourism directly

supported 2.8% of Israel‘s workforce, and is expected to rise by 1.9% per

annum to 103,000 jobs in 2022 (WTTC, 2012).

4.3.14. South Africa: According to the World Travel and Tourism Council

(WTTC), tourism‘s direct and indirect contribution to the GDP was ZAR 258

billion, estimated at about 9% of the total GDP. The tourism sector in

South Africa is estimated to have directly contributed 3.0% of GDP in 2010.

While no more recent national estimates are available, data from the WTTC

estimate that this fell slightly to 2.7% in 2011. WTTC also estimates that,

taking into account both the direct and indirect effects of tourism, the

tourism sector‘s total contribution to GDP in 2010 was 9%. Employment

generated by the tourism sector directly accounted for some 567 000 jobs

or 4.3% of total employment in 2010. The WTTC estimates that total

employment, including the indirect effects of the tourism sector,

represented 1.2 million jobs in 2011, or 9% of total employment in South

Africa (compared to 7.8% in 2009 and 6.9% in 2010). Since the country‘s

first democratic elections in 1994, international tourist arrivals to South

Africa have surged, making tourism one of the fastest growing sectors. The

country is also promoting Adventure tourism by recognising countries‘

Adventure tour resources and its possibilities that truly attracting the

tourist. Ocean Blue Adventures offers a range of responsibly-conducted

marine adventures from boat based whale and dolphin encounters to deep

sea adventures. Stormsriver Adventures is a community based eco

Adventure Company situated in the heart of the rural Tsitsikamma in the

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Eastern Cape. Adventure activities take place from the adventure centre in

the scenic little village of Stormsriver which is 75 km from Plettenberg Bay

and 160 km from Port Elizabeth just off the N2. The Mehloding trail

highlights the rich and diverse natural and cultural heritage of a rural area

in the little-explored southern Drakensberg. The trail traverses through

spectacular mountainous foothills and rural villages, taking in visits to

undocumented rock-art, sparkling streams, indigenous trees, medicinal

plants, craft projects, traditional initiation cave sites, and sometimes the

local chiefs. Located in the relatively unexplored southern Drakensberg, at

the junction of the Eastern Cape, Kwa Zulu Natal and southern Lesotho,

the Mehloding trail takes the visitor on a path of rich and diverse natural

and cultural heritage. Mpumalanga, which means ‚place where the sun

rises‘ in the local languages of Siswati and Zulu is one of South Africa‘s

tourism hotspots, loved by both local and international visitors for its

beauty and diversity. This province is home to the Kruger National Park,

exquisite panoramic views, mountains, rivers, caves, trout fishing and

birding opportunities, eco-tourism, adventure holidays and the rich

offerings of the local Ndebele and Swazi cultures. The number of foreign

visitor arrivals has increased from just over 3 million in 1993 to over 11

million in 2010, of which 8.1 million were tourists. Tourist arrivals to South

Africa went up by 15.1% in 2010 compared to 2009. Inbound tourist

arrivals reached a peak in 2008 at some 9.6 million, but have since fallen

to around 8.1 million in 2010, although this figure is up by 15.1% on 2009.

The international market is thought to have been adversely affected by

global economic weaknesses in recent years, however. Arrivals were boosted

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by hosting the 2010 FIFA soccer World Cup, with about 310000 tourists

arriving specifically for the event. The five largest origin markets for tourists

to South Africa in 2010 were Zimbabwe (1 513 000), Lesotho (1 275 000),

Mozambique (1 051 000), Swaziland (632 000) and the United Kingdom

(453 000). Together, these five countries supplied in excess of 60% of all

foreign visitors. Tourism has been identified as one of the six pillars of the

country‘s economic growth strategy, the New Growth Path, which aims to

create 5 million new jobs, including 225000 in the tourism sector. The

country‘s International Relations Strategy also prioritises tourism as a

significant pillar of economic diplomacy. The Industrial Policy Action Plan

and the National Tourism Sector Strategy are among other key planning

documents that recognise tourism as a priority sector. Tourism is seen as

having the potential to contribute to economic growth, job creation and

poverty alleviation and to play a strategic role in creating and/or

strengthening international relations. The vision of South Africa is to

become ―a top 20 tourism destination in the world by 2020‖. The mission of

the government is to ―grow a sustainable tourism economy with domestic

regional and international components, based on innovation, service

excellence, meaningful participation and partnerships‖.

4.3.15. Slovenia: Tourism is considered as an important development and

economic activity in the strategic development plans of Slovenia due to its

cross-sectorial nature. With suitable government support, the sector is seen

as having good growth potential. Tourism, given its employment-generating

potential, could become one of the leading sectors of the economy and

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make a major contribution to the achievement of the development

objectives defined in Slovenia's Development Strategy 2007-13 and in the

future programme for 2014-20. In 2006, the latest year for which Tourism

Satellite Accounts data are available, tourism contributed 5.5% to GDP. In

2010, travel exports (excluding fares) amounted to EUR 1 935.4 million,

7.3% above 2009 and 24.4%higher than in2006. Tourism export represents

40.4% of all services exports in 2010.The number of tourism enterprises

(hotels, other accommodation, restaurants, tour operators and travel

agents) totalled 9 375 in 2010, 4% above 2009. Total employment in these

activities in 2010 was 34 233, 3.8% less than in 2009. Total international

tourist arrivals (to all accommodation facilities) were 1.869 million in 2010,

a 2.5% increase on the previous year. The five leading origin markets –

Italy, Austria, Germany, Croatia and UK – accounted for 766 000 or 41% of

this total. In 2010, 8.9 million overnight stays were registered, of which

56% were by foreign tourists. Domestic overnight tourism arrivals in

2010reached 1.137 million, 2.1% down on the previous year, while

domestic overnight stays, at 3.91 million nights, were 4.1% down. The

number of outbound trips (private and business) was 2.59 million in 2009

and rose to 2.87 million in 2010 with expenditure (travel imports) rising

from EUR 912.7 million in 2009 to EUR 923.1 million in 2010.

Legislative issues concerning tourism come under the Parliamentary

Committee on Tourism and the Parliament. The preparation and

implementation of tourism policies and strategies are the responsibility of

the Minister of the Economy. Annual tourism policies and five-year tourism

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development strategies are produced, with all administrative issues being

controlled by the Tourism Directorate, established in 2004. The directorate

is divided into two divisions The Tourism Development and Promotion

Division (TDPD) is responsible for tourism policy and the implementation of

strategy and tourism legislation, as well as the co-ordination of sectorial

policies which have an impact on tourism. TDPD also takes care of

international and EU relations in the field of tourism.

The main task of the Investment Policy and Business Environment Division

is to implement tourism investment policy and public financial support for

investment projects in tourism SMEs. The division prepares calls for

tender, applies and evaluates contracting procedures, and administers

payments from EU and national budgetary funds to eligible contractors.

The promotion and marketing of Slovenia as a tourist destination is the

responsibility of the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB). STB operates on the

basis of an annual working programme approved by the government. It

carries out marketing and promotion activities within the framework of a

five-year national strategy for tourism development and marketing. STB was

established in 1995 as a state-funded organisation and is allowed to

undertake some commercial activity in the market. It was re-organised in

2010 into a fully state-funded public institution. Slovenia Tourism Board

has circulated Slovenia- Profile of an Adventure with the tagline I feel

Slovenia , So Close, So Europe, world widely to popularise the countries one

adventure destinations. The country is promoting Great terrain for

adventure sport, excellent choice for hiking adventures to the global market.

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Tourist Association of Slovenia (TAS), Tourism and Hospitality Chamber,

Tourism Research Council and five industry representatives. Small and

medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in tourism, are assisted

in their investment and development projects by the Slovene Enterprise

Fund and by the Public Agency for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship and

Foreign Investment. The most important NGO in the field of tourism is the

National Tourist Association of Slovenia (TAS). This has been in existence for

over 100 years, and incorporates more than 655 local civil societies (clubs of

friends of tourism) throughout the country. TAS activities which support

national tourism policy objectives are co-financed by the state budget. Other

important organisations at national level are the Chamber of Commerce,

Hospitality and Tourism, the Chamber of Craft, the Trade Union for Tourism

and Catering Workers, the Association of Slovene Travel Agents, the

Slovenian Spa Association, the Slovenian Convention Bureau and the

National Tourist Association/International Institute for Tourism (a private

institution for development and research in the field of tourism which co-

operates with government on specific projects and is a partner in many

European projects under the EU Teritorial Co-operation/Objective). Medium

to long-term tourism strategy The 2007-2011 tourism strategy was based on

a new sustainable development model for tourism aimed at optimising and

implementing all available development resources at all levels (industry,

public and NGO). Priority was given to quality renovation and construction

of accommodation, leisure, wellness and sport facilities, and the

improvement of destinations and industry competitiveness. With SMEs‘

investment projects co-financing by national and EU funds, Slovenia has

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acquired over 4 000 additional beds in the hotel sector, new golf courses,

new and renovated wellness, spa and skiing facilities, all of which have

created additional employment. The organisation, networking and

sustainable management of tourist destinations have been strengthened

which is boosting the national tourism environment to grow.

4.4. Successful Cases of adventure destination brand building

4.4.1. Switzerland: Tourism is an important industry for landlocked

Switzerland and the Swiss Alps provide a dramatic backdrop for a variety of

adventure activities. In fact, this landscape is a key motivation for tourists

to visit. Switzerland has a long history of tourism, with records of hotel

nights being kept since 1934 (Swiss Federal Statistics Office, 2009).

Mountain tourism activities, located in some of the least industrialized

areas, are reflected in the tourism slogan ―Get Natural‖. The Swiss are avid

travellers and outdoor enthusiasts and many places have a recreational

culture that serves the tourism industry well. Switzerland is ranked

number one in the ATDI for its commitment to sustainability (28.8% of the

country is protected, and it ranks second on the Environmental Protection

Index), support of entrepreneurs, and strong adventure image. Switzerland

also has extremely low unemployment, at 3.5%.Switzerland also ranks first

overall on the World Economic Forum‘s (WEF) Travel and Tourism

Competitiveness Index (TTCI), where it ranks second in sustainability and

second in ground infrastructure.

4.4.2. New Zealand-Tourism is a very important industry in New Zealand,

where international tourist expenditure accounted for US$ 9.5 billion or

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18.2% of New Zealand‘s total export earnings and 8.7% of total GDP.

Tourism employs one in ten people in New Zealand. The yield of the average

tourist is high, because for the majority of the world it is a long-haul

destination, which inherently includes a higher spend per tourist. 1.6

million international tourists (or 63%) and 11.1 million domestic tourists

took part in nature-based activities in 2008 (Tourism New Zealand,

2011).The branding of New Zealand, ―100% Pure (You),‖ also presents an

adventure and nature-based image. The youth/back-packer markets are

very important to New Zealand (in 2009, the country received 259,574

tourists between the ages of 15 and 24). New Zealand‘s Go All the Way

Campaign was designed to appeal to this demographic. In the ATDI, New

Zealand scores well in the adventure factor, as it scores 99.9 on the

business freedom section of the Economic Freedom Index indicating an

extremely friendly environment for entrepreneurs. As the EFI states, ―Start-

up companies enjoy great flexibility under licensing and other regulatory

frameworks.‖

The above cases are showing that the proper focus and the initiatives

regarding branding and positioning is creating the proper destination image

identity which offering the countries to grow with proper tourism earning. It

is the high time for India to come up with segment wise branding exercise.

Branding India in the given context is a huge challenge

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4.5. ADVENTURE TOURISM IN INDIAN AND COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH

OTHER COUNTRIES

4.5.1. World Ranks: The Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI) (2008)

produced by Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), George Washington

University and Xola Consulting ranks 27 Developed and 164 Developing

Countries. In the rankings, the UK is positioned 4th in the list of Developed

Countries (Scotland is not ranked separately) achieving the highest scores for

Sustainable Development, Infrastructure and Entrepreneurship. Switzerland

(1st), Sweden (2nd) and New Zealand (3rd) were the countries ranked above the

UK. Other ranks of some countries are Costa Rica 13th, Slovenia 15th ,Poland

16th ,Belize 17th ,Singapore 24th ,Fiji 29th ,Mexico 33rd , Brazil 36th , Saudi

Arabia 44th ,Qatar 46th ,Jamaica 48th ,Cuba 49th , Namibia 53rd ,China

59th, Thailand72nd , Philippines 74th, Kenya 79th, Zambia 83rd, Nepal is

ranked 67th , Sri Lanka is ranked 92nd Vietnam is ranked 98th Where India

is ranked 99th within 164 Developing Countries dealing with Adventure

Tourism .

Adventure tour operators continue to expand itineraries to cater to travelers

seeking more unique destinations and experiences. The average number of

distinct itineraries offered increased 24.4% from 57.9 in 2011 to 72 in 2012

(ATTA, 2012).

The ATDI ranks countries in two categories: developed and developing,

based on the country‘s UN designation. The top ten countries from 2011,

2010 and 2009 are shown below

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In the year 2011 The top ten developing Countries ATDI ranks were Chile,

Czech Republic, Slovak Republic ,Israel, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Korea

Republic ., Hungary .

In the year 2010 The top ten developing Countries ATDI ranks were Israel,

Slovak Republic, Chile, Estonia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Jordan,

Romania, Latvia.

In the year 2009 The top ten developing Countries ATDI ranks were Slovak

Republic, Israel, Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia, Chile, Bulgaria, Latvia,

Botswana, and Lithuania.

In the year 2011 the top ten developed Countries ATDI ranks were

Switzerland, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Finland,

Austria, Sweden, and Japan.

In the year 2010 the top ten developed Countries ATDI ranks were

Switzerland, Iceland, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Ireland,

Norway, Finland, and Austria.

In the year 2009 the top ten developed Countries ATDI ranks were Iceland,

Switzerland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Australia, Luxembourg,

Denmark, Ireland, Germany, and Spain.

Country Ranking Highlights: Improving adventure tourism potential is a

long-term process requiring careful planning and sound policy. The 2011

ATDI saw the same top five countries as 2010 from both the developed and

developing nations, reflecting the difficulty of breaking into the ranks of the

top countries. However, there are several countries that have been steadily

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emerging as high potential destinations over the last few years. Among

developed nations, Norway and Finland ranked 6th and 7th respectively,

scoring just outside of the ―High‖ cluster cut-off. This is a considerable

improvement from 2009 when Norway ranked 12th among developed nations

and Finland 14th. Norway performed strongly in the Sustainable

Development pillar where it ranked 2nd among developed nations. Norway

also had substantial improvement in the Adventure Resources pillar where

it improved from 18th among developed nations in 2010 to 3rd in 2011.

Finland ranked 2nd among developed nations in the Safety pillar, and had

improvements in the Health and Adventure Resources pillars. Poland and

South Korea have seen similar increases among developing nations. Both

countries ranked in the top ten of developing nations for the first time in

2011. South Korea went from 30th in 2009 to 9th in 2011, and Poland went

from 26th in 2009 to 8th in 2011. Poland had sizeable increases in the

Sustainable Development and Health pillars, and ranked 5th among

developing nations in the Humanitarian pillar. South Korea had impressive

gains in the Sustainable Development and Natural Resources pillars, and

ranked 4th among developing nations in the Health pillar.

4.5.2. Biggest Movers: Perhaps the most interesting among the biggest

movers in the developed countries group are Japan and Spain. Japan

improved four positions to rank 10th in 2011. Its biggest improvement came

in the Natural Resources pillar where it moved from 17th in 2010 to 9th in

2011. The move was largely impacted by Japan‘s slight decrease in

population density, fuelled by Japan‘s negative population growth rate of -

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1.0% in 2010 (U.S. Department of State, 2012). Most developed countries

continue to have a small population growth, increasing their relative

population density. Spain decreased eight positions to rank 19th in 2011.

Spain‘s largest decrease came in the Adventure Resources pillar, where it

dropped 20 positions to rank 24th in 2011. The drop was due to the

country‘s large increase in threatened species on the International Union for

Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The increase

was primarily in threatened plant species, which saw a dramatic overall

world increase in 2011 (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red

List of Threatened Species, 2012).

The table of the Biggest Movers in Developing Countries pertaining to

adventure tourism growth

Country 2011 ATDI Rank Rank Change from

2010

Kuwait 59 +64

Micronesia 61 +63

Montenegro 60 +43

Cape Verde 22 +30

Mauritius 27 +30

San Marino 109 +30

Source: The Adventure Tourism Development Index , produced by ATTA (2011)

In the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index 2010(measures the power

and quality of each country's 'brand image' by combining the following six

dimensions: exports, governance, culture and heritage, people, tourism,

investment and immigration), India has a very low rank of 27 (overall), and

in tourism brand ranking, India ranks 24. Where New Zealand has ranked

14th (overall) 17th in tourism, Brazil has ranked 20th (overall) &13th in

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tourism; Mexico has ranked 28th (overall) & 20th in tourism. This is not a

good sign for India the above mention countries‘ economic position are not

that much well-off compare to India but they are doing very well with

tourism resources which is helping them to get better overall brand image

in the world market but those country are doing very well with tourism

GDP and earnings.

4.5.3. International tourist arrivals and International tourism receipt Data

Countries ITA2008

(in 1000)

ITA2009

(in 1000)

ITA2010

(in 1000)

ITA’09/’08 ITA10/09 ITR2008 (in US$ million)

ITR2009(in US$

million)

ITR2010 (in US $ million)

Singapore 7778 7488 9161 -3.7 22.3 10714 9364 14124

Vietnam 4236 3747 5050 -11.5 34.8 3930 3050 4450

New Zealand

2459 2458 2525 0 2.7 5037 4586 4855

Philippines 3391 3017 3520 -3.9 16.7 2499 2330 2783

Brazil 5050 4802 5161 -4.9 7.5 5785 5305 5919

Mexico 22637 21454 22395 -5.2 4.4 13289 11275 11872

Kenya 1141 1392 -- -- -- 752 690 756

Namibia 931 980 -- 5.3 -- 378 398 438

South Africa 9592 7012 8074 -26.89 15.1 7925 7543 9070

Tanzania 750 714 794 -4.8 11.1 1289 1160 1303

India 5283 5168 5184 -2.2 8.1 11832 11136 14160

Countries Tourism contribution in country’s GDP (in %)

Tourism natural resources Size of the Country

Vietnam 4.30% wonderful natural beauty 329560 sq km

Brazil 7.80% White-sand beaches, tropical islands, waterfalls, wetlands filled with wildlife

8,514,877 sq km

Mexico 6.10% soft sand beaches, beaches resorts, Caribbean cultural , golden sand beaches

1,972,550 sq km

Kenya 5.1% of National Park, beaches, Mount Kenya,

Samburu National Reserve, Lamu Island, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara National Reserve

580,367 sq km

Namibia 8.80% Desert, Atlantic Ocean coast, wildlife, Matterhorn, colonies of Cape Fur Seals

825,418 sq km

Tanzania 17.5%and nearly 25 %of total export earnings

Selous Game Reserve, Mikumi and Ruaha National Parks

945,087 sq km

India 4.50% In India all the elements are present 3,287,590 sq. km

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If size wise tourism growth comparison is done with India and other countries

it can be seen Vietnam, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Mexico, Brazil are doing

far better than India. What is the secret then? The problem of Indian tourism

is that it still believes in the age-old of concept of site seeing. And hence keeps

on highlighting the Charminar, Golkonda Fort, Red Fort, Taj Mahal etc. But

the world has left behind this concept of bus-tourism and moved ahead. They

want to actively participate in and feel the thrill of going to new places.

4.6. CHALLENGES IN BRANDING OF INDIA TOURISM

One of the researches had been conducted by Ministry of Tourism,

Government. of India (March 2007) it is basically research on 605

international tourist sample through Computer-Aided Telephonic Interviews

(CATI) and ‗Pen & Paper‘ - the interviews were done by the professional

interviewers who went and visited the respondent in–person to gather his /

her feedback. This research by Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India

says about the types of holiday activities preferred by the Partners segment in

India are Sight-seeing 93%,Shopping78%,Cultural events69%,Visiting friends

and relatives 69%,Adventure sports 54%,Eco-tourism51%,rellgious purpose

or pilgrimage 38%, Medical treatment 27%.

Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India (March 2007)

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The report is also talks about awareness levels about India and its tourism

resources are as Know a lot about India 25%,have some knowledge about

India 65%,don‘t know anything about India 8%, refused to talk on the issue

2%. So it shows us that India is already known for Sight-seeing (includes

heritage and diversity, historical places and monuments, Cities) as well as its

shopping opportunities and Cultural events, but adventure and nature based

tourism can be another significant valued segment for Indian tourism

marketing. It is true that Indian Ministry of Tourism launched the Incredible

India campaign since 2002 to encouraged visitors from around the world to

experience India. The concerted marketing effort included print, radio and

television advertising; the campaign also included road shows, which were

planned for the UK, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, Australia and New

Zealand. The successful campaign received attention and praise from travel

professionals and is credited with increasing the number of tourists to the

nation within just a few years. ‗Incredible India campaign‘ is only creating

impact with Attribute, Rational Benefit and Emotional Benefit in the

competitive market only operating ,if we consider The six-stage brand

pyramid ,it can‘t reach to Brand Essence by covering up Brand value and

Brand personality . The initial brand image of Indian tourism has been made

But now a days (after 10 years in 2012 old age concept cannot be

sustainable) destination branding should be more segment wise because the

market is becoming more challenging Incredible India campaign must

promote the different product to the different segment that will create better

opportunity for overall growth of the tourism sector with divorce tourism

product. It is positioning problem for Indian tourism it tries to project India

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tourism is kind of one stop shop offering to mass market, for example Gujarat

Tourism (Government. of Gujarat) in its advertise campaigning saying that

come to Gujarat and visit all the sites or locations like Ahmedabad Rural

and Indus Valley Civilization in North Gujarat, Surat, Vadodara , Rajkot,

Junagadh & Jamnagar, Kutch, Gir National Park, Gondal-Gir National Park,

it is projecting Gujarat Tourism is having all the facility to meet the demand

of the tourist, but it is choice of customer or tourist they may not interested

in visiting all the destination the tourist will be moving with his or her own

set of tourism interest and intention, that‘s why they may be confused. In this

present competitive market condition market research for proper Segmentation

and need assessment of the prospective tourist are becoming so important, upon

which Target group identification is depending. This approach will help the brand

building exercise in a positive way.

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CASES: The growth of

adventure tourism can be seen everywhere. Many countries in the world are

promoting adventure tourism as a significant part of total tourism activities.

To promote the adventure tourism in the country most of the nations are very

much concerned about infrastructural development, environmental protection

and creating the linkages in terms of logistics and they are ensuring the

benefits or facilities of the tourist. The countries like Kenya, Nepal, New

Zealand, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Botswana Chile, Czech Republic, Slovak

Republic, Israel, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Korea Republic, Hungary and

others, are very much concern about identifying the core competencies which

can promote adventure tourism and they have also recognised that adventure

tourism is one of the fastest growing sector of tourism. In promoting the

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adventure tourism they are taking several initiatives relating to marketing

branding and achieving sustainability. For any tourism destination image

plays a vital role which is only possible through proper positioning, service

offering and service delivery. The different countries are very much concern in

image development for that region they are utilising the digital and non-digital

communication Media in branding and position the country‘s image. In doing

that the countries are projecting the core adventure resources and

attractions, natural environments, culture, quality of the service and safety in

reality whenever any tourist are visiting to those countries all kinds of

facilities are offered to those tourist where the tourist can feel as if they are

not visiting to the new place. This thing is actually creating the good impact

with in the tourist mind. This creation of homely atmosphere and hassles free

journey create positive satisfaction. It can be seen the word of mouth

communication is one of the strongest mode of communication, in that case

the satisfied tourist indirectly promotes the brand either consciously or un

consciously. The countries are also caring about introducing new activities in

terms of adventure tourism, they are also identifying the new unexplored area

where adventure tourism can be conducted .All the time it is not possible to

bear huge expenses in developing a tourism destination, the government of

the different nations are inspiring the private players investing and

participating in this sector either by partnership or with the PPP (Public

Private Partnership) model. The countries are enjoying the tourism growth

which is the result of proper involvement, planning and management.

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India is not getting that much good position in the world market in terms of

adventure tourism as like Kenya, Nepal, New Zealand, Tanzania, Costa Rica,

and Botswana Chile, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Israel, Estonia,

Bulgaria, Slovenia, Korea Republic, Hungary and others.

Now the question is can India grow up to the new development of adventure

tourism?

Yes surely it can. India as a country enrich with environmental resources and

full with natural diversity, a huge range of Himalaya mountains, 12 major

rivers, 678,333 square kilometres of the total forest areas including

mangrove forest, huge resourceful sea beaches, desert, more than 160

national parks what not. India has full of resources which are required for

Adventure Tourism but it is not fully utilized. India is not getting the

appreciative position in compare to world adventure tourism market.

Underutilization of the potential capacity is taking place in both case of India

and West Bengal but there is huge market of adventure tourism that can be

seriously explored for the future growth. India can achieve the position as one

of the world best place in terms of world adventure tourism. For that reason

only the proper initiatives and planning are required like other nations which

are doing very good in adventure tourism. Aggressive marketing of Adventure

Tourism product is becoming so important to create better environment for

Indian tourism growth. From the current research it has been observed that

―If we stand for everything we stand for nothing‖ It is positioning problem for

Indian tourism it tries to project India tourism is kind of one stop shop

offering to mass market. But it is choice of customers or tourists they may

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not interested in visiting all the destination the tourist will be moving with

his or her own set of tourism interest and intention, that‘s why they may be

confused. Branding and positioning of adventure tourism in India in general

and West Bengal in particular needs to be very strong to attract the domestic

and international tourist. It is kind of "One size fits all" approach it is going

on in case of branding this is not proper marketing. In marketing proper

Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning strategy is required heavily when it the

matter of adventure tourism promotion then more care is essential.

4.7. SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS OF THE ADVENTURE TOURISM

MARKET AND NEED ASSESSMENT OF THE ADVENTURE TOURIST

ALONG WITH IDENTIFICATION OF THE FACTORS EFFECTING

ADVENTURE TOURISM MARKETING OF WEST BENGAL

Descriptive analysis of the data providing the basic information which are the

mode age group who prefer tourism is 25 years to 42 years, the male are

having more interest in tourism rather than women. The graduate and post

graduate people are more interested in tourism activity. The service class

people prefer tourism compare to business class for business class tourism

stands business tour, Sightseeing and shopping. The earning group ₹30000

to ₹50000 (per month) are holding major percentages who are involved in

regular tourism (at least ones a year). Descriptive analysis in terms of type of

tourism preferred by the tourist sample are Historical /Heritage tourism is

liked by 50.4 %, Spiritual enlightenment tourism is liked by 45.6 % ,

Religious place tourism is favoured by 50.8 %, Cultural events tourism is

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preferred by 22.8 %, Rural tourism is liked by 25.6 % , Urban areas and

shopping tourism is favoured by 22.4 %, Sports tourism is liked 20 %

,Sightseeing tourism is liked 42.8 % , Eco tourism is liked 30.4% , Mountain/

Hill Stations Tourism is liked by 52 %, Beach Tourism is favoured by 56 %,

National parks/reserve forest tourism is loved 46.4%, Explorers adventurers

tourism is liked by 29.2 %, Snorkelling is preferred by 13.6%. The perceived

data relating to tourism interest is representing that tourists are having the

interest and inclination towards Nature, Cultural and Activity oriented

tourism.

The research is formulating the various hypotheses to validate the causes to

consequences

The first Null- Hypothesis and Alternate Hypothesis are:

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between gender

and tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

gender and tourism preference or priority.

The chi-square test shows the following:

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 10.858a 10 .369

Likelihood Ratio 11.873 10 .294

Linear-by-Linear

Association

.553 1 .457

N of Valid Cases 250

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The result is showing accepted hypothesis is rejected the test shows that

there is no significant relationship between gender and types of tourism since

the sig value is 0.369.

The second Null- Hypothesis and Alternate Hypothesis are:

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between

education level and types of tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

education level and types of tourism preference or priority.

The chi-square test yields the following results:

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 40.398a 30 .097

Likelihood Ratio 37.699 30 .158

Linear-by-Linear Association 3.699 1 .054

N of Valid Cases 250

The test shows that there is significant association between education level

and types of tourism preference or priority since the sig value i.e. 0.097 , this

holds at 10 % level of significance. But at 5 % level of significance we can

accept null-hypothesis.

The third Null- Hypothesis and Alternate Hypothesis are:

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between income

level and types of tourism preference or priority.

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Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

income level and types of tourism preference or priority.

The chi-square test shows the following:

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 90.430a 60 .007

Likelihood Ratio 90.313 60 .007

Linear-by-Linear Association 11.446 1 .001

N of Valid Cases 250

The test shows that null hypothesis is rejected that is a significant

association exist between income level and types of tourism preference or

priority since the sig value i.e. .007 is less than p-value i.e. 0.05. The

following holds at 5 % level of significance.

The forth Null- Hypothesis and Alternate Hypothesis are:

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association in between age level

and types of tourism preference or priority.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant association in between

age level and types of tourism preference or priority.

The chi-square test shows the following:

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 66.370a 50 .060

Likelihood Ratio 55.661 50 .270

Linear-by-Linear Association 2.405 1 .121

N of Valid Cases 250

196 | P a g e

There is no significant association between age level and types of tourism

preference or priority at 5 % level of significance. But at 10 % level of

significance we can reject the null-hypothesis which means that there is a

significant relationship at 10% level of significance.

The statistical analysis of the above data is giving an outline about the

prospect to which the tourism market is looking for. If segmentation has to

be done on different types of tourism preference or priority the factors like

Age, income, Education level have to be kept in mind.

In Chapter Number - 4.2., it is been analyzed that there are significant

relationship or association in between Income, Education and Occupation of

the Tourist and Adventure tourism preference or priority. But in case of Age

and Gender of the tourist and preference for Adventure Tourism are not

significantly related or associated.

This is true that only demographical data analysis is not enough to segment

the adventure tourism market .the product based segmentation is must to

get better outcome. The several factors that can better explain adventure

tourism such as Mountaineering, Rock-climbing, Diving & Swimming, water

activity, Trekking, Beach adventure, Natural beauty or Jungle& Wildlife

adventure, etc. It has been already expressed in adventure tourism oriented

books by John Swarbrooke et al. (2003) and Ralf Buckley (2006). There are

other factors related to adventure tourism those are Fulfilment of

Expectation , Explore New Things , Food & Beverage, Night life ,

Hospitality , Tourism Information , Feeling Safe , Medical Care, Price of the

Consumables, Quality of the Consumables, Communication and

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accessibility, Weather & climate , Involvement with Nature are also

important .

The different tourist may represent diverse age, income, gender, educational

background or occupation group are having commonality in selection of the

adventure tourism in West Bengal the factor identification and groping of

those factor can be decent for the segmentation analysis of the adventure

tourism market and need assessment of the adventure tourist pertaining to

West Bengal. The factors effecting adventure tourism can be better

understood with this process.

The several tourism intention and facility related factor which influences the

consumer behavior of the adventure tourist is being analyzed by using KMO

and Bartlett's Test Sampling Adequacy and Principal Component Analysis ,

Correlations analysis and Multidimensional scaling (MDS). The factors has

been chosen from reviewing different international and national tourism and

adventure tourism literature as well as previous tourism and adventure

tourism research across the globe(those are already discussed in

introduction). The factors (consisting of tourism intention, infrastructure ,

resources and facility ,etc. ) are Natural beauty, Jungle & Wildlife, Beach,

Culture, Historical Attractions , Mountaineering , Rock Climbing,

Trekking, Local people Attitudes , Diving& Swimming, Experimentations,

Fulfilment of Expectation , Explore New Things , Food & Beverage, Night

life , Hospitality , Tourism Information , Feeling Safe , Medical Care, Price

of the Consumables, Quality of the Consumables, Communication and

accessibility, Weather & climate , Involvement with Nature .

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Now applying Pearson Correlation analysis in between Adventure Tourism of

West Bengal and the factors influencing adventure Tourism

Correlations Natural Beauty Jungle & Wildlife Beach

Pearson

Correlation

Sig.

(2-

tailed)

Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-

tailed)

Pearson

Correlation

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Adventure

Tourism .170

** 0.007 .461

** 0 .132

* 0.037

Correlations Food & Beverage Transportation Hospitality

Pearson

Correlation

Sig.

(2-

tailed)

Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-

tailed)

Pearson

Correlation

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Adventure

Tourism .244

** 0 .404

** 0 .263

** 0

Correlations Involvement with Nature Cost & expenses

Weather &

climate

Pearson

Correlation

Sig.

(2-

tailed)

Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-

tailed)

Pearson

Correlation

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Adventure

Tourism .226

** 0 .236

** 0 .269

** 0

Correlations Tour operator’s

assistances

Attitude of the

local people

Access to money

(ATM)

Pearson

Correlation

Sig.

(2-

tailed)

Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-

tailed)

Pearson

Correlation

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Adventure

Tourism .387

** 0 .339

** 0 0.025 0.69

Correlations Activity & sport Quality of services

Feeling Safe

Pearson

Correlation

Sig. (2-

tailed) Pearson Correlation

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Pearson

Correlation

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Adventure

Tourism .239

** 0 .363

** 0 .249

** 0

* p < .05(Significant ), ** p < .01(highly Significant)

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The following observations can be drawn from the significance of correlation

of adventure tourism with the factors:

The want for adventure tourism is seen to be correlated with all the factors

taken in to account. The factors taken in to account were:

i. Natural Beauty: There is a significant relationship (correlation of 0.140).

This means that people who prefer adventure tourism also see a factor of

natural beauty important in it.

ii. Availability of food and beverages is seen to be significantly positively

correlated with the preference towards adventure tourism (correlation

value of 0.244).

iii. Transportation: This also has a significant positive correlation with

preference towards adventure tourism (correlation value of 0.404). It

shows that people who preferring adventure tourism have a positive

strong bend towards the Transportation element in it.

iv. Hospitality: This has a significant positive correlation (correlation value of

0.263).

v. Involvement with nature: Has a positive significant correlation value of

0.266 which means that people who prefer adventure tourism also feel

involvement with nature as an important factor.

vi. Expense: This is seen to be significantly positively correlated correlation

value being 0.236.

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vii. Weather & Climate: This seems to be significantly positively correlated at

a value of 0.269. This correlation can be explained by the fact that bad

weather conditions increases risk in some cases of adventure tourism.

viii. Quality of services is seen to be significantly positively correlated at a

value of 0.363.

ix. Feeling of safety is very important in an adventure tourism as this

reduces the risks associated with such type of tourism and hence is seen

to be significantly positively correlated with a value of 0.249.

x. The most important part is that all of the activities are positively

significantly correlated with preference towards adventure tourism.

Activities include Tour operator‘s assistances, Attitude of the local

people, Activity & sport and Beach Activities.

Now the research is applying Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) technique to

analyses the perception of the adventure tourists followed by factor reduction

on the basis of customer preference in connection with West Bengal.

In this current study Stress value is 0.02404 which is considered as excellent

in terms of quality of the test and squared correlation (RSQ) value of 0.99895

is indicating the significant level of acceptance of the MDS output. In

dimension 1 degree of adventure (soft adventure to hard & activity adventure)

on the other hand in dimension 2 the form of tourism (Mainstream tourism to

Remote tourism) has been specified.

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Stimulus Coordinates

Dimension

Stimulus Stimulus 1 2

Number Name

1 Trek .6311 .2675

2 Rock .6242 .3173

3 Divi .5755 -.4023

4 Moun .5890 .3146

5 Beac -3.3711 .0337

6 Natu .4107 -.5238

7 Jung .5406 -.0071

Where Moun stands for Mountaineering, Rock stands for Rock-climbing, Divi

stands for Diving & Swimming, Trek is Trekking, Beac is Beach, Natu stands

for Natural beauty, Jung is Jungle& Wildlife.

From the above analysis it can be understood that the four types of

perception is there for adventure tourism market of West Bengal. First one is

the combination of hard & activity adventure combined with remote place

tourism, the second one is soft adventure combined with remote place

tourism, third one is soft adventure combined with mainstream tourism and

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the fourth type is hard & activity adventure combined with mainstream

tourism.

Customer who likes both remote place tourism and hard & activity adventure

they will like mountaineering rock-climbing and trekking. Jungle& wildlife,

natural beauty and Diving & Swimming will fall in that segment where

custom preferences hard & activity adventure but representing Mainstream

tourism. But Beach is signifying both Mainstream tourism and Remote

tourism with soft adventure destination.

Now analysing the tourism facility required data provided by the tourist with

Principal Component Analysis.

KMO and Bartlett's Test

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .827

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 1153.073

Df 190

Sig. .000

From the table above it is clear that the principal component analysis is quite

relevant in the context of the present data set which is indicated by the

following:

1. The Bartlett's test suggests that the null hypothesis of the equality of

covariance matrices is accepted which indicates that the data set does not

deviate from the assumption of multivariate normality.

2. Also the KMO test statistic value of 0.827 is sufficiently high. Generally as

a rule of thumb any value above 0.6 is good and any value above 0.8 is

excellent.

203 | P a g e

Communalities

Initial Extraction

Communication convenience Transport 1.000 .531

Expense 1.000 .610

Hygiene and Cleanliness 1.000 .494

Hospitality , Food & Beverages 1.000 .405

Comfort 1.000 .588

Attractiveness of the Place 1.000 .551

Value Addition 1.000 .603

New Experience 1.000 .322

Pleasure 1.000 .484

Experimentations 1.000 .535

Fulfilment of Expectation 1.000 .526

Exploring New Things 1.000 .574

Night File 1.000 .514

Tourism information 1.000 .551

Safety 1.000 .526

Medical Care 1.000 .634

Access to Money ( through ATM) 1.000 .594

Quality of Service 1.000 .400

Local Artefacts 1.000 .550

Involvement with nature 1.000 .515

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

Now the communality values are quite high too suggesting a proper loading

process and extraction.

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Total Variance Explained

Component

Initial Eigenvalues Extraction Sums of Squared

Loadings Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings

Total % of

Variance Cumulative

% Total % of

Variance Cumulative

% Total % of

Variance Cumulative

%

1 4.900 24.502 24.502 4.900 24.502 24.502 3.008 15.040 15.040

2 1.884 9.421 33.923 1.884 9.421 33.923 2.216 11.079 26.119

3 1.345 6.725 40.648 1.345 6.725 40.648 1.923 9.617 35.735

4 1.226 6.130 46.778 1.226 6.130 46.778 1.810 9.051 44.786

5 1.154 5.771 52.549 1.154 5.771 52.549 1.552 7.762 52.549

6 .946 4.729 57.277

7 .914 4.568 61.846

8 .901 4.505 66.351

9 .794 3.968 70.318

10 .763 3.816 74.134

11 .749 3.747 77.881

12 .678 3.388 81.269

13 .612 3.060 84.329

14 .592 2.961 87.291

15 .548 2.742 90.033

16 .462 2.308 92.341

17 .448 2.238 94.579

18 .411 2.054 96.633

19 .374 1.871 98.504

20 .299 1.496 100.000

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

From the above table it can be said that the PCA has resulted extraction of 5

components which in overall manner explain 52.549% of the total variance

within the data set. The maximum variance after rotation is independently

explained by the first component which counts to 15.04%.

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Component

1 2 3 4 5

Communication convenience Transport .110 .466 .381 -.347 .192

Expense .196 .281 .292 -.626 -.124

Hygiene and Cleanliness .311 .433 -.374 .230 .131

Hospitality , Food & Beverages .322 .343 -.334 .250 -.101

Comfort .385 .454 -.056 -.034 -.479

Attractiveness of the Place .076 .512 .267 .383 -.255

Value Addition .475 -.130 -.580 -.155 .010

New Experience .436 -.043 -.309 -.050 .179

Pleasure .046 .491 .108 .409 .250

Experimentations .725 -.026 -.044 -.058 -.056

Fulfilment of Expectation .607 .233 .163 -.058 -.271

Exploring New Things .705 -.049 -.152 -.225 -.040

Night File .709 .027 -.038 -.081 .044

Tourism information .666 -.283 .140 .009 .090

Safety .574 -.238 .132 .085 -.339

Medical Care .644 -.349 .097 .213 -.207

Access to Money ( through ATM) .304 -.438 .414 .369 -.057

Quality of Service .584 .010 .110 .027 .215

Local Artefacts .556 -.073 .230 .026 .427

Involvement with nature .503 .203 .099 .055 .456

Component Matrix : Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. 5 components extracted.

The component matrix is generally not used in the process of identifying the

variable set in the components. The matrix which is used is the Rotated

Component Matrix. Here the method of rotation used is varimax rotation,

since the most commonly used orthogonal rotation method is the varimax

rotation.

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Rotated Component Matrix

Component

1 2 3 4 5

Communication convenience

Transport

-.159 -.162 .328 .093 .603

Expense .031 .034 .027 -.087 .774

Hygiene and Cleanliness -.111 .357 .211 .553 -.069

Hospitality , Food & Beverages .057 .315 .026 .546 -.062

Comfort .256 .181 -.200 .542 .395

Attractiveness of the Place .120 -.354 -.004 .631 .118

Value Addition .142 .761 .020 .018 -.060

New Experience .116 .495 .244 .048 -.039

Pleasure -.168 -.214 .358 .526 -.077

Experimentations .497 .413 .255 .139 .182

Fulfilment of Expectation .474 .155 .109 .328 .397

Exploring New Things .414 .545 .206 .042 .248

Night File .416 .410 .335 .139 .203

Tourism information .577 .244 .384 -.099 .039

Safety .704 .149 -.004 .058 .066

Medical Care .755 .188 .131 .031 -.105

Access to Money ( through ATM) .636 -.268 .204 -.120 -.249

Quality of Service .334 .208 .475 .090 .108

Local Artefacts .295 .118 .665 -.050 .066

Involvement with nature .090 .168 .660 .178 .107

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.

Rotation converged in 10 iterations.

Now comes to the most important step of the analysis which deals with the

determination of variables within each component.

PC1: Consists of experimentation, fulfilment of expectation, exploring new

things, night life, tourism information, safety, medical care and access to

money.

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PC2: Consists of value addition, new experience, experimentation, exploring

new things, night life.

PC3: Consists of quality of service, local artefacts, involvement with nature.

PC4: Consists of hygiene & cleanliness, hospitality & food, comfort,

attractiveness of place, pleasure.

PC5: Consists of expense factor and communication and transport facilities.

Here clearly there are three variables which load in more than one

component. These are:

1. Experimentation: It loads in component 1 & 2.

2. Explore new things: This also loads on two components 1 & 2.

3. Night Life loads simultaneously in component 1 & 2.

The above mentioned variables which load upon more than one component

are termed as Complex variables in terms of PCA.

Component 1 2 3 4 5

1 .673 .498 .446 .234 .215

2 -.427 -.076 .104 .764 .465

3 .336 -.801 .290 -.157 .371

4 .216 -.319 .114 .529 -.748

5 -.453 .065 .833 -.238 -.200

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.

The above analysis is depicts that tourists similar demands and related

preferences are combined together and divided in five broad types of group

which are representing the different tourist specific requirements that are

projecting five different cluster in connection with requirements adventure

tourism of West Bengal.

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The first one is having high preferences relating to experimentations,

Fulfilment of Expectation, Exploring New Things, Tourism Information,

Feeling Safe and Medical Care.

The second type is indicating high preferences relating to Communication

convenience & transport, Expense, Comfort and Attractiveness of the Place.

The third category is representing high preferences in terms of Access to

Money (through ATM), Communication convenience in transport and

Hygiene & Cleanliness.

Forth category prefers Comfort and Attractiveness of the Place.

Fifth category favours Hygiene and Cleanliness, Local Artefacts and

Involvement with nature.

FINDINGS:

It has been observed the tourist from different demographic pattern are very

much fond of natural environment and activity related tourism they prefer

exploring new things, they want to get the pleasure of experimentation under

the environment where complete safety, security is there. They want to get the

thrill of adventure without any risk because they visit a destination with the

family, relatives, friend circle etc. If it is the mass market then the adventure

tourism must be soft in nature and hard adventure will be the niche market

because the hard core adventure is the inbuilt thing. It is somehow

contradicting with the other international tourism literature but it is the

reality. That is one should sell those product which are asked to be sold by

the customer. It is the discovery of the research that India in general and west

Bengal in particular should concentrate in promoting adventure tourism in a

209 | P a g e

different way. It should consider the target group‘s attractiveness first. It has

been observed that the safety & Risk factor is very much essential in

connection with the adventure tourism. The promotion fundamentals have to

be changed from the traditional way of projecting tourism. In promotion

campaign should follow the Media which are highly preferred by the people in

campaigning the natural environment should be projected in such a way

where the flavour of adventure is blended with proper safety and care

supported by the basic minimum facilities required by the tourist that is the

pleasure, fun, enjoyment, exploring new things, experimentation will not be

causing any life risk. The campaigning must be done for different segment

differently. for domestic tourist it should project India as well as west Bengal

as the land for adventure tourism, it can offer better facilities compared to the

other nation with minimum cost on the other hand for international tourist

the richness of natural diversity and adventure tourism resources have to be

projected as comparative benefits with respect to other nations.

4.8. ANALYSIS OF THE INDIAN CASE STUDIES TO IDENTIFY THE

PROSPECT OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL AND TOURISM MARKET

In India adventure tourism slowly gradually becoming popular different

State governments are taking initiatives to boost this new sector and as a

result tourism contribution are also growing with adventure tourism some

cases below are reflecting the different dimension of adventure tourism .

4.8.1. Andhra Pradesh:

In the year 2001, the Andhra Pradesh tourism development corporation

(APTDC) has introduced Adventure tourism in a big way as the part of State

210 | P a g e

tourism action .The main Adventure tourism activities are para-gliding, rock

climbing, rappelling and river crossing at Araku-valley. Andhra Pradesh

has won the National Tourism Award 2008-2009 from Ministry of Tourism,

Government. of India, for most innovative adventure tourism Activity for Sea

Kayaking Expeditions, adventure tourism at Haritha Hill Resort, Horsley

Hills. Andhra Pradesh has also won the national level Tourism competition

and got Best State Rest of India – second Prize in 2010 from Ministry of

Tourism, Government of India. Andhra Pradesh is called as a ‗Rice Bowl‘ of

India. It is having a rich and unique culture in India. The Andhra Pradesh is

promoting itself as the ―Kohi-Noor‖ of India. It is a domicile for all types of

tourisms i.e. Pilgrimage tourism, Heritage tourism, Adventure tourism,

Cultural tourism, Educational tourism, Beach tourism, Eco-Tourism,

Geological tourism, Rural Tourism etc. Andhra Pradesh as a tourism

destination is doing good, in the year 2011 domestic tourist visits touched

153119816 foreign inflow moved to 264563, the percentage Share of tourism

in year 2011 was also good in compare to Indian total tourist visits in

domestic tourist visits 18.00 % and in foreign tourist inflow 1.36 %.

Maharashtra has achieved significant rank in Indian tourism environment

in terms of domestic and foreign visits which are 2nd and 13th respectively.

4.8.2. Madhya Pradesh:

Madhya Pradesh is one of the upcoming tourist States in the country.

Recently, it bagged four national tourism awards from the Union Ministry -

Best Tourism State, Best Tourism Film, Best Publicity Material and Best

211 | P a g e

Civic Management of a tourism destination in India. Madhya Pradesh has

focused on following key areas aiding tourism promotion in the State.

Marketing – Understanding the importance of marketing and advertising to

catch the attention of tourists, Madhya Pradesh government hired a reputed

brand and advertising agency to construct a tourism friendly image.

Understanding the fact that majority of tourists in India are domestic

tourists, it has used TV commercials to promote its tourism. The move has

worked well for them and has helped Madhya Pradesh move up the ranking

of States in terms of share of tourists visiting the State.

Development of new sites – New religious, historic and natural sites are

being developed as tourist destinations to attract more and more national

and international tourists to the State. Thirty seven tourist places have been

selected for further development. Dividing the State into tourism sectors –

The tourism potential of Madhya Pradesh is being increased by identifying

select tourist sectors in the State. The State is giving special attention to

developing Panna, Chitrakoot, Khajuraho and Orchha as tourist

destinations. The government has also set up Tourism Promotion Councils

in various districts of the State to promote tourism.

Investment in infrastructure – Investment is being made at a fast pace in

tourism and supporting infrastructure needed to promote it. Investment is

also coming from foreign countries. Three companies from Republic of China

have invested recently in the State. Some of the positive aspects of

investment in Madhya Pradesh are availability of land at relatively attractive

212 | P a g e

price, peaceful industrial atmosphere, immediate action on investment

proposals and harmonious social atmosphere.

Inviting national and international investments – The State government has

been undertaking efforts to rope in national and international investors to

develop infrastructure in the State. To promote investor confidence in the

State, the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation

(MPSTDC) organizes tourism conclave in association with reputed industry

bodies.

Fort and palaces to be converted into heritage hotels – The government of

Madhya Pradesh has created an inventory of forts/palaces to be converted

into heritage hotels. These forts/palaces are planned to be offered to the

private investors on a long term lease (90 years)/Freehold/PPP basis

through a transparent process. For the forts/palaces in private hands, the

role of the Government is envisaged to be limited to bringing the private

players and investors together and facilitating the entire process. The State

has created a land bank of 500 hectares and has invited private investors to

set up properties at these locations.

Key learnings from initiatives undertaken by

Madhya Pradesh Following key factors have helped Madhya Pradesh

strengthen its positioning and potential in terms of attracting tourists:

Judicious selection of marketing tools in increasing the awareness of the

tourist potential of the State.

213 | P a g e

Harnessing the tourism potential through identification and development

of potential new tourist destinations.

Establishment of required administrative set-up for development and

promotion of different regions and sites in the State.

Regular meet with various tourism sector stakeholders to create

awareness about government initiatives and avenues for private sector

participation for tourism promotion.

Promotion and channelization of private sector investments through PPP

(Public- Private Partnership) models in the development of State tourism

infrastructure.

Madhya Pradesh has won Best State Rest of India – First prize in 2010 from

Ministry of Tourism, Government. of India. Madhya Pradesh is known as the

heart of incredible India not only because of its geographical location but it

is also a home of heritage, culture and wildlife. The State has touched new

heights during the year 2010 -11 with an annual revenue growth rate

exceeding 20% in consecutive years. People are now enthusiastic about less

known places more than repeatedly inflicted destinations. Today tourists are

not only elated with the names of cultural, heritage and religious tours, they

are more looking forward to adventure and eco-tourism. In keeping with the

change in attitude of tourists, Madhya Pradesh tourism has decided to

promote eco-tourism and adventure tourism. The government has also

decided to seek active participation of private institutions. They are

promoting their eco-tourism by good advertising programs and active

involvement with industry. There are plenty of options of eco-tourism in the

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State. Travellers are able to enjoy the wilds in their natural habitat in a

serene and clean ambiance. Adventure tourism provides tourists with

unending thrill and joy. Madhya Pradesh with its varied landscapes,

unexploited so far, has immense potential for adventure activities. The State

is gifted with rivers, water bodies, hills, and forest covers for activities like

water sports, angling, camping, hot air ballooning and many more.

The State government focuses on improvement of roads and communication,

accommodation, recreational facilities, advertising the tourist destinations to

ensure desirable possible use of infrastructure and create new appropriate

policies for earning foreign exchange earnings. The State government is also

emphasis on the indigenous employment opportunities.

For adventure and eco-tourism, Madhya Pradesh is blessed with places like

Pachmarhi, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura Hills, Tigra Lake, Upper Lake

and numerous other. Activities like camping, trekking, water sports, cycle

safari, riding trail, rock climbing, para sailing/ paragliding, and hot air

ballooning are popular among tourists. In order of tourist's comfort, the

State government have established good set of hotels, resorts and well

transport facilities.

State has touched new heights during the year 2009-10 with an annual

revenue growth rate exceeding 25% in consecutive years. Madhya Pradesh

as a tourism destination is doing good, in the year 2011 domestic tourist

visits touched 44119820, and foreign inflow moved to 269559, the

percentage Share of tourism in year 2011 was also good in compare to

Indian total tourist visits in domestic tourist visits 5.19 % and in foreign

215 | P a g e

tourist inflow 1.38 %. Maharashtra has achieved significant rank in Indian

tourism environment in terms of domestic and foreign visits which are 6th

and 12th respectively.

4.8.3. Kerala

Kerala has won the Best State: Rest of India – third prize in 2010 from

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India ; national Award for Most

Innovative Adventure Activity for the year 2007-08 from Ministry of

Tourism, Government of India; Gold Award 2010 for Best Website Pacific

Asia Travel Association (PATA). Acclaimed by National Geographic Traveller

as ‗one of the ten paradises of the world‘ and chosen by BBC as ‗one of the

ten unforgettable things to do before you die‘, Kerala is India‘s only tourism

Superbrand tourism destination and doing justice with the tourism slogan

―God‘s Own Country‖. State Government has done various initiatives like;

Kerala clean toilet campaign to keep public toilets clean, environmental

friendly practices are being promoted to avoid pollution of the backwaters

and other water bodies, promotion of local souvenirs, signage are made

available at highways and roads to destinations, and hop on hop off services

also made available Life Saving Volunteer is an initiative by the State

Government to keep guards at high and risky water bodies, ‗Tourist

Warden‘ to provide assistance and guidance to the visitors, in order to

manage situations of crisis affecting tourists, the department is in the

process of constituting ‗Contingency Response Cell‘ at the State level to act

quickly to manage such eventualities (www.keralatourism.org). Apart, from

these above mentioned features, there are many important features of

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Kerala like, monsoon tourism, backwater boat race, Ayurveda and medical

tourism in Kerala (www.slideshare.net) which should be highlighted in

Incredible India comprehensively and clearly. Kerala is the State which is

having significant tourism contribution in the year 2010 domestic tourist

inflow touched 8595075 foreign tourist inflow was 659265, in the year 2011

domestic tourist inflow touched 9381455 foreign inflow moved to 732985,

the percentage Growth of tourism in year 2011 over the year 2010 in

domestic tourist visits 9.15 % and in foreign tourist inflow 11.18%.

4.8.4. Jammu and Kashmir

The State of Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as an ideal destination in

India for adventure tourism, with the Tourism Department of the State

bagging the ‗best adventure and golf tourism award‘ at an international

conclave at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh recently. The government had in

2010 given the security clearance to open 104 additional peaks in Jammu

and Kashmir area. The State of J & K has three distinct regions, viz.

Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and all three have immense potential for

tourism from both domestic as well as international tourists. There are

number of locations which are untapped but the government is developing

those tourist destinations, having the entire natural as well as the cultural

resources for attracting tourists. Some of the important natural resources

are excellent climate, beautiful lakes, locations for adventure sports, wild

life, trout fish, natural and manmade parks like Shalimar and Nishat of the

Mughal period, flora and fauna, alpine forests, natural waterfalls and

streams etc.

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In Jammu & Kashmir, in the year 2010 domestic tourist visits touched

9973189 foreign tourist inflow was 48099, in the year 2011 domestic tourist

visits touched 13071531 foreign inflow moved to 71593, the percentage

Growth of tourism in year 2011 over the year 2010 in domestic tourist visits

31.07 % and in foreign tourist inflow 48.85 %.

4.8.5. Himachal Pradesh has been awarded as ‗Best State for Adventure

Tourism Destination‘ in year 2012 on August 18 by Ministry of Tourism,

Government of India. Himachal Pradesh Government encouraged religious,

historic, adventure tourism and rural tourism. Home stay is a new thing to

promote rural tourism where tourists stay at home to get feeling of home

and it is doing justice with the tourism campaign ―Unforgettable Himachal‖.

Himachal Hat is started to showcase rich cultural heritage of HP

(himachalpr.gov.in). the State aggressively promoting , village tourism,

adventure tourism and eco-tourism which is resulting to the tourism

growth the State has become one of the top 10 State in India in terms of

foreign tourist visits (www.himachallive.com). In the year 2011 domestic

tourist visits touched 14604888 and foreign tourist inflow was 484518, the

percentage Share of tourism in year 2011 was also good in compare to

Indian total tourist visits in domestic tourist visits 1.72 % and in foreign

tourist inflow 2.49 %.

4.8.6. Maharashtra: Since, Mumbai is the commercial capital of India;

therefore, a lot of Business tourists visits Mumbai for Business purposes.

Bollywood is in Mumbai which is of prime interest to the population of India

and outside. State Government is promoting beach tourism, heritage

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tourism and culture (www.planningcommission.nic.in). State Government is

promoting ‗bed and breakfast scheme‘ where tourists can stay with locals

and can benefit of good, hygienic food and stay. State Government has also

introduced a concept of ‗youth tourism clubs‘ where tourists can give

suggestions to improve tourism in the State (tourism.gov.in). Maharashtra

Tourism Development Corporation Ltd in association with Indian Railways

Ministry of Tourism has launched a Super Deluxe luxury train ―The Deccan

Odyssey". It gives a tour of all the famous sites of Maharashtra

(www.maharashtratourism.gov.in). State Government is also working and

promoting adventure tourism, including paragliding, rock climbing,

canoeing, kayaking, snorkelling, and scuba diving, floating jetties etc. in

Maharashtra (www.maharshtratourism.gov.in). Maharashtra is continuously

highlighting as an important State which has cultural tourism, beach

tourism, and adventure tourism in Incredible India campaign and with the

proper support of Bollywood. In the year 2011 Maharashtra State‘s domestic

tourist visits touched 55333467 and foreign tourist inflow was 4815421, the

percentage Share of tourism in year 2011 was also good in compare to

Indian total tourist visits in domestic tourist visits 6.50 % and in foreign

tourist inflow 24.70 %. Maharashtra has achieved significant rank in Indian

tourism environment in terms of domestic and foreign visits which are 5th

and 1st respectively.

4.8.7. Tamil Nadu: The State holds the credit of having maximum number

of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India which includes Great Living Chola

Temples and Mahabalipuram (whc.unesco.org). The State is providing

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excellent and cheap medical facilities for tourists outside India

(www.tamilnadutourism.org). Central Government has covered Tamil Nadu

in its tourism campaign and promoting tourism in TN but still Central

Government has The State holds the credit of having maximum number of

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India which includes Great Living Chola

temples and Mahabalipuram (whc.unesco.org). State Government is

promoting Coastal tourism, eco-tourism, adventure Tourism and cheap

medical treatment (www.tourism.gov.in) in Tamil Nadu. TN is providing

excellent and cheap medical facilities for tourists outside India

(www.tamilnadutourism.org). Central Government has covered Tamil Nadu

in its tourism campaign and promoting tourism in Tamil Nadu which is so

optimistic that‘s why the State has achieved the 2nd position in terms of

foreign tourist visits in India and 3rd position in terms of domestic tourist

visits. Above Stated facts are depicting that Tamil Nadu is experimenting

with the new form of tourism to attract the domestic and foreign tourist.

In the year 2011 State‘s domestic tourist visits touched 137512991 and

foreign tourist inflow was 3373870, the percentage Share of tourism in year

2011 was also good in compare to Indian total tourist visits in domestic

tourist visits 16.16% and in foreign tourist inflow 17.31 %. Tamil Nadu has

achieved significant rank in Indian tourism environment in terms of

domestic and foreign visits which are 3rd and 2nd respectively.

4.8.8. Andaman and Nicobar Islands:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been recognized as an eco-friendly

tourist‘s destination. These Islands are a veritable Garden of Eden and a

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naturalist's heaven. The clean environment, roads, greenery as well as

unpolluted fresh air attract all nature lovers. The tropical rain forests and

waters of Bay of Bengal are the home of a vast collection of plant, animal

and marine life.

The Andaman tropical evergreen rain forests, beautiful silver sandy beaches,

serpentine mangrove-lines creeks, marine life abounding in rare species of

plants, animals, corals, etc., provide a memorable experience to the tourists.

There is tremendous scope for leisure and entertainment in the beach

resorts such as water sports and adventure water sports, adventure tourism

like trekking, Island camping, Nature trail, Scuba Diving, etc.

Total number of tourist/visitors arrivals in the Union Territory of Andaman

& Nicobar Islands during 2010 - 2011 is registered approximately 1.9 lakhs.

Out of the total number of visitors, domestic tourists in A&N Islands

accounted for 93% of the total which has registered tremendous increase

during past 3years. Foreign tourists in A&N Islands accounted for about 7

percent of the total tourists/visitors to the Union Territory and a minimal

decrease can also be observed from past year trends. In the year 2011

Andaman & Nicobar Islands‘ domestic tourist visits touched 202221 and

foreign tourist inflow was 15814, the percentage Share of tourism in year

2011 was compare to Indian total tourist visits in domestic tourist visits

0.02 % and in foreign tourist inflow 0.08 %.

4.8.9. Uttarakhand:

Tourism Development Master Plan 2007 – 2022 (joint planning of Government

of India, Government of Uttarakhand, United Nations Development Programme,

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World Tourism Organization) has given a high focus on adventure tourism

development in the State of Uttarakhand. Gangotri to Gaumukh is such kind of

destination Products which is based on the contrast between the abundance of

nature, spirituality, soft and hard adventure and ultimate leisure and ‗well-

being‘ facilities. Barsu and Raithal village Cluster on the slopes of the

Bhagirathi Valley and Dayara Bugyal. Products based on skiing in the winter

and village community based cultural / trekking / soft adventure in spring,

summer and autumn. Johar and Lower Johar valleys between Thal and

Munsiyari and the high Himalayas beyond. Products is based on the serene

rural beauty of the river valley, its agriculture based villages and hamlets, the

cultural diversity of Munsiyari Town and beyond and the immense ―merciless‖

and violent beauty of the wilderness and High Mountains. Complete range of

resources for village, tribal culture, nature, leisure, resort and soft and hard

adventure tourism. Products and facilities are contrasting between the ultimate

exhaustion and ‗roughing it out‘ to enclaves of ultimate comfort and luxury. A

more widely distributed, locally owned but nationally and internationally linked

community driven tourism based on nature, cultural, adventure and ecotourism

resources. By recognising the huge potential for nature tourism (notably

ecotourism and adventure tourism) with opportunities for bird watching, nature

tours, rafting, trekking, mountaineering, mountain biking the State is

promoting its tourism product and creating opportunities for nature and

adventure tourism such as white water rafting , mountaineering, trekking,

nature camp ,rock-climbing, paragliding ,skiing, etc.

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As marketing intensive the State is focusing on both domestic and

international markets, covering all market segments where Uttarakhand has

something to offer. Strong emphasis is given on the unique selling points of

the State with the proper marketing communication with different

communication Media. Particular focus is given on eco, nature, adventure

and cultural tourism and the synergy of these segments with high quality

leisure and wellness facilities based on a ―rough it out –learn something –

and indulge‖ philosophy.

The tourism earning is incising day by day which can be clear from the data

published by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India which depicts

Uttarakhand has performed well in terms of attracting tourists during 2006-

2010 period, as the total number of visitors in the State increased from 168

lakhs in 2006 to 303 lakhs in 2010, growing at a very healthy CAGR of

16 %.

Investment in tourism by the Government of Uttarakhand With an average

investment in tourism as a percentage of total State budgets of 1.5 percent

during the 2007-2010 periods, Uttarakhand government is spending

significantly on tourism sector as compared to other key tourist States in

India. Focus on tourism investment by Uttarakhand government may be one

of the factors aiding faster tourism growth in the State. The density of hotel

rooms per 100 square Km of State area in Uttarakhand is 1.8 which is high

as compared to other similar terrain States. Five ropeway projects have also

been added to improve connectivity in areas of Nainital, Mussoorie, etc. The

State has been able to attract investments from private players as well as

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the central government to improve its tourism infrastructure. It highlights

the focus of Uttarakhand government and private sector in developing

tourism infrastructure in the State.

Some of the key factors for this healthy tourism growth have been mentioned

below.

Liasioning with tour operators –The State has focused on promoting tourism

in lesser known destinations in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Tourism

Development Board organized familiarisation tours for 50 tour operators

from across the country to new destinations in Garhwal and Kumaon

regions. The State is actively working with these private tour operators in not

only promoting these destinations but also inviting their feedback to

effectively promote tourism in the State.

Promoting different forms of tourism such as nature tourism, cultural

tourism, adventure tourism and ecotourism, etc. The State government is

also focusing on creating new tourist circuits across the State.

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Government is also aggressively setting up adventure centres across the

State for promoting outdoor activities like trekking, mountaineering, river

rafting, kayaking, canoeing, rowing, water and snow skiing and has

shortlisted 19 locations to establish these centres. A program has been

started at Choti Haldwani to provide the rural experience to urban children

and it has received good response. It is also promoting eco-tourism to

increase the tourist footfalls and has created an Eco tourism wing of the

Uttarakhand government for promoting eco-tourism activities in the State.

Key learnings from initiatives undertaken by Uttarakhand Following key

initiatives have helped Uttarakhand in promoting and harnessing its tourism

potential:

Focus on development of tourism infrastructure by channelizing investment

from Government and private investors.

Identification and development of new tourism circuits and locations and

involvement of key stakeholders in promotion of the same.

Development of centres of recreational activities across the State to attract

adventure loving tourists.

Make use of different resources of the State to promote various forms of

tourism.

4.8.10. Arunachal Pradesh:

Today tourism industry is highly competitive in the run to attract potential

tourists. Arunachal Pradesh is composed of so many diverse attractions that it

calls for identification of strategic circuits for which effective marketing

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strategies are implemented to be worked out for promotion of tourism. The

product portfolio offered for promotion of Arunachal Pradesh has been conceived

over 8 (eight) broad categories of tourism typologies viz.(i) cultural tourism, (ii)

nature / ecotourism, (iii) rural tourism, (iv) adventure tourism, (v) wildlife and

forest tourism, (vi) leisure tourism, (vii) special interest tourism (viii) wellness

tourism, those are clearly noticeable in their well-maintained tourism website

and Tourist Information Kit. The unique selling proposition (USP) of the

Arunachal Pradesh tourism is ―The Land of Dawnlit Mountains‖ this is working

well in reality. Arunachal Pradesh has achieved remarkable growth position in

tourism sector, in the year 2010 domestic tourist inflow touched 227857 foreign

tourist inflow was 3395, in the year 2011 domestic tourist inflow touched

233227 foreign inflow moved to 4753, the percentage Growth of tourism in year

2011 over the year 2010 in domestic tourist visits 2.36% and in foreign tourist

inflow 40.00%. Number of tourist arrival looks small in compare to other States

tourist visits or the total tourist inflow or visits in India but the growth rate wise

Arunachal Pradesh is doing significantly good. The State has given the proper

attention to local community mobilization for the development of tourism

awareness, brand development through tourism promotion, setting up tourist

city enter, wayside amenities, accommodation, city tours and tour packages the

State has recognized that tourism is one of the key contributor to State GDP.

Arunachal Pradesh is continuously promoting the tourism product basket or

product portfolio full with tribal culture, nature/eco, rural, adventure, wildlife

and forest, etc. to ensure the State‘s tourism GDP. Arunachal Pradesh has

proper attraction for the development of tourism to identify strategic circuits for

which effective marketing strategies are required to be worked out for promotion

of tourism

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4.8.11. Sikkim:

Sikkim has recognised its huge potential for adventure tourism related

activities. Some of the important adventure activities being promoted in the

State are: Trekking, Mountain climbing and Mountaineering, Rock climbing,

River crossing, Paragliding, Bungee Jumping, White water rafting, Angling

and many other types of traditional adventures . Trekking and

Mountaineering are by far the most vibrant and visible adventure tourism

activities in Sikkim and have properly marketed along with other adventure

activities. In order to confirm the safety of participants in such activities, the

State Government is trying to ensure minimum acceptable standards in

terms of equipment and human resources.

The Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure & Eco‐tourism (IHCAE) at

Chemchey, in South Sikkim has come up as an important centre to promote

a combination of Adventure‐Eco‐Wellness tourism under the brand name of

‗Feel Good School‘ beside a holistic institute on Adventure and Eco‐Tourism.

Wellness Tourism and the term Wellness is becoming synonymous with the

Indian tourism. It is pursued solely by ―healthy‖ people, their prime aim

being prevention. Now a day, it is firstly becoming a worldwide, multibillion

dollar industry. To make Sikkim a mega destination of Wellness Tourism,

Our Government has decided to brand this centre as ― FEEL GOOD

SCHOOL‖ to promote Wellness in its totality and the centre would have

inbuilt component of Wellness Tourism and Eco Friendly Adventure

Tourism. The nearby villages of Chemchey and Damthang have been

selected for Village Tourism, Home Stay and to make entire population of

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surrounding areas skilled for various types of services for Wellness and

Adventure tourism.

Sikkim is a HOT‐SPOT for adventure tourism. Entire State being Himalayas

is an Adventure State. Though adventure activities are picking up fast but it

could not be done in professional manner. It goes without saying that

Sikkim has an immense potential for adventure tourism related activities.

Some of the important adventure activities being promoted in the State are:

Trekking, Mountain climbing and Mountaineering, Rock climbing, River

crossing, Paragliding, Bungee Jumping, water sports, White water rafting,

Angling, skiing, skating, Aero‐sports, Hot air balloon, and many types of

traditional adventures. Trekking and Mountaineering are by far the most

vibrant and visible adventure tourism activities in Sikkim and have much

wider marketing prospects along with other adventure activities. The Indian

Himalayan Centre for Adventure & Eco‐tourism (IHCAE), Chemchey, has

become operational and it is now concentrating in creates a highly skilled

manpower for all type of Adventure activities. For brand of adventure

tourism ―Experience Unique Sikkim Himalaya‖ is being used rightly to

attract the target group. Annual Adventure festivals based on different

adventure themes is being organised by the State government in a

professional way to promote tourism all seasons. To promote and encourage

the excellence in the tourism sector, the Minister of Tourism (Sikkim

Government) is in the process of institute monetary and non‐monetary

awards & appreciations for all the sectors of tourism including Tourist

police/security & others for their outstanding contribution. This will be

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administered by a committee headed by the Minister of Tourism. The

different fields proposed are: Best Tourist Guide, Best trekking guide, Best

hotel in star category, Best eco‐friendly resort, Best village resort, Best

international tour operator, Best Tour Operator, Best adventure tour

operator, Best Village Tourism Development Committee, Best Tourist police,

Best driver, Best managed tourist spot. This is truly a wonderful initiative

taken by the Sikkim Government.

Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of Sikkim

Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of Sikkim

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It can be observed that Sikkim is doing great in terms of tourism, in last

nine years tourism in the State has come up in a large scale. The number of

tourists both domestic and foreign is continuously increasing.

FINDINGS FROM THE INDIAN CASES IN CONNECTION WITH

ADVENTURE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT

From the above cases it can be understood that most of the states like

Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal

Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,

Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, etc. are very focused and serious

about tourism sector and considering tourism as a significant part of States

economic activity resulting positively to the GDP and employment

generation. To attain the sustainable tourism growth different states are

taking various initiatives like infrastructural development, increasing the

safety measures, ensuring the basic minimum facilities or amenities for the

targeted tourist group. State Tourism corporations are very much active in

segmenting the target market, being observed the changing need of the

modern or new age tourist in the present market condition the new forms or

product of tourism is developing by most of the states. As a result nature

base tourism, cultural tourism, nature / ecotourism, rural tourism,

adventure tourism, wildlife & forest tourism, leisure tourism, special interest

tourism, wellness tourism are coming in the picture .

Adventure tourism as an important tourism product for the contemporary

market condition has been recognised by most of the region or states of

India. To market adventure tourism several marketing strategies has been

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formulated, branding exercise has been started with the state government

initiatives backed by Ministry of Tourism Government of India. Opening up

the adventure training institutes is becoming common for most of the State

to motivate, train and develop skill. Tourism resource utilisation and

management is becoming the significant part of destination marketing.

Ministry of Tourism Government of India is also encouraging the initiatives

of the State Government it can be seen different National Awards has been

instituted for the development of adventure tourism. Ministry of Tourism

Government of India has also developed ―Basic Minimum Standards for

Adventure Tourism Related Activities‖ most of the states are following that

guideline. Most of states which are doing well in the tourism sector they are

considering adventure tourism as an important component, for that reason

the different State Governments are trying to discover & develop the core

competencies and adventure tourism recourses. The new adventure tourism

circuit development and reviving the existing adventure tourism destinations

are becoming very important for those states which are involved in

adventure tourism promotion. Sometime is can be seen State Governments

are facing some problems in marketing and operation of the Tourism due to

some obstacles in that case State Governments are promoting PPP model to

get a synergic. The state like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala,

Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andaman

& Nicobar Islands, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, etc. are

adopting innovative strategies to promote and commercialise the adventure

tourism product and the present tourism success, sustainability and good

tourism brand value are outcome of that true effort. There is an opposite

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picture can be seen in case of West Bengal when the entire country is trying

to utilise the full potential of its tourism resource and capacity. West Bengal

is not getting the favourable position in the index of top adventure

destination in India. Now the question is can West Bengal grow up with

adventure tourism product like other India stales? Yes, surely it can. West

Bengal has full of natural tourism resources which are required for

Adventure Tourism but West Bengal is not fully utilizing its capacity.

Marketing of Adventure Tourism product can create better environment for

Indian tourism growth.

4.9. PROSPECT ANALYSIS OF ADVENTURE TOURISM IN INDIA IN

GENERAL AND WEST BENGAL IN PARTICULAR WITH FOCUS GROUP

DISCUSSION

Three focus group discussions (FGD) have been conducted for gathering the

information as much as possible concerning to present research. The Three

consist of the followings:

A. Experts and tour operators who are involved in adventure tourism

business.

B. Present and prospective adventure tourist staying in West Bengal.

C. Non Bengali youth adventure tourist staying out side West Bengal.

The sites of the focus group interviews are Kolkata and Ranchi. The points

have been discussed regarding the various scopes of India in general and

West Bengal in particular as an Adventure tourism destination and

identification of the problems in association with Adventure tourism

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promotion in India in general and West Bengal in particular. In that focused

group interview open-ended responses from each individual‘s has been

properly recorded and moderated. The ideas have been discussed properly

in a structural way for clarification, combination and evaluation and also to

identify the expression of the individual participants.

4.9.1. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) OF EXPERTS AND TOUR

OPERATORS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN ADVENTURE TOURISM BUSINESS

The points which have come up from the FGD of Experts and adventure tour

operators are as follows

(i) Adventure tourism and its present market scenario:

Adventure tourism is the new form of tourism and it is becoming popular

gradually.

It is not so new in nature, adventure tourism is a new name but the form

is not so much new. The adventure tourism is a nomenclature from the

long back the experimentations exploring new things activity based

tourism has been started in a unorganized way.

One of the expert told that ―I started the trekking activity and camping

activities in my early 20‘s‖. It is now a days getting organized structure,

the world tourism is growing with its own curiosity in any form of tourism

experimentation is essential but the definition of the adventure tourism is

something different from other tourism. It is having huge thrill involved

some degree of risk play and activity is the essential part of it. It is not an

individual activity based tourism it is a group activity.

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The requirement of the people within the group with same mentality and

common interest and attractiveness. Sporting mentality is the essential

thinking for adventure tourism. Some degree of skill is required mental

and physical fitness is the essential part of adventure tourist. The new

places and remoteness of the destination creates the attractiveness for the

adventure tourism nature involvement, connection with the environment

and ecology, wild life and hostility of the destinations creates its own

attractiveness and feel which the main resources are, but in India most of

the tourist prefers soft adventure rather the hard adventure. But the

adventure is the common for the entire tourist relating to this segment.

The age group of adventure tourists is not so much defined. Here age is

important but mentality and motivation plays the higher role compare to

the age boundary or age criteria. But it has been observed that mostly the

tourists in between 21 years to 45 years of age are more interested for

adventure. The young generations of the modern time is very much

interested in this tourism. They are having the mentality in exploring new

things. All the time they find or they try to get new opportunities for

experimentation. In Indian scenario the structural operation of adventure

tourism is developing slowly. For example the tourists are visiting to

Haridwar or Hrishikesh not only for spiritual purpose but attractiveness is

created like river rafting.

For example the tourists are going to Mandarmani not because of its sea

beach only but also for the attractiveness like water sports, parasailing or

sand biking along with other sports activities. It definitely indicates that

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people the tourists are not restricting themselves within the sightseeing

and pleasure. They need something extra it can be any form of activity or

experimentation.

Now a days the need of the tourist are changing so much , the value

addition , pleasure ,physical activity , involvement with the nature are

becoming the essential part of tourism.

When talking about the cost of tourism most of the tourist who wants to

travels they maintain their own funds for tourism purpose only. For

tourism experience is much more valuable than the cost. The quality of the

tourism expectation fulfilment is becoming much more important factor

compare to expenses. The quality of tourism refers to basic facilities

accommodation accessibility transportation as well as tour operator‘s

management abilities in conducting the tour.

The safety as well as comfort and recreations of the visitor is very much

important.

The adventure tourism is connected with the lifestyle of the tourist. The

definition of comfort here is different compare to other tourism. Here

comfort refers to minimum facilities for stay and food, accessibility,

medical support.

The involvement with the nature, experimental facilities as well as activity

is so much connected in adventure tourism.

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The several influences from the peer group, family, word of mouth

communication in between the tourists create the better impact in

selecting the adventure tourism destinations. Experience sharing with the

tourist helps in sharing better knowledge and information about the

specific destinations that means the old customer brings the new

customers in this sector. Of course the individual motivation of the tourist

is also very important part.

The digital media communication can only provide the information and it

helps in knowing the place superficially. But the word of mouth

communication can create a better impact in explaining the experience in

a better way.

The print media is having better impact compare to the digital media

because when a tourist read about a destination in a descriptive way then

they can visualize the place with the eye of their imagination and finds him

or her in the surroundings of that place.

The communication should be segment wise for this sector because the

tourist are having different need setup though it is a special form of

tourism so communication has to be much more efficient and should hit

the target group. More pictorial presentation and explanations as well as

experience should be shared to motivate the prospect.

One to one communication with the tourist is also important. In this sector

it has been observed most of the communication is done voluntarily by the

private tour operators and the initiatives of the adventure clubs.

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In film promotion is also considered to be a good form of tourism of this

sector. For example Kerala, Kashmir, Singapore, New-Zealand has become

popular with this format. Several movies are promoting the different

destinations across the globe which is actually creating the huge tourism

interest for the prospect.

Present time can be named as the era of social networking. Facebook

twitter is becoming very essential part of the social demand of the modern

time. The communication takes place with those networks is having huge

impacts for example a particular picture of a destination and good

photographs creates the attention of the community. On the other hand

the new trend has been observed uploading of the photo and information

and sharing is creating the huge level of awareness. The information in the

community along with the specific group can hit the prospect in a

desirable manner.

Tourism websites are also considered as a good communicator. In the

websites different explanation photographs as well as videos attracts the

tourists in a significant manner. Every detail data relating to the

destination planning, culture of the local people, facilities as well as the

experience can be properly shared.

Tourism fares are also very much important for promoting the tourism

where different tourism is being offered and prospect can identify the

counters according to their own interests and the one to one

communication is possible which creates customer motivation and provide

all kind of solutions relating to their queries.

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(ii) The progress of adventure tourism in India and its marketing

aspect:

India as a whole is still far behind in terms of other countries across the

globe in connection with tourism sector growth. The awareness is needed

that India is having huge resources to promote tourism in every field. If we

consider the adventure tourism specifically, in India we can find huge

range of forest and wild life, deserts, mountain and valleys, the

combination of beach and forests, mountain and forest. There are so many

known and unknown hill destinations huge range of beaches, diverse

culture, mangrove forest, rivers everywhere the adventure activity is

possible. In India there is a trend in promoting the known places rather

than the unexplored tourism destinations. The different countries across

the globe are trying to identify new place for adventure tourism. Here we

will found less effort in finding the new places and promotion of those new

places. The outbound tourist of India to Bangkok New Zealand Spain is

basically offering the adventure motivation. But here in India so many

activities such as camel safari in desert mount biking gyp safari bungee

jumping driving parasailing trekking rock climbing river rafting everything

is possible. The adventure tourism sector requires huge level of safety

guidelines quality control because the risk is involved in this type of

tourism. Till today adventure tourism is considered as unorganized sector

in India. It requires lot of care in structuring this industry. This will create

a huge competitive advantage compare to other nations and it is having

huge potential in attracting the national and international tourist.

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The price inequality in between the different states is creating the barriers

in developing the adventure tourism destinations. The balance growth is

not possible. Most of the states in India are well off with their natural

resources and can create a new destination for adventure activities. India

is still focusing in age old tourism activities rather than the modern needs,

the tourist mentality is changing so fast. The government is not putting

any effort in understanding the changes.

In terms of marketing communication it is more concerned in promoting

the Indian culture and events rather than the adventure destinations. The

government should recognize the potential for adventure tourism and

should do needful things in popularizing this type of tourism in India.

The well planned communication is required which can communicate with

the specific segment of adventure tourism at international and national

both the levels.

The standardization of adventure tourism is very much required. It should

meet the global standards of adventure tourism. The Government should

have the control on private players and tour operators for conducting the

same because if any wrong things or occurs then ultimately the brand

India is affected. On the other hand the capacity building activities in

terms of tourism management destination planning as well as skill

development is necessary. It has been observed that there are so many

tour operators are already existing they can cater the adventure tourism

demands but faces several problems in arranging the equipment and

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licensing. So financial support and guideline is important for the growth of

this sector.

The tourism infrastructure and support by the Government in important

because risk and return is involved in this tourism industry.

It has been observed that different corporates are offering the adventure

tour packages to their employees with the intention of capacity building of

the employees in terms of team building risk taking abilities decision

making abilities as well as experimentations. This is definitely a good step

in promoting the adventure tourism in India. Government should

motivates all those corporates in sustaining those activities. Government

can arrange several adventure training programmes at school and college

level which can run parallel with NSS and NCC. This kind of training will

motivate the youth generation towards this type of tourism. And those skill

will be strengthening them in taking the challenges of adventure tourism.

Adventure tourism creates the positive impact towards nature natural

resource management pollution control as well as protection of the natural

beauty. It also creates the platform where commitment of the people

towards nature can be stronger.

It has been observed different countries like New Zealand, Brazil, Spain,

Bulgaria, Mexico they are rapidly growing in adventure tourism sector

because of their unique tourism marketing model. The Government should

analyse the case study of those countries how they are doing excellent in

generating revenue from adventure tourism and should try to develop the

systematic and innovative model to promote this sector.

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(iii) The progress of adventure tourism market and the prospect of West

Bengal:

The different state like Kerala Andhra Pradesh Assam and north east

region of the country Kashmir Uttarakhand Uttaranchal etc. are doing very

well in adventure tourism but West Bengal as a state was not serious

about overall tourism for last two decades. But now a day the new

Government under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee is taking initiatives

in promoting the West Bengal tourism rigorously. When tourism was

neglected then how one can expect that adventure tourism will grow. After

2012 the number of tourism fare, events and festivals has been increased.

It is creating the huge level of awareness that West Bengal is a state

having huge tourism potential.

The hill area in North-Bengal , Sundarbans , Dooars has been recognized

by the state as the revenue generating points. Government is also looking

for introducing the new form of tourism in West Bengal which is very

much optimistic. The West Bengal Government should give emphasis to

those places which are not explored so much till date like Jungalmahal,

Puruliya and other remote places in north Bengal. In Siliguri as well as

Dooars there are so many adventure destinations which are suffering

because of the connectivity. In West Bengal a special tourism map has to

be developed and an adventure tourism circuit should indicate the

destinations in a structural way. It is obvious that if any one talks about

West Bengal then the first picture will come to the mind of that person is

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Kolkata after that Dooars, Darjeeling Sundarban etc, those are already

popular destinations. The new area is to be developed so that it can attract

the whole india as well as the international tourist.

In terms of adventure tourism West Bengal is having huge portential.it can

offer trekking activities in north Bengal hill areas, rock climbing in

Puruliya and Bankura area. River rafting in Tista and other rivers in

duars. The wild life in Sundarban and Dooars can be considered to be

huge resource for wild life tourism and photography. In Junput and

Mandarmani the sea sports and beach activities can be much well-

structured. Camping and activity is possible in Jungalmahal, Puruliya and

Bankura etc.

The next important point for tourism prospect and growth in West Bengal

is not so costly compare to other state in India. West Bengal can enjoy and

implement the cost leadership strategy. The attitude of the local people is

also positive which is favourable for tourism growth and sustainability.

West Bengal is blessed with natural resources and that indicates that West

Bengal is already well off with tourism capitals. The different types of

adventure tourism activities can be possible in West Bengal. It will be very

much significant associated with the overall tourism growth of West

Bengal.

There are some weaknesses in terms of growth and prosperity of West

Bengal tourism as a whole and adventure tourism in particular.

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In West Bengal the attitude of the local people is good. Towards tourism

they believe it‘s a good source of earning and employability but there are

some fragmented incident creates negative feeling about the West Bengal

as a whole.

There should be the complete support from the local people in tourism

growth. The government should take the initiative in making them

understand regarding the positive things involved in tourism.

The maoist activities and its huge media coverage bounds as well as

political disturbance should be controlled. It is actually conveying wrong

message against brand Bengal, that‘s why tourism is also affected.

The state administration should be much stronger so that the tourist can

get the favourable condition in visiting the different parts of Bengal

without any fear.

The connectivity among the tourism circuits must be much stronger. The

Government initiative is required in developing the basic minimum

infrastructure and transportation facilities.

If we go through the tourism website of Bengal it is not having proper

clarity that‘s why it is facing problem in providing proper information to

the prospect.

Different states like Gujarat Assam Orissa Madhya Pradesh Kerala, they

are promoting the state as well as the tourism brand in a very effective

way. Here West Bengal is lacking behind in terms of digital media

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promotion. The prospect from different part of country as well as world is

not becoming aware about different destinations of Bengal but now a days

it is very much important.

If we see the different projects and their implementation in the field of

tourism, West Bengal is not holding significant position compare to the

national tourism statistics. The more project for tourism is required. In

this case consultation with the national or Central Government is

important it will be very much optimistic if the Government Of West

Bengal give priorities in long term objectives and planning rather than the

short term goals .The clarity of that long term planning should be there.

If we talk about the recent initiatives in promoting West Bengal with a tag

line Bengal leads, it is doing the right job in promoting various economical

aspect as well as culture of Bengal. In long run the positive result also will

come in the field of tourism.

Whenever any kind of data from Ministry of Tourism (West Bengal) are

asked then they are not able to provide the significant picture about the

tourism growth and its statistics. The department should do needful

things in processing the tourism data on time and the smart presentation

of those data will be route map for the tour operators and the stakeholders

involved in tourism. It will be very much helpful for capacity building and

long term planning.

Government of West Bengal can take the support from the different well

recognized agencies like IMRB, KPMG, AC Nielsen can be haired for market

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research, and on the other hand help can be asked from IIM‘s as well as

IIt‘s in conducting the tourism research for finding the better path in

achieving the long run tourism objectives towards growth and

sustainability.

To promote adventure tourism proper promotional plan is required which

can integrate both the general tourism and the adventure tourism

simultaneously.

THE BASIC FINDING FROM THE FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) OF

EXPERTS AND TOUR OPERATORS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN ADVENTURE

TOURISM BUSINESS: Now a day, tourism is considered as one of the major

service industry with huge growth in this present era of globalization. It has

to face the challenges because international and domestic tourists are

becoming so much conscious about the quality of the tourism service and

attractiveness of the tourism destination. Tourism is an integrated service

sector here all the components like tourism resources attitude of the local

people, transportation and communication, information about the

destination, facilities like food, accommodation, safety accessibility and the

administration of the destination are becoming very much important. World

widely the tourism taste and preferences is changing radically. In this

situation the age old concept of doing tourism business will not be so much

fruitful. The segmentation approach has to be adapted because the tourists

are different with their own set of needs. It can be seen that West Bengal is

enriched with natural resources which can be used in developing the

adventure tourism circuit the different facilities like mountaineering,

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trekking, camping ,rafting. The wild life and jungle resources can also be

helpful in developing the West Bengal as adventure tourism destination.

There is huge scope of cultural exchange and interaction with the

environment and ecology. But the problem is little bit of attention should be

given in developing the infrastructure like communication and transport,

medical facilities, safety. The tourism promotion of West Bengal is one of the

major problematic areas which have to be seen with proper attention. The

proper promotional strategy has to be adapted which can hit the right tourist

segment properly and it should project the infrastructure and facility which

are available in West Bengal.

Undoubtedly West Bengal is having the potentiality of adventure tourism

because the every part of West Bengal is blessed with adventure tourism

resources. If you start from the northern part then the Darjeeling, Siliguri,

Alipurduar, Dooars can offer the facilities mountaineering, trekking, camping

, rafting wild life suffering in Purulia and hill areas of Bankura can offer the

camping as well as rock climbing facilities along with cultural exchange

because the rooted tribal culture is completely undisturbed in those areas.

The southern part of Bengal is surrounded with sea beach and sunder bans

there is a huge scope of Sea Beach adventure activity and there is scope of

wildlife adventure in every part of Sunderbans. The main challenge of West

Bengal is to create a complete different tourism circuit for adventure tourism

purpose and the connectivity has to be developed in such a way where the

adventure tourist can easily move to any adventure destination situated at

every part of West Bengal. West Bengal is resourceful for adventure tourism

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destination but some selected areas are only popular but there are several

places across West Bengal but not well communicated. The West Bengal

Tourism department should consider adventure tourism destinations as an

different tourism circuit all together where the proper connectivity and logistic

must be well defined. On the other hand the government of West Bengal is

not seriously considering adventure tourism as a potential sector but in

reality West Bengal can cater to the adventure tourism need. West Bengal is

huge potentiality in adventure tourism the more positive focus and

segmentation approach is required the people from West Bengal prefer soft

adventure tourism rather than hard adventure tourism so the soft adventure

must be promoted with the proper marketing strategy.

4.9.2. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) OF TARGET CONSUMER AND

PROSPECTIVE ADVENTURE TOURIST STAYING IN WEST BENGAL

The points which has come up from the FGD of Target consumer and

prospective adventure tourist staying in West Bengal are as follows

(i) The basic tourism related perception and interest

Tourism is one of the vital parts of our life. We like to travel so much. All

the time it is not well planned .Whenever we get the time we are just

packing our bags and set out for new destinations. But most of the times

we follow the proper planning in selection of the tourism destination, there

are so many things are involved like expenses, attractiveness of the place

the influence of the family tourism information basic facilities tourism

charges travel companion etc all those factors jointly influence in decision

making.

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The tourism attractiveness or attractions varies person to person time to

time because it is the field where curiosity plays the role of opinion leader.

Now a day the tourism attraction is changing from the traditional form of

tourism. The tourists are expecting more and they are not satisfied with

sightseeing.

The inclination towards nature based tourism exploring new things

pleasure of value addition remoteness of destinations activity based

tourism is rapidly increasing.

The traditional tourism is not having much excitement, it is only providing

comfort enjoyment relaxation but now a days the demand is changing so

fast and experimentation is becoming the unseparatable part of tourism. It

is happening because of the global influences, culture change and the

change of lifestyle.

Now a day the Indian tourist are exposed to global happenings, they are

having more options like digital media communications at par with global

standard with the use of internet. Facebook and social network is creating

the platform where the ideas are being shared among the common interest

group.

The definition of ―life” is changing in modern times the fun loving easy

going experimental positive thinking is the new additions with the existing

life philosophy.

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Indian people are becoming so much addicted to reality shows in television

like Roadies, Fear-Factor, Splitsvilla, Stuntmania Khatron-Ki-Khiladi, etc.

The programmes like Man vs Wild, Man Woman Wild, Survival Man as well

as Dual Survival (in Discovery Channel India) have got the highest TRP

(Target rating points). The mind-set of the people is somehow changing

and the tourist community are trying to experiment with the new things

apart from the traditional tour and travel.

The definition of ―life” is changing in modern times the fun loving easy

going experimental positive thinking is the new additions with the existing

life philosophy. Now a day the Indian lifestyle and culture is changing with

prominent contribution of the youth generation because they are shifting

to different places for the employment purpose mixing with the people from

different cultural background coping up with the environment without any

family support. This is actually creating the boldness and courage and it is

also uplifting the individual decision making capacity and

experimentation. The cultural adaptability is helping the society in

becoming much more flexible.

(ii) Knowledge about Adventure tourism

Adventure tourism is new form of tourism and it is so interesting and

gaining popularity. Experimentation scope is there, learning and exploring

new things are so good with Adventure tourism. Without activity and play

what we can do with tourism. Joy of wining and crossing the hostelry or

difficulty really enjoyable. Ones any one is participating in this type of

tourism they will definitely love it and they will go for it again and again.

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This tourism is not dependent on age, gender, profession but it depends on

interest as well as proper attitude for adventure, physical & mental fitness

is the essential for all the adventure tourist. Adventure tourism is a group

activity, the group member must have challenging capacity and the

interest towards experimentation and sporting mentality

(iii) Factor guiding tourism interest and destination planning:

For destination planning and tourism interest development common

factors are assertiveness of the place, expenses, quality of infrastructure,

attitude & culture of local people, transportation or connectivity and

accessibility, pleasure & comfort, information about the place, family and

pear group influence , true packages . Basic facility like food,

accommodation, drinking water, softy, minimum medical facility.

Experience sharing with those tourist visited the places before creates a

huge impact in the mind of the prospect or the people are having

willingness to visit the place.

(iv) The adventure tourism activity is known by the members:

Several form of adventure tourism like trekking, camping, rock climbing,

mount biking all those type I have heard about but I have only participated

in trekking and camping.

According to one of the member participated in FGD ―Adventure tourism to

me it can be any kind of physical activity, exploring new things,

experimentations where I can feel something extra which involves some

degree of risk, skill, as well as temperament. I have taken part in river

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rafting, trekking, wild life adventure, I also heard about mount biking,

mountaineering, camel safari, rock climbing, parasailing, paragliding, as

different types of adventure tourism activities.‖

Another person told that ―I prefer Jungle and Wild Life Tourism, Beach

activities like Sand Biking, Parasailing where less risk is involved. I have

heard about Remote Place Tourism, Jeep Safari, Trekking, Rock Climbing,

Zip Lining, River Rafting, and Mount Cycling.‖

Some participant told that he has taken part in Parasailing, River Rafting,

the person basically likes the water sport but apart from those adventure

activities he also knows about several adventure activities like Rock

Climbing, Bungee Jumping, Trekking. Some member in FGD prefers Off

Road Hiking, Trekking, Rather Than Wild Life and Jungle Tourism.

(v) Reason for Liking Adventure Tourism and Attractiveness

Adventure tourism is a new form of tourism which is much more

excitement is there, new experiences, exploring unexplored area. There is a

scope of huge involvement with the nature and its hassles. You can see the

nature in your own eyes; you can connect yourself as u like it. The adventure

tourism is not much crowded, only the people of same mentality are flocked

together. Lot of physical activities is there. It is more than tourism. It provides

the opportunity in finding own self. It is having lot of value addition, helps in

acquiring decision making abilities as well as challenge facing mentality.

Whenever one is winning the risk, the joy is something different. You will feel

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that you have done something exciting in your life whenever you are facing

the unexplored nature.

Here cost of tourism is not the matter, the inner motivation and self-

realization plays a huge role and you can enjoy the universal joy of

overcoming the huge physical activities and exertions. Adventure tourism

gives the opportunity in learning and gathering huge experiences. It is having

excitements, experimentations and it also promotes the sporting mentality.

Here you can satisfy own self in a better way compared to sightseeing and

shopping.

Now a day‘s life is becoming very much monotonous with the routine

jobs and professions where you need a breathing space. Adventure tourism is

a right solution to it. Where you do something unconventional and doing

something beyond your routine life. It maybe a group activity or individual

effort. The pleasure will be achieved when you are going through a

challenging situation full with experimentations and exploration of

unexplored places. Then you will be feeling at the top of the world. If we

consider the return on investment it is huge in nature. You will have a team

building capacity, unbeatable mentality, huge experience, ready to face all the

odds. Though it is required some degree of skill and abilities one can prepare

own self to face that kind of unknown situation.

This is my experience once you are participating in this tourism activity

you are bound to fall in love with this tourism activity.

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(vi) Considering India as an adventure tourism destination

Of course yes India is having all kind of resources for adventure

tourism. Every part of India is blessed with natural resources. In India we are

having huge range of Himalayan Mountains, vast range of forest, enormous

see beach and coastal region, desert, rivers, sea, what not. But in India this

sector of tourism is still unexplored. The most of the adventure tourism

activities is done by some voluntary groups from different part of the country.

The tour operators are only the facilitators here. But adventure tourism sector

should come up with the proper initiatives. It should be projected like a

package which is common for other tourism activities. The tour operators are

also not paying attention to it because the target group are very small in

number compared to the traditional tourism but world widely and in India

also the tourists are becoming very much interested about adventure

destinations and adventure tourism.

In operating the adventure tourism activity the special skill abilities as

well as equipment are essential. The tour operators are not somehow

motivated in investing because the initial returns are less. The government

should have the control on the adventure tour operators in terms of quality

checking and skill monitoring. There are several developed and developing

countries are promoting AT with a huge focus where they can generate

revenue in a fair way but in India the central government is not that much

bothered to promote AT. The ministry of tourism is having the conventional

mentality in promoting the already promoted places rather than the

unexplored areas. India is having a huge scope because of the natural

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diversity, rich culture, the basic thing has to be done is that the development

of the basic minimum infrastructure and sustainable marketing planning.

These two things can create the huge opportunity for sustainable revenue

GDP growth in terms of AT in terms of attracting the domestic as well as the

international tourist.

(vii) Can West Bengal be considered as the place for adventure tourism?

If we talk about West Bengal the first thing will come up like Darjeeling

Hills, Dooars, Sundarbans, and Hilly area in Puruliya and Bankura region,

the Himalayan range in North-Bengal. In terms of natural resources West

Bengal is having the richness. But those places are not well promoted

compared to the other state like North-East, Kerala, Himachal, and

Rajasthan. The people from West Bengal like participants in FGD are always

trying to explore West Bengal with a different eye. One of the member said in

FGD that ―you will not believe there are several places in Dooars are still

unexplored. There are so many places in North-Bengal where Off Road

Trekking can be easily done. The beach areas like Mandarmani , Junput can

create the opportunity for several beach activities. Some tour operator has

already introduced the adventure activities like Parasailing, Water Scooter

sport, and Zorbing Ball to attract the potential tourist. Sundarban is having

its own rich ness where everything is adventure. But if we talk about the

tourism circuit the adventure destinations are not properly defined and are

not well connected. The infrastructure needs to be much more developed. The

commercialization of those adventure destinations to the specific segment, for

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that reason proper marketing plan is required. The connectivity in between

the adventure destination and Kolkata should be better off compared to this

present scenario because Kolkata is connected to India as well as entire

world.‖

(viii) Marketing and Promotion aspect of adventure tourism of West

Bengal

The government has to take initiatives in creating linkages in terms of

tourism logistic. The communication and information must be properly

shared with the target group through the desirable Media preferred by the

target group.

Another point is that the brand West Bengal is not properly projected in

connection with adventure tourism .the different states like Jammu and

Kashmir (Leh - Ladakh Area), Rajasthan, Assam, Kerala, Himachal

Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand , Andhra Pradesh,etc. are using

dual promotion strategy one side they are promoting state tourism as a

hole and also sectorial promotion of adventure tourism is taking place as

a core attraction of state tourism .

When the different States of India are adopting aggressive strategy in

promoting tourism activities and destinations, hear West Bengal is having

relaxed approach.

If we go through the website of ‗West Bengal Tourism‘ it can be seen that

the website is not as good as other state in India it is not that much

attractive and informative .the private players like Chalojaai , Rose Valley

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Group , Bhraman (The most read travel magazine in India),etc. are having

better website compare to West Bengal Tourism.

The concept incredible India is trying to integrate all the tourism

destination across India it is also trying to project the different states and

there tourism resources in an efficient way which can attract both

domestic as well as international tourist, but if we go through that specific

web site incredible india.com where we can find West Bengal is holing less

priority compared to other states. Why the reason is unknown?

The government should take initiative in creating a better relationship

where West Bengal can represent as like other states in terms of tourism

growth and prosperity. The government of West Bengal should also involve

the NGO‘s which are working in tourism sector. The motivation has to be

given in promoting adventure tourism and also in finding the new places

where adventure tourism can take place.

Adventure tourism requires some degree of scale and risk is also involved

in it. There is a good trade of between skill and risk if the degree of skill

and knowledge is high then the risk level will be minimised in that aspect

skill development activity should take place. The ministry of youth should

be properly merged with ministry of tourism in providing the training and

development which will ultimately benefit the adventure tourism sector of

West Bengal.

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West Bengal is enriched with its natural tourism resources the main part

is lacking that is communication and promotion like other states it should

promote natural environmental tourism and adventure tourism.

Way of communication with the target group must follow the followings:

Adventure stories and experiences by the traveler in travel magazine.

Word of mouth communication from the tour operators and travel

organization/ NGOs , trouble show as television programme news

feature in print media. Tour and travel fare the picture representation

with Indian railway (as it is followed by north east india).In film

promotion, promotion with television daily soap, social networking such

as facebook, twitter, whatsApp etc.

FINDINGS FROM THE FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) OF TARGET

CONSUMER AND PROSPECTIVE ADVENTURE TOURIST STAYING IN

WEST BENGAL

Adventure tourism is a new segment of tourism activity which is somewhat

different from the generic form of tourism and involves Exploring New Things,

Adrenaline Rush of the Tourists, Enriching Experience, etc.

Adventure tourism can be differentiated from normal tourism based on the

following factors:

Normal tourism does not generally involve grouping and in most cases is

individualistic in nature, however adventure tourism mostly consists of

activities in groups.

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Normal tourism generally does not involve a risk factor and hostilities in

the activities, however risk is involved in adventure tourism and it is an

integral part of it.

Adventure tourism in most of the cases involves some level of skill

attributes however normal tourism generally does not demand such skill

factor.

The important attributes which are essentially a part of adventure

tourism include:

The group of people involved should be homogeneous in terms of their

mentality.

Deep involvement of sporty activities.

Presence of risk factor.

Attraction to remoteness of the places.

The name adventure tourism may be new but the form of it is not new. Over

the span of time the concept of adventure tourism has developed and become

much more organized and is becoming popular day by day. However not all

segments associate themselves with this form of tourism. Some of the

important observations about adventure tourism are:

Age is not directly important aspect, what is important is the mentality and

motivation. However it has been found that people among the age group 25 to

45 has this drive and motivation for this particular form of tourism.

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Nowadays for tourist‘s value addition, new experience and related factors

have become more important. They can trade off with cost when it comes to

the following issue. To be precise it can be said tourists nowadays are ready

to give even high expenses if they get something new by it in the form of value

addition and enriching experience. It can be said as a form of Cost-Benefit

analysis which the modern day tourists go for.

The quality of tourism in the present context is the combination of various

attributes which generally covers everything starting from luxury to

fulfillment of expectations.

In adventure tourism the concept of fulfillment of expectation is very much

different than what it is in normal tourism. In adventure tourism the

fulfillment of expectation is limited to the basic facilities which include the

minimum requirements of food, shelter, medicine and basic safety.

The communication process is enhanced by peer groups, family members

particularly those who have visited the place for the purpose of adventure

tourism. Though television media gives a superficial knowledge about the

place but still word of mouth plays an important role. Print media can be an

important form for communication. There should be a one to one

communication process with the tourists involved in adventure tourism. More

pictures of the places and promotion through videos and films can be effective

because it gives a form of visual impact which is very important in this case.

The impact of social media has been immense in the communication field

practically in this form of tourism it can be used to percolate the information

properly. Promotions at tourism fairs can also serve as an important mode.

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India has a huge potential in the field of adventure tourism with huge

geographic diversity ranging from snowcapped mountains, hills, plateaus to

sea. A proper marketing initiative is necessary with regard to this. However

some of the major drawbacks of India in this respect are:

Interest of the domestic population on overseas tourism.

The magnum initiative needed to provide support to adventure tourism

activities which include proper infrastructure and safety measures are not

being adequately looked upon.

The Government's initiative of promoting Indian culture alone is diverting

the focus to some extent.

The private players which include some corporate players and even local

private organized tour operators are working effectively in this regards. The

Government should take initiatives which will mobilize their efforts to greater

heights by collaborating with them and providing the basic structure needed

for the process.

Promote education regarding adventure tourism in India among tourists.

Activities like NCC and NSS can help to promote it among the younger

generation. Standardization of tourism is necessary for better performance.

Presently some one of the important adventure tourism spot in India is

Haridwar and Hrishikesh where people apart from pilgrimage also visit for the

purpose of river rafting.

The geographic location of West Bengal is such that it has tourism advantage

in the form of Himalayan Range on one end and Sunderbans on the other.

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Whenever a person thinks about West Bengal the two most prominent places

which comes to their minds are Darjeeling and Sunderbans. Both of them can

be hotspots of adventure tourism if developed properly. Purulia can be

developed for rock climbing activities and Dooars region contains number of

wildlife sanctuaries like Gorumara and Chapramari where safaris can be

more promoted for adventure tourism the different activities like Camping,

Night Live Adventure Activity, Wildlife Photography Tips, and Jungle Festival

etc. A proper initiative by the Government is needed in this regard in the form

of better management of marketing ideas and marketing communication.

West Bengal has the cost advantage over other states however one of the

major disadvantage in West Bengal which is thwarting adventure tourism is

that all destination under adventure tourism circuit are not well connected

and less communicated with the prospective tourist . West Bengal tourism

should consider adventure tourism as an different tourism circuit all together

where the proper connectivity and logistic must be well defined and

communicated with the prospective. Presently some initiatives have been

taken by private operators in Mandarmani which include paragliding and

other sea sport activities.

4.9.3. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) OF NON BENGALI YOUTH

TOURIST STAYING OUT SIDE WEST BENGAL

The points which have come up from the FGD of Non Bengali Youth Tourist

Staying out Side West Bengal are as follows:

Adventure tourism is becoming very popular now a day.

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In India mostly the soft adventure tourism is popular where the

enjoyment is there with minimum risk it has become the part of youth

lifestyle because the youth generation likes more experimentation and they

are having willingness in exploring new things too.

Adventure tourism provides the opportunity in connecting oneself with the

nature and provides the huge opportunity in interacting with environment

and ecology it also blended with physical activity as well as cultural

exchange which ultimately adds value for the tourist. In India slowly

gradually this sector of tourism is gaining popularity.

The point of interest differs with the tourist mentality some are very much

fond of beach activities and water sports, some are interested in hiking,

camping, tracking etc. Some people likes wild life and natural beauty,

jungle, some prefers cycling, biking etc. But everywhere the thrill of

adventure is present. There are several factures which attract adventure

tourist most those are natural tourism resources, experimentations, basic

facilities, safety and communication and logistic linkages.

Himachal, Uttrakhand, Goa, J&K,NE india, Goa, Rajasthan are highly

rated adventure tourism destination, they maintain good law and order

and creates favourable environment for domestic and international tourist.

They are taking initiatives in promoting the tourism destinations with

several promotion activities, for example woodland shoes is promoting

uttarakhand adventure tourism on the other hand royal Enfield

promoting bike adventure tourism in Laddakh. The most of the people

prefer the places which are already popular or the places which are

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gaining popularity for general tourism. But in case of adventure tourism,

tourist always prefers the new places because the thrill of adventure lies in

experimentation and exploring new things. but it requires proper

communication which can project the place with its adventure

characteristics along with safety factors.

If consider the case of West Bengal we don‘t have proper information about

it. It may have good tourism infrastructure but it is not well

communicated. Other state like J&K, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal,

Goa etc.

The political and other public disturbance of the state is somehow creating

the problem.

The attractiveness of the place is also not projected properly. The basic

information is coming from word of mouth communication only the arias

like Kolkata, Dargeeling, Sundarban, Ganga-Sagar is known by the tourist,

other areas are not communicated.

OVERALL BRIEF FINDINGS OF ALL THE THREE FOCUS GROUP

DISCUSSIONS AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE COMMONALITIES

Adventure tourism is gaining popularity now a day‘s people are motivated for

this kind of tourism activity. People from India are becoming interested,

international and national adventure tourism destination on the basis of their

budget. India is full of natural resources such as Mountain and Hill Station,

Forest & Wild Life, Beach & Coastal Regions, Rivers, Camping Areas, Desert

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etc. India is not that much focused with adventure tourism in compare to

sightseeing historical and religious place tourism, India as an adventure

tourism brand is not properly communicated with the target group the little

bit of care is required in proper segmentation and proper marketing plan is

required through which the adventure tourism brand can be promoted

international as well as domestic market.

West Bengal is having the huge scope in developing adventure tourism

destination like other state. West Bengal is resourceful for adventure tourism

destination but some selected areas are only popular but there are several

places across West Bengal but not well communicated. The West Bengal

tourism should consider adventure tourism as a different tourism circuit all

together where the proper connectivity and logistic must be well defined. On

the other hand the government of West Bengal is not seriously considering

adventure tourism as a potential sector but in reality West Bengal can cater

to the adventure tourism need. West Bengal is having huge possibility in

adventure tourism to attain that more focused segmentation and marketing

approach is required. Whenever tourists want any kind of information and

data from ministry of tourism West Bengal, they are not able to provide the

significant picture about the tourism, only it talks about the known and

popular places. The coordination with the adventure tour operators is not

good enough. From FGD analysis it has been noticed that the infrastructure

development as well as to ensure the basic minimum facility for adventure

tourism destinations is requires huge investment in buying the equipment &

instruments and installation of activity setups ,this thing is creating the

threat for this sector . In operating the adventure tourism some degree of

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skills and training are required in West Bengal the number of training

institutes are less in number. (Only the “Himalayan Mountaineering Institute”

in Darjeeling offers Mountaineering courses.) A good number of adventure

sports training institutes is required. The Ministry of Tourism Government of

India has formulated a set of guidelines on safety and quality norms on

adventure tourism as the special attention is being given for the development

of Adventure Tourism in the country. The Ministry of Tourism Government of

India is also providing Financial Assistance to various State Governments for

development of Tourism Infrastructure in destinations including Adventure

Tourism destinations, in this situation why West Bengal is not taking much

initiative in strengthening the tourism infrastructure. So the more attention is

needed for growth of tourism infrastructure. From the FGD analysis an

interesting result has come up that most of the tourists are interested about

soft adventure tourism in West Bengal rather than the hard adventure

tourism, so the soft adventure must be promoted with the proper marketing

communication which can project destinations with its adventure

characteristics along with safety factors. The tourist mostly liking the soft

adventure tourism having backed by their preferences such as safety, medical

care, communication and convenience in terms of transportation hygiene and

cleanliness comfort. Though hard adventure tourism is a niche market, still it

is gradually gaining popularity in the specific segment. Safety, medical care,

Information & communication, convenience in terms of transportation,

hygiene & cleanliness, comfort those aspects should be promoted as the

components of adventure tourism marketing mix for West Bengal.

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4.10. PROSPECT ANALYSIS OF THE ADVENTURE TOURISM AS A

DEVELOPING SECTOR OF WEST BENGAL TOURISM AND ITS MARKETING

WITH IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW.

The In-Depth Interview was conducted in gathering the proper qualitative

data regarding the West Bengal tourism aspect and also to find some light on

prospect of future growth as well as how it can be much more friendly and

prospective for the flourishing of adventure tourism .The entire topic is

divided into related sub questions concentrating on various angels which are

given below:

Whether the Quality of infrastructure relating to tourism growth of West

Bengal is sufficient or not?

Where does West Bengal Tourism stand in National Tourism environment

in terms of growth?

What is the potential or prospect of adventure tourism in West Bengal?

What are the factors considered by tourists for selecting West Bengal as a

tourist destination?

Where does West Bengal stand in terms of promoting tourism in general

and adventure tourism in particular?

Whether there is adequate Government and other institutional support for

the growth of tourism industry in West Bengal? And if not, what steps

might be taken?

The points which have come up from the In-Depth Interview relating to

prospect analysis of the adventure tourism as a developing sector of West

Bengal tourism and its marketing scenario are as follows

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(1) Quality of infrastructure relating to tourism growth:

Tourism is becoming very essential part of West Bengal because the

number of tourist are increasing day by day, Undoubtedly West Bengal is

so much resourceful which can attract the various segment whether it is

sightseeing tourist, nature based tourist, shopping etc.

Each and every part of West Bengal is blessed with tourism resources , for

example Sundarban National Park , Dooars , Alipur Duar , Darjeeling

are authoring Natural Jungle Beauty , the wonderful beaches like Digha,

Mandarmani , Shankarpur, Sagar Deep, Bakhkhali etc can provide huge

opportunity in exploring the nature , the hill station of Bengal is also

resourceful .

Being seen the Indian national tourism overall growth, West Bengal

tourism is not reaching the significant point but till then West Bengal

tourism is growing. The growth rate is low compared to other state but still

it is growing.

The different segments of tourist selecting West Bengal as tourism

destination mostly the nature lover and people who can explore the

natural beauty are selecting West Bengal as potential place.

The tourists are also interested in visiting new tourist places in West

Bengal. The tourism motivation is changing. They are becoming much

more experimental, accepting the challenges, enjoying the freedom more

over their trying to connect themselves with the nature.

The West Bengal is very much cost effective compare to other states , the

transportation facilities are also good. The food, accommodation as well as

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medical facilities are available everywhere. The accessibility to different

consumables is easy.

But there are some problems regarding promotions and customer

awareness building. There are so many beautiful places in West Bengal

but the tourists are not getting the proper information regarding those

places.

Now a day the political disturbance and Maoist activities creating the fear

within the tourist mind .The safety and security part has to be properly

considered .The government should take initiatives in handling with those

problems.

We can see that the different states like Gujrat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh,

Uttarakhand, Assam, Rajasthan as well as north east are taking initiatives

in promoting the tourism with television advertising print media

advertising web advertising. They are also participating in several events

where those states can come up as tourism destination brand. This part is

neglected in case of West Bengal. West Bengal is having huge potential in

attracting the domestic as well as international tourist, if we are able to

create proper branding and promotions. To some extent it is also

important the West Bengal is not having that much infrastructure and

facilities at par with the global quality standards but some NGO‘s and tour

operators, they are creating the infrastructure of their own which can

compete the global standard in a unorganized way. The professional

attitude and an organized planning are required to develop the tourism

marketing mix. Attitude of the local people, hygiene and lacking organized

tourism set up as well as tourism resource management are creating

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problems for West Bengal tourism . In West Bengal protecting the existing

tourism resources is somehow neglected. The tourist spots are not

developing in a planned way compare to other states.

(2) The potentiality of adventure tourism in West Bengal:

West Bengal is full of natural resources. The jungle, hill stations, several

beaches are offering ample scope of adventure tourism. It is a growing

sector of tourism in West Bengal .The tourists are becoming interested in

exploring nature, physical activities, and experimentations and they are

also taking the challenges to discover the nature in their own ways in that

case West Bengal is having huge potentiality in terms of nature and

adventure tourism.

For example the new concepts like White Water Rafting, Paragliding,

Mount Biking, that information are reaching to the tourist. They are also

becoming interested in taking part in those activities. In West Bengal

Trekking, Wild Life Safari, Beach Activities, Cultural Activities are much

more common. Now a day‘s tourists are becoming so much attracted to

different forms of tourism. There know those activities with the help of

internet, travel magazines, TV channels and of course from in film

promotion. In West Bengal there is huge attractiveness of Sunderban

National Park which is known for Royal Bengal Tiger. People are becoming

interested in taking part in tourism activities in Sundarban . Dooars ,

Alipore Duar and Siliguri becoming famous for Wild Life resources along

with the attraction of Camping and night stay . Trekking activities in

Darjeeling hills is already so much popular. The places like Mandarmani ,

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Junput are becoming so much popular for beach activities , paragliding

and water sport. The Ajodhya hill in Puruliya , Biharinath hill can be

promoted for the adventure activities which will create better

environment for adventure tourism in West Bengal.

Already West Bengal is having natural resources in a crude form but

adventure tourism requires basic minimum infrastructure which can

ensure safety, hygiene factor, transportation factors and accessibilities.

West Bengal should concentrate in developing the basic infrastructure.

There are so many tour operators in West Bengal who are conducting

adventure tourism activities with their own effort they are creating the

infrastructure , they are not getting the proper guideline. The

standardization is also not there. For example of Uttarakhand where river

rafting is very much famous and attracts lot of domestic and international

tourist because of its organized set up and plan development but in case of

West Bengal, that is not taking place. Adventure tourism requires proper

training of the tour operators / facilitators. In West Bengal this part is very

much neglected.

The tourist spots for adventure tourism are not properly controlled and

developed according to the global standard due to lack of proper guideline

and initiatives.

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(3) Factors considered by tourists for selecting West Bengal as a

tourist destination

Tourist are very much interested in visiting West Bengal because of

several motivation factors such as cost effectiveness, transportation,

natural resources .natural beauty. Every segment is potential segment for

West Bengal tourism because West Bengal can offer variety of tourism

such as Historical /Heritage tourism, Religious place tourism, Cultural

events tourism, Rural tourism, Urban areas and shopping tourism,

Sightseeing tourism, Eco tourism, Mountain/ Hill Stations Tourism, Beach

Tourism, National parks/reserve forest tourism, Explorers and

adventurers tourism. Because of different tourism circuits if considered

Tarapith, Klighat, Dakhineswar, Bakreswar that will fall under spiritual

tourism. Bishnupur is promoting the historical tourism. Calcutta is having

its own attractiveness. But apart from all those places the natural beauty

hills, beaches, jungles are creating the opportunities for the adventure

tourist.

In West Bengal several activities are possible like mountaineering,

trekking, wild life safari, river rafting, beach activities, backwater activities

etc. If we see the Indian scenario then we can find that in every tourist

spot we can find that Bengali people are there. They are nature lover as

well as they like tourism.

In West Bengal adventure tourism activities are mostly attracting the

domestic people because they are having better information about West

Bengal rather than the people from other state as well as global tourist.

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Tourist is much more influenced by word of mouth communication,

information from the friend circle, and they also visiting the tourism fare.

But somehow West Bengal adventure tourism is not attracting the

international tourist. Few people definitely come from other states. The

tourist are much more quality conscious, they are not that much cost

sensitive. It has been seen that if they are getting the proper information

about the tourist spots they are somehow influenced with that. 8-12 % of

the total tourists in West Bengal are looking for adventure tourism

specifically. Demand is not that much huge but the demand is increasing

day by day. There is no age group specification in connection with

adventure tourism but definitely the life style of the tourist is somehow

related to selection of this kind of tourism activities. We have observed that

after a whole day adventure activity whenever they are returning back to

the base (staying point or the hotel) they are looking for ultimate comfort

and they are trying to get all kind of facilities like other forms tourism.

(4) Promotion aspect of West Bengal general tourism in general and

the adventure tourism in particular:

The tourism sector of West Bengal is not much seriously considered as a

good source of GDP by the government. In West Bengal tourism is

neglected. Whatever tourists are visiting West Bengal because of its

attractiveness and word of mouth communication and because of the true

efforts of the tour operators. The government of West Bengal is not serious

like other state in considering promotion of the tourism sector in West

Bengal.

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It can be seen each and every state in India are projecting & promoting

their core competencies whereas West Bengal is a bit relaxed in doing so. If

going through the incredible India website it is only providing few/limited

information about West Bengal that is providing negative message to the

potential tourist. If considering the tourism is an organized set up, the

government will get significant revenue from the tourist but in case of West

Bengal it is not creating the opportunity in greater GDP earning because it

is unorganized.

North-East is the good example of tourism management whenever a tourist

visiting to that place all that documentation is done and tour operators are

bound to pay tax on the basis of their individual revenues. In West Bengal

the State Government is not developing that kind of mechanism. That is

one of the reason the State Government is not showing interest in tourism

sector.

The poor promotion of West Bengal tourism is restricting the scope for the

growth of the West Bengal tourism. That adventure tourism of West

Bengal is also suffering with the poor promotions. To overcome this

situation the proper branding strategy has to be adapted. The proper

marketing communication strategy should be designed like Madhya

Pradesh, Gujarat, north east, Assam etc. by which West Bengal can come

up with tourism brand with the blend of nature base tourism and

adventure tourism. The different media such as television campaigning,

print media should be strategically used for the promotion of West Bengal

tourism.

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Looking at the West Bengal tourism internet site, it is not projecting the

entire tourism sector of West Bengal, it is not providing the right

information and it is not following the global standards also. Undoubtedly

the promotional strategy of West Bengal tourism can accelerate the

tourism growth.

(5) Government and other institutional support relating to West

Bengal tourism

Government should take initiatives in organizing the tourism sector for

which it can take the consultation of the international consultants in the

tourism sector like other state of India.

The infrastructural support is the most imp part where government should

do needful things in creating the proper platform in tourism growth.

The promotion is very much essential for any tourism destination. the

promotional strategy should be developed which can create a better brand

image of West Bengal tourism

The government should appreciate and motivate the different tour

operators, facilitators, NGOs which are doing good jobs in promoting West

Bengal tourism. The financial, technological and training related support

should come from the governments end.

The protection of natural beauty and managing the resource is very much

important. The Government should do needful things for it.

Now days the different issues regarding safety and securities are

demotivating the tourist such as Maoist problem, strikes, political

problems security of the public life is very much important which cannot

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be overlooked. The administration should be very much strict in managing

the law and order.

The government should promote the PPP model (public private

partnership) for the growth of tourism sector.

FINDING OF IN DEPTH INTERVIEWS

The above in depth interviews focuses on certain factors relating to the

acceptability, conditions and point of improvement of the adventure tourism

in West Bengal. Following factors have been taken and are assessed:

1. Quality of infrastructure relating to tourism growth

It can be assessed that though West Bengal has huge potential for tourism

activities but there are certain factors which is creating a backlog. One of

such factors is the lack of infrastructural developments in the state. Though

the growth of tourism is steady but it is low as compared to other states of

India. Lack of standard infrastructure coupled with growing political

disturbance, lack of promotional activities and the laidback attitude of the

local people has created the main backlog. There are certain advantages that

West Bengal possesses some of them being:

a. Varied forms of natural beauty.

b. Low cost.

c. Less remote areas.

If infrastructure is developed the comparative advantage provided by the

following factors can be extracted and West Bengal can turn to be one of the

most attractive destinations for tourists. There are some initiatives taken by

private tour operators and NGO‘s with respect to the matter, but until and

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unless the state government takes initiatives it will not be possible to carry on

developments in infrastructure in a symmetric and overall manner.

2. The potentiality of adventure tourism in West Bengal

The fact that West Bengal has varied structure of natural beauty cannot be

denied. Starting with the Sunderbans, the attractiveness of which is growing

day by day among tourists, to the hills of North Bengal where the

mountaineering is quite famous, to Dooars, to beaches like Mandarmani,

where beach sports like paragliding are attracting tourists, to Ayodha Hills in

Purulia. However the main problem of West Bengal Tourism is that there is

lack of proper developmental and sustainable actions for tourism marketing.

Many private players are arranging adventure tourism activities with their

own initiatives however they are not getting proper guidelines regarding the

matter due to the neglect of the State Government. The State Government

should proper initiatives that will attract both domestic and international

tourists. Proper training should be provided to the private players who are

engaged with the purpose of promoting adventure tourism.

3. Tourist preference in selecting West Bengal as tourism destination

The tourism resource of West Bengal is such that it can attract every segment

of tourism. Places like Dakshineswar, Kalighat, and Bakreshwar can be well

suited for spiritual tourism. Bishnupur is developing its own form of historical

tourism those tourism destinations are becoming kind of age old and

saturated it is unable to fulfil the need of the modern tourist. It can be very

well observed that Indians have a different affinity towards tourism activities.

But in order to focus on overall development of the tourism perspective of

West Bengal it has to depend on other newage tourists along with the

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mainstream tourism. Though there are few tourists who are interested for

tourism in West Bengal, but foreign tourists are considerably low. The state

should focus on this issue. 8-12% of the tourists in West Bengal demand for

adventure tourism. There is no particular target segment for this form of

tourism activity but the lifestyle definitely matters. There is need of

development of new adventure and nature based tourism circuits across the

state of West Bengal. The segmentation approach is required in tourism

planning and marketing. Most of the tourists who prefer adventure and

nature based tourism prefer a comfortable stay at the end of the day after

total exhaustion, which depicts adventure activities must be blended with

visitor‘s comfort then the pleasure of adventure tourism will be ensured.

4. Promotional aspect of West Bengal tourism in general and

promotion of the adventure tourism in particular

The promotion of West Bengal is lacking behind as compared to other states

of India. West Bengal does not consider the seriousness of tourism activity as

a component to enhance GDP. As other states are continuously emphasizing

in their core competencies and are developing advanced marketing strategies,

West Bengal is lagging behind in this sense. The websites like the Incredible

India contains information about the tourism potential of West Bengal but the

information is very less and is even misleading. West Bengal should thrive on

proper branding initiatives coupled with organized marketing communication

initiatives to make the information about such vast tourist resources to

percolate properly among tourists. The adventure tourism in West Bengal is

suffering lack of promotion and State Government should promote it properly

and through proper channels. Proper information should be made available to

tourists about the prospective places in West Bengal. Undoubtedly the

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promotional strategy of West Bengal tourism can accelerate the tourism

growth. The private tour operators are taking more initiatives in popularizing

the adventure tourism of their own interest for generating revenues they are

using one to one marketing with their own prospective consumer database in

this aspect Government of West Bengal is not directly benefited in terms of

revenue generation, so the better control over the private players is required,

where the state can be also can get the meaningful contribution in tourism

GDP.

5. Government and other institutional support relating to West

Bengal tourism

a. Government can consult with international experts over the development

of tourism activities.

b. It should focus on infrastructural development.

c. It should focus on proper promotional activities along with the

identification of new tourism destinations across the states because in

West Bengal there are several places which are still unexplored which

need to be promoteded.

d. It should appreciate, compliment and provide support to the private tour

operators who are doing good job in promoting West Bengal tourism.

e. It should take serious steps to ensure and retain the natural beauty of

West Bengal.

f. It should provide proper security to the tourists and stop issues like

Maoism and disturbances in North Bengal.

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g. It should promote and undertake the PPP model (Public Private

Partnership) in tourism to accelerate the tourism growth.

4.11. ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND ITS

EFFECTIVENESS TO PROMOTE WEST BENGAL AS AN ADVENTURE

TOURISM DESTINATION

To study the Marketing Communication and Its Effectiveness to Promote West

Bengal as an adventure tourism destination several hypothesis has been

formulated tested with different statistical tools those are allowing the current

research to find the causes to consequences in proper way which are as

follows.

Null Hypothesis (H0): Marketing communication of West Bengal tourism is

not adequate to promote West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination in

present market condition.

Alternative hypothesis (H1): Marketing communication of West Bengal

tourism is adequate to promote West Bengal as an adventure tourism

destination in present market condition.

Sub Hypothesis

To test the above hypothesis the sub hypothesis has been developed those are

as follows

Null Hypothesis (H0): Marketing communication with different media is not

adequate in creating awareness of West Bengal as an adventure tourism

destination in present market condition.

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Alternative hypothesis (H1): Marketing communication with different media

is adequate in creating awareness of West Bengal as an adventure tourism

destination in present market condition.

Null Hypothesis (H0): there is no significant relation in between awareness of

West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination and Intention to visit West

Bengal for adventure tourism purpose.

Alternative hypothesis (H1): there is a significant relation in between

awareness of West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination and Intention

to visit West Bengal for adventure tourism purpose.

Chi-Square Tests in Between Awareness about Adventure Tourism of

West Bengal Tourism with Web Communication and West Bengal

Tourism Website

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 16.388 16 .426

Likelihood Ratio 19.495 16 .244

Linear-by-Linear Association .010 1 .921

N of Valid Cases 250

From the table above it is clear that the effectiveness of the WBTDC website

has no significant relationship with the effectiveness of the promotion to

spread information about West Bengal tourism. This may be due to two

reasons:

The poor quality of website and lack of proper information in the regarding

West Bengal tourism opportunities and places.

Due to ineffectiveness of the internet media as a source of promotion for

WBTDC.

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However since in the present scenario internet is one of the strongest

forms of media, so the first point seems to be plausible ones.

Chi-Square Tests in Between Awareness about Adventure Tourism of

West Bengal Tourism with TV Other Digital Ad Campaign

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 12.317 16 .722

Likelihood Ratio 11.758 16 .760

Linear-by-Linear Association 1.985 1 .159

N of Valid Cases 250

From the table above it is clear that the effectiveness of the TV and other

forms of digital media communication has no significant relationship with the

effectiveness in awareness building about West Bengal tourism.

Chi-Square Tests in Between Awareness about Adventure Tourism of

West Bengal Tourism with Private Tour Operator’s Initiatives

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 30.983 16 .014

Likelihood Ratio 34.053 16 .005

Linear-by-Linear Association 20.635 1 .000

N of Valid Cases 250

The above table shows that the private tour operators play a significant role in

spreading awareness about tourism in West Bengal since there is a significant

relationship between the two at 5% level of significance. This implies a major

policy implication. The state tourism board can use the private tour operators

for promotion by giving them incentives.

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Chi-Square Tests in between awareness about West Bengal tourism with

Government offices and promotion Centre of West Bengal Tourism

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 11.166 16 .799

Likelihood Ratio 11.233 16 .795

Linear-by-Linear Association 1.106 1 .293

N of Valid Cases 250

The promotion with Government offices and promotion Centre operated by

West Bengal Tourism Ministry has no significant relationship with the

awareness building about West Bengal tourism. That indicates that some

lacunas are there in the operations of Ministry of Tourism, Government

West Bengal.

Chi-Square Tests in Between Awareness about Adventure Tourism of

West Bengal Tourism with Tourism Fairs & Festivals

The tourism fairs and festivals have a significant relationship with awareness

effectiveness of West Bengal tourism at 5% level of significance.

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 26.639 16 .046

Likelihood Ratio 29.073 16 .023

Linear-by-Linear Association 7.557 1 .006

N of Valid Cases 250

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Chi-Square Tests in Between Awareness about Adventure Tourism of

West Bengal Tourism with Feature, Article Magazine and Print Media

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 24.675 16 .076

Likelihood Ratio 25.090 16 .068

Linear-by-Linear Association 9.743 1 .002

N of Valid Cases 250

Also other media like the print media seems to serve an important purpose for

effective promotion of West Bengal tourism at 10% level of significance.

Chi-Square Tests in Between Awareness about Adventure Tourism of

West Bengal Verses Intention to Visit West Bengal

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 27.470a 16 .037

Likelihood Ratio 26.539 16 .047

Linear-by-Linear Association 4.335 1 .037

N of Valid Cases 250

Hence it can be concluding there is a significant relation in between

awareness of West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination and Intention

to visit West Bengal for adventure tourism purpose at 5% level of significance.

The null hypothesis is rejected

Above analysis is providing proper signal about the marketing communication

aspect of West Bengal tourism and how it is influencing the target customer

or increasing intention to visit West Bengal. It has been observed that there is

a significant association in between the awareness level of West Bengal

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tourism and the Intention to visit West Bengal. But when the association are

being calculated in between the awareness level of West Bengal and the

marketing communication components it has been observed that only the

component like tour operator‘s initiatives, tourism fairs & festivals and the

feature and article in magazine and print media are having significant

correlation but other component are not having strong impact in increasing

the awareness level about West Bengal tourism. Above data analysis has also

specified that marketing communication of West Bengal tourism is not

adequate to promote West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination in

present market condition. The tourist are interested about adventure tourism

in West Bengal but they are not getting proper information all the

components of marketing communication are not functioning effectively to

attract the potential tourist, the promotion aspect for this type of tourism is

required specific segment wise approach with the proper media is becoming

so vital. Certain points have to be kept in mind while going for an effective

promotion of West Bengal tourism. More emphasis should be laid upon print

media and tourism festivals and fairs for effective promotional campaigns and

activities. Work hand in hand with private tour operators and provide them

with proper incentives. By saying private operators we mean big tourism

chains .This is because these operators have a wider range of customer base.

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Chapter 5

Conclusion and Recommendations

SL.NO. CHAPTER CONTAINS PAGE NUMBER

5.1 CONCLUSION 285

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS 301

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5.1. CONCLUSION

Based on the findings and analysis of Chapter-4 major outcome of the

present research are as follows

Demographic profile of the tourist: Descriptive analysis of the data

providing the basic information which are the major age group who prefer

tourism is 25 years to 42 years. Male tourists are having more interest in

tourism rather than women. Graduate and post graduate people are more

interested in tourism activity. The service class people prefer tourism

compared to business class. For business class tourism means primarily

business tours, sightseeing and shopping. The earning group ₹30000 to

₹50000 (per month) are much interested in regular tourism (at least ones a

year).

Tour companion preference: Tourists mostly prefer tour companion

rather than visiting a destination alone or unaccompanied. Mostly people

prefer tourism activity with family members

Type of tourism preferences : Descriptive analysis in terms of ‗type of

tourism preferred‘ by the tourist sample are Historical/Heritage tourism is

liked by 50.4 %, Spiritual enlightenment tourism is liked by 45.6 % ,

Religious tourism is favoured by 50.8 %, Cultural events tourism is preferred

by 22.8 %, Rural tourism is liked by 25.6 % , Urban areas and shopping

tourism is favoured by 22.4 %, Sports tourism is liked 20 % , Sightseeing

tourism is liked 42.8 % , Eco tourism is liked 30.4% , Mountain/ Hill Stations

Tourism is liked by 52 %, Beach Tourism is favoured by 56 %, National

parks/reserve forest tourism is loved 46.4%, Explorers adventurers tourism is

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liked by 29.2 %, Snorkelling is preferred by 13.6%. The study has shown that

tourists are having interest and inclination towards Nature, Cultural and

Activity oriented tourism.

Preferred Communication media for tourism: Based on the findings and

analysis of Chapter-4, it has been found that the most preferred media of

Communication for adventure tourism for West Bengal are :

Word of mouth communication, Information from Family/Friends/ Relatives,

News Channels, Travel Guides / Brochures from Agents or Tour Operators,

Information from social gathering, Social Networking, and Internet. These

media are having a huge role in communicating with the target customer.

Profile of the Adventure tourist and their preferences:

Kruskal-Wallis Test shows that the mean scores relating to the

preference for Adventure Tourism are equal irrespective all the Age group

and Gender of the tourist , but in case of different Income groups ,

Education groups and Occupation types of the tourist the median scores

relating to the preference for Adventure Tourism are not equal.

Based on the findings and analysis of Chapter-4 it can be said that tourist

from different demographic pattern are very much fond of natural

environment and activity related tourism. They prefer exploring new things;

they want to get the pleasure of experimentation under the environment

where complete safety & security are ensured. The study has shown they

want to get the thrill of adventure without any risk because they wish to visit

destinations with their family, relatives, friend & other.

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Based on the findings and analysis of primary data (Chapter-4) it has

been observed that tourists‘ demographic factors (gender, age, personal

income, education) are significantly associated with the marketing mix factors

in deciding the destination for adventure tourism. So whenever marketing

strategy is to be developed for the sustainable adventure tourism the above

specified factors need to be considered. Research has shown that vital

components like Culture, Local people‘s attitudes for Tourist,

Experimentations, fulfillment of Expectation, Explore new things,

Accommodation, Tourism Information, Safe ,Medical Care, Access Money and

ATM, Quality Consumables, Weather, Communication Convenience

Transport , Expense, Hygiene Cleanliness, Food and Beverages, Comfort

Loading, Value Addition, New Experience, Pleasure, Play, Activity and events

are so important as per the tourist‘s preferences. To promote adventure

tourism aforesaid factor needs to be properly handled.

From the analysis of primary data it is observed that the most

preferred adventure tourism activities in India and in West Bengal are

trekking, wildlife adventure, mountaineering, swimming, beach activity.

Motivational factors and Buying behaviour of Adventure tourist:

Motivational factor which are influencing the buying decisions of adventure

tourism product of West Bengal (as per the tourists opinions) are

natural challenge activities, freedom of experimentation, new experience,

interaction with the natural environment and some tourists find cost

effectiveness ; which are considered as motivational imputes. While creating a

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blueprint to chisel the activities of the adventure tourism destinations

following aspects should be considered properly:

From the current research it has been observed that consumer behaviour

relating to adventure tourism product decision and selection are mostly

influenced by two major components: adventure travel & tourism stimulus,

and social & personal determinates. Those two components are having direct

impact on the need formation for the adventure travel. Adventure travel and

tourism decision or demand is developed with two vital components such as

adventure travel opportunity and travel desire. In the whole process of

adventure travel and tourism decision making, information plays a significant

role in the formation of expectations relating to adventure travel and tourism

which directly influences adventure travel and tourism motivation. Within the

aforesaid process the following components acts as stimulus: advertising with

several media, travel literature, travel reports, tourism fairs & festivals,

Information from social networking sites, word-of-mouth communication,

tour operator‘s communication. The components which help in composing the

social and personal determinates of adventure tourist are socio-economic

status, personality features, social influence and aspirations, attitudes and

values, knowledge, personal interest & judgments, and family influence.

Cost/value relations, Adventure attraction & amenities, expectation fulfilment

opportunity, travel arrangements, quality & quantity of travel information

guides the expectation of the adventure tourists.

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Adventure Travel and Tourism Buying Decisions Model

Inspired from Travel Decision Model of Moutinho, 2000.

Adventure Travel and Tourism

stimulus:

1. Advertising with several

media

2. Travel literature

3. Travel reports

4. Tourism fairs & festivals

5. Information from social

networking sites

6. Word-of-mouth

communication

7. Tour operator‘s

communication

Social and Personal Determinates of

Adventure Tourism Behaviour:

1. Socio-economic status

2. Personality features

3. Social influence and

aspirations

4. Attitudes and values

5. Knowledge

6. Personal Interest &

Judgments

7. Family influence

Adventure Travel and

Tourism Motivation

Needs for Adventure Travel Expectations Relating to

Adventure Travel and Tourism

Adventure Travel Desire Information Research Adventure Travel

opportunity

Adventure Travel and Tourism

Buying Decisions /Demand

External Variables:

1. Confidence in travel trade intermediary / Tour Operator

2. Adventure Image of destination/service

3. Previous travel experience

4. Travel constraints, (like time, cost, etc.)

5. Assessment of risk

Decision Considerations: 1. Cost/value relations 2. Adventure

attraction & amenities

3. Expectation fulfillment opportunity

4. Travel arrangements

5. Quality & quantity of travel information

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India as an Adventure tourism Destination:

1. India is not getting the appreciative position compared to world

adventure tourism market. Underutilization of the potential capacity is

taking place in both case of India and West Bengal but there is huge market

of adventure tourism that can be seriously explored for the future growth.

2. As per the findings and analysis of Chapter-4 it has been observed that

growth of adventure tourism can be seen round the world. Many countries in

the world are promoting adventure tourism as a significant part of total

tourism activities. To promote the adventure tourism in the country most

nations are very much concerned about infrastructural development,

environmental protection and creating the linkages in terms of logistics and

they are ensuring the benefits or facilities of the tourist. Countries like Kenya,

Nepal, New Zealand, Tanzania, Costa Rica, Botswana Chile, Czech Republic,

Slovak Republic, Israel, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Hungary and others are

very much concerned about identifying their own core competencies which

can promote adventure tourism and they have also recognised that adventure

tourism is one of the fastest growing sector of tourism.

For any tourism destination image plays a vital role which is only possible

through proper positioning, service offering and service delivery. The research

study has shown that different countries are very much concerned in image

development. They are utilising the digital and non-digital communication

media in branding and position the country‘s image. The creation of homely

atmosphere and hassles free journey create positive satisfaction in connection

with adventure tourism marketing. India in general and West Bengal in

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particular can also rise with adventure tourism if the proper utilization of the

potential capacity takes place. India in general and West Bengal in particular

are enriched with diverse cultural and natural tourism that can be rightly

explored to promote adventure tourism to enjoy the competitive advantage.

3. It can be seen the word of mouth communication is one of the strongest

mode of communication. Satisfied tourist promotes the brand either

consciously or unconsciously. Many countries are also caring about

introducing new activities in terms of adventure tourism; they are also

identifying the new unexplored area where adventure tourism can be

conducted. It is always not possible to bear huge expenses in developing a

tourism destination; but secondary sources have shown that the government

of the different nations are inspiring the private players investing and

participating in this sector either by partnership or with the PPP (Public

Private Partnership) model. India in general and West Bengal in particular

should take needful steps to grow adventure tourism by giving priorities those

factors to ensure the long run sustainability. Several states in India have

started experimenting with adventure tourism but that has to be stronger and

fully organised. Proper marketing approach and promotion focus are required

to boost the entire adventure tourism industry of India in general and West

Bengal in particular.

Opportunities and challenges for West Bengal as an Adventure tourism

Destination:

States like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir,

Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,

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Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, etc. are so much focused and

serious about tourism sector and considering tourism as a significant part of

State‘s economic activity resulting to the GDP and employment generation. To

attain the sustainable tourism growth different States are taking various

initiatives like infrastructural development, incising the safety measures,

ensuring the basic minimum facilities or amenities for the targeted tourist

group.

State Tourism Corporations are very much active in segmenting the target

market. It is being observed the changing need of the modern or new age

tourist in the present market people are asking for new products. As a result

nature base tourism, cultural tourism, nature/ecotourism, rural tourism,

adventure tourism, wildlife & forest tourism, leisure tourism, special interest

tourism , wellness tourism those forms of tourism are coming in the picture .

Adventure tourism as an important tourism product for the contemporary

market condition has been recognised by most of the region or State of India.

To market adventure tourism several marketing strategies has been

formulated e.g. the branding exercise has been started with the State

Government initiatives backed by Ministry of Tourism Government of India.

Opening the Adventure Activity training institutes is becoming common for

most of the States to motivate and train the perspective customers. Tourism

resource utilisation and management are becoming significant part of

destination marketing. Ministry of Tourism Government of India is also

encouraging the initiatives of the State Governments. It can be seen different

National Awards has been instituted for the development of Adventure

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tourism. Ministry of Tourism Government of India has also developed ―Basic

Minimum Standards for Adventure Tourism Related Activities‖ most of the

States are following that guideline. Most of States which are doing well in the

tourism sector they are considering adventure tourism as an important

component, for that reason the different State Governments are trying to

discover & develop the core competencies and adventure tourism recourses.

The new adventure tourism circuit development and reviving the existing

adventure tourism destinations are becoming very important for those States

which are involved in adventure tourism promotion. Some time is can be seen

State Governments are facing some problems in marketing and operation of

Tourism due to some obstacles in that case State Governments are promoting

PPP model to get a synergistic effect. States like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya

Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil

Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh,

Sikkim, etc. are adopting innovative strategies to promote and commercialise

adventure tourism product. The present tourism success, sustainability and

good tourism brand value, are outcome of that true effort.

There is an opposite picture can be seen in case of West Bengal when the

entire country is trying to utilise the full potential of its tourism resource and

capacity; West Bengal is not getting the favourable position in the index of top

adventure destination in India. Now the question is can West Bengal grow up

with adventure tourism product like other India states like Madhya Pradesh,

Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,

Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, etc.?

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Yes surely it can. West Bengal has full of natural Tourism resources which

are required for Adventure Tourism but it is not fully utilized. Marketing of

Adventure Tourism product can create better environment for Indian tourism

growth.

Competitive advantage of West Bengal: West Bengal is having huge

potential for tourism activities but there are certain factors which is creating

a backlog. One of such factors is the lack of infrastructural developments in

the state. Though the growth of tourism is steady but it is low when compared

to other states of India. Lack of standard infrastructure coupled with growing

political disturbance, lack of promotional activities and the laidback attitude

of the local people has created the main backlog. There are certain

advantages that West Bengal possesses some of them being:

Varied forms of natural beauty.

Low cost (cost effective).

Enriched with natural tourism resources.

Huge scope of exploring new places and hidden adventure activity.

Enormous possibility of discovering nature in a creative way.

If infrastructure is developed and proper marketing & promotional focus are

initiated, West Bengal can turn to be one of the most attractive destinations

for adventure tourists. There are some initiatives taken by private tour

operators and NGO‘s with respect to this matter, but until and unless the

state government takes initiatives it will not be possible to carry on

developments in adventure tourism infrastructure in a symmetric and overall

manner.

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The fact that West Bengal has varied structure of natural beauty

cannot be denied. Starting with the Sunderbans, the attractiveness of which

is growing day by day among tourists, to the hills of North Bengal where the

mountaineering is quite famous, to Dooars, to beaches like Mandarmani,

where beach sports like paragliding are attracting tourists, to Ayodha Hills in

Purulia. However the main problem of West Bengal Tourism is that there is

lack of proper developmental and sustainable actions for tourism marketing.

Many private players are arranging adventure tourism activities with their

own initiatives; however they are not getting proper guidelines regarding this

matter due to the neglect of the state government. The State Government

should take proper initiatives that will attract both domestic and international

tourists. Proper training should be provided to the private players who are

engaged with the purpose of promoting adventure tourism.

The tourism resource of West Bengal is so enriched that can attract

every segment of tourism. Places like Dakshineswar, Kalighat, and

Bakreshwar can be well suited for spiritual tourism. Bishnupur is developing

its own form of historical tourism those tourism destinations are becoming

kind of age old and saturated it is unable to fulfil the need of the modern

tourist. It can be very well observed that Indians have a different affinity

towards tourism activities. But in order to focus on overall development of the

tourism perspective of West Bengal it has to depend on other new age tourists

along with the mainstream tourism. Though there are few tourists who are

interested for tourism in West Bengal, but foreign tourists are considerably

low. The state should focus on this issue. Based on the findings and analysis

296 | P a g e

of Chapter-4, it can be said that 8-12% of the tourists in West Bengal demand

for adventure tourism. There is no particular target segment for this form of

tourism activity but the lifestyle definitely matters. There is need of

development of new adventure and nature based tourism circuits across the

state of West Bengal. The segmentation approach is required in tourism

planning and marketing. Most of the tourists who prefer adventure and

nature based tourism prefer a comfortable stay at the end of the day after

total exhaustion, which depicts adventure activities, must be blended with

visitor‘s comfort then the pleasure of adventure tourism will be ensured.

The current research has discovered that there are several areas or

places which can be developed to give a proper shape to adventure activity

related facility in West Bengal to boost the adventure tourism of West Bengal.

Such as mountaineering, rock climbing, bungee jumping, river rafting,

camping / hiking on gradually, changing terrain bicycle, swimming & diving

in the natural environment, off road biking / mountain biking .etc.

The promotion of West Bengal is lacking behind as compared to other

states of India. West Bengal does not consider the seriousness of tourism

activity as a component to enhance GDP. As other states are continuously

emphasizing in their core competencies and are developing advanced

marketing strategies, West Bengal is lagging behind in this sense. The

websites like the Incredible India contains information about the tourism

potential of West Bengal but the information is very less and is even

misleading. West Bengal should thrive on proper branding initiatives coupled

with organized marketing communication initiatives to make the information

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about such vast tourist resources to percolate properly among tourists. The

adventure tourism in West Bengal is suffering lack of promotion and State.

Government should promote it properly and through proper channels.

Proper information should be made available to tourists about the prospective

places in West Bengal. Undoubtedly the promotional strategy of West Bengal

tourism can accelerate the tourism growth. The private tour operators are

taking more initiatives in popularizing the adventure tourism of their own

interest for generating revenues they are using one to one marketing with

their own prospective consumer database in this aspect Government of West

Bengal is not directly benefited in terms of revenue generation, so the better

control over the private players is required, where the state can also get the

meaningful contribution in tourism GDP.

Government can consult with international experts over the development of

tourism activities.

It should focus on infrastructural development.

It should focus on proper promotional activities along with the

identification of new tourism destinations across the states because in

West Bengal there are several places which are still unexplored which need

to be promoted.

It should appreciate, compliment and provide support to the private tour

operators who are doing good job in promoting West Bengal tourism.

It should take serious steps to ensure and retain the natural beauty of

West Bengal.

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It should provide proper security to the tourists and stop issues like

Maoism and disturbances in North Bengal.

It should promote and undertake the PPP model (Public Private

Partnership) in tourism to accelerate the tourism growth.

From the current study an interesting result has come up that most of

the tourists are more interested about soft adventure tourism in West Bengal

rather than the hard adventure tourism. (the tourist mostly liking the soft

adventure tourism having backed by their preferences such as safety, medical

care, communication and convenience in terms of transportation hygiene and

cleanliness access to money with ATM machines, comfort ) Though hard

adventure tourism is a niche market, still it is gradually gaining popularity in

the specific region. So factors like safety, medical care, information &

communication, convenience in terms of transportation, hygiene &

cleanliness, access to money with ATM machines, & general comfort, all need

to be promoted as the components of adventure tourism, for the potential

customer.

Branding, Positioning and Marketing Communication for Adventure

Tourism of West Bengal

Branding and positioning of adventure tourism in India in general and

West Bengal in particular need to be very strong to attract the domestic

and international tourist. It is kind of "One size fits all" approach it is

going on in case of branding this is not proper marketing. In marketing

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proper Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning strategy is strongly required,

especially while dealing with products like Adventure Tourism.

Al Ries and Jack Trout has clearly noted in their seminal work Positioning:

the battle for the Mind ―If we stand for everything we stand for nothing‖. It

is a positioning problem for Indian tourism; it tries to project India tourism

is kind of one-stop-shop offering to mass market. But it is choice of

customer /tourist might not be interested in visiting the entire destination.

Findings and analysis of Chapter-4 of this current research has specified

that marketing communication of West Bengal tourism is not adequate to

promote West Bengal as an adventure tourism destination in present

market condition. The tourists are interested about adventure tourism in

West Bengal but they are not getting proper information. The present

marketing communication is not functioning well to attract the potential

tourist. The promotion aspect for this type of tourism needs specific

segment wise approach.

From the qualitative analysis (focus group discussion and depth interview

at chapter-4) an interesting output has been found; that whenever tourists

want any kind of information and data from ministry of tourism of West

Bengal, the tourists fail to get a significant picture about the tourism. The

coordination with the adventure tour operators is not good enough. The

Ministry of Tourism Government of India has formulated a set of

guidelines on safety and quality norms on adventure tourism as the

special attention is being given for the development of Adventure Tourism

in the country. The Ministry of Tourism Government of India is also

providing Financial Assistance to various State Governments for

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development of Tourism Infrastructure in destinations including

Adventure Tourism destinations, in this situation why West Bengal is not

taking much initiative in strengthening the tourism infrastructure. So the

more attention is needed for growth of tourism infrastructure.

It has been observed that the most effective communication for adventure

tourism of West Bengal are word of mouth communication, Tour

Operators, Information from social gathering, social networking, Internet

etc. So PR activities need to be done to promote adventure tourism.

It has been observed that there is a significant correlation between the

Awareness level of West Bengal tourism and the Intention to visit West

Bengal. But when the correlation are being calculated between the

awareness level of West Bengal and the marketing communication

components it has been observed that only the component like tour

operator‘s initiatives, tourism fairs & festivals and the feature and article

in magazine and print media have significant correlation but other

component are not having strong impact in increasing the awareness level

about West Bengal tourism.(Refer Previous Chapter )

From the qualitative (focus group discussion and depth interview in

previous chapter) analysis it has been noticed that adventure tourism is

suffering from lack of proper infrastructure and organized setup. The

proper infrastructure and organized setup development requires huge

investment. The government of West Bengal should take initiative or pay

attention in that aspect.

In operating the adventure tourism some degree of skills and training are

required in West Bengal the number of training institutes are less in

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number. (Only the “Himalayan Mountaineering Institute” in Darjeeling offers

Mountaineering courses.) A good number of adventure sports training

institutes are required.

The private tour operators are taking more initiatives in popularizing the

adventure tourism for their own interest to generate revenues. They are

using one to one marketing with their own prospective consumers‘

database‘. But from interview data we have found that there is less govt.

support.

West Bengal with a new tag line ―Bengal leads‖ it is doing the right job in

promoting various economical aspect as well as culture of Bengal. In long

run the positive result will also come in the field of tourism. But with the

present political situation: Jangalmahal, Bandhs in Kolkata, political

disturbance, Maoist activities and other related things, and news related to

this is spreading a bad word of mouth communication to the prospective

tourists.

The study has also found that the tourists are becoming more interested

in unexplored or new destinations in different parts of West Bengal which

are not so popular. Thus creating more opportunities for future growth.

5.2. RECOMMENDATIONS

The research study brought to light several interesting facts which require

immediate attention and implementation. It is suggested that to gain a

competitive edge in marketing of the adventure tourism product for West

Bengal the following measures should be implemented. Those are

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Development of Adventure tourism products for creating

Marketing opportunities

In the present situation the consumer behaviour in the tourism sector

is changing and the interest towards the new age tourism is increasing

rapidly. Adventure tourism is one of the new potential sectors in the world

tourism market that can cater to the changing demand of the modern tourist.

The various countries in the world are promoting this type of tourism in

generating foreign revenues and GDP contribution but here India is not doing

well. India is such a big country having huge natural diversity which is

feasible for adventure tourism. The government should take initiative in

promoting this are of tourism with proper focus. The little bit of investment in

this sector (Infrastructure, Communication and Connectivity as well as safety

mechanism) will be giving huge return. The promotion model should follow

those countries doing very good in adventure tourism for example Israel,

Mexico, Chili, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Kenya Tanzania, and Nepal. By

considering those countries related case studies the success factor should be

properly evaluated and implemented. The proper of the utilization of Indian

natural resources and its diversity can uplift the tourism GDP.

Resources Utilization in Adventure Tourism Marketing

From the current research it has been understood that adventure tourism

resources utilization and management is becoming important. Adventure

tourism resources comprise of Natural Resource, Culture, Legacy, and

Created Resource (need based) which should be properly nurtured with other

supporting factors. Government should have the proper vision to grow

adventure tourism for the State. To make it possible government should take

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the help of the Industry Stakeholders with proper value sharing motive. In

developing the better and sustainable adventure tourism environment,

analysis of marketing circumstances and demand conditions are too

significant. Once the adventure tourism settings are completed then it should

be marketed with proper distribution competitiveness which will meet the

market demand in a better way.

Structure of Adventure Tourism Resources Utilization for Better Marketing

(Inspired from Dwyer et al.2003)

Segmentation of Adventure Tourism Market

Market segmentation is the starting point for developing a marketing strategy

and it is a process which categorises people into groups where they share

certain definable characteristics. There are several reasons to segment a

market. The tourism product has to be designed according to the

Government Industry

Stakehold

ers

Marketing

Circumstance

s

Vision to grow Adventure Tourism

for the State of West Bengal Adventure Tourism Resources

Natural

Resourc

e

Culture

Legacy

Created

Resource

Supportin

g factors

Demand

Conditions

Distribution

Competitiveness

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customer‘s needs, wants and desires. To understand a potential customer

how they think and how they select a destination, in tourism marketing this

is becoming so essential. Tourists are not a homogenous group, they have

different and distinct needs, motivations and preferences about their ideal

vacation. Market segmentation is the planned tool to justify the heterogeneity

among travellers by grouping them into market segments which comprise

members homogeneous to each other and heterogeneous to members of other

segments. In marketing of the tourism product segmentation is so important.

Segmentation of the adventure tourism market is vital because the industry

or the sector is relatively new compare to traditional or mainstream tourism.

In adventure tourism excitement, activity and the exploring new thing are

appropriately blended with the attractiveness of the destination, this sector is

becoming popular day-by-day and thus segmentation is significant for

adventure tourism marketing, more focus is required. West Bengal tourism

marketing must use the concept of market segmentation which is helpful for

designing marketing mix strategy to attract the specific target group.

Segmentation will help in identify groups of people (segments) who are, or will

be buying the adventure tourism product in West Bengal. The marketing

communication planning will be supported with this market segmentation

and target group identification.

Positioning of Adventure tourism product of West Bengal

Unlike the other state, West Bengal is enriched with the adventure tourism

resources such as mountain, hills beach as well as Jungle & Wild Life. The

different states in India are experimenting the new opportunities with

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adventure tourism. Adventure tourism is seriously considered as the

strategic part of tourism basket by most of the states in India they have also

realised that adventure tourism is one of the most potential sectors in the

world tourism market that can cater to the changing demand of the modern

tourist. As a result those states like Himachal, Jammu& Kashmir,

Rajasthan, Assam, Kerala, and Sikkim are investing their valuable time for

the promotion and marketing of the adventure tourism product in a

meaningful way for the better performance. The initiative must be taken by

the West Bengal government for promotion and marketing of adventure

tourism for that reason it can also take the help of ministry of tourism,

government of India. West Bengal government should follow the tourism

model of those states of India doing well in with adventure tourism.

Adventure tourism destinations of West Bengal have to be branded and

marketed in a systematic way it should start with the proper segmentation

strategy then it should target the potential tourist with proper positioning of

the tourism brand.

Promotion of Adventure Tourism in West Bengal

The promotional model of West Bengal tourism should incorporate

adventure tourism as a significance part which can be beneficial for both

general tourism and adventure tourism of west Bengal. From the research it

has been observed the tourist from different groups very much fond of

natural environment and activity related tourism they prefer exploring new

things, they want to get the pleasure of experimentation under the

environment where there is complete safety and security. They want to get

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the thrill of adventure without any risk because they visit a destination with

their families, relatives, friends etc. If it is the mass market then the

adventure tourism must be soft in nature and hard adventure will be the

niche market because the hard core adventure is the inbuilt thing. It is

somehow contradicting with the other international tourism literature but it

is the reality for West Bengal. That is one should sell those product which

are asked to be sold by the customer. It is the discovery of the research that

India in general and West Bengal in particular should concentrate in

promoting adventure tourism in a different way. It should consider the

target group first. It has been observed that the safety & Risk factor is very

much essential in connection with the adventure tourism. The promotion

fundamentals have to be changed from the traditional way of projecting

tourism. In promotion campaign should follow the medias which are highly

preferred by the people in campaigning the natural environment should be

projected in such a way where the flavour of adventure is blended with

proper safety and care supported by the basic minimum facilities required

by the tourist that is the pleasure, fun, enjoyment, exploring new things,

experimentation will not be causing any life risk. The campaigning must be

done for different segment differently. For domestic tourist it should project

India as well as West Bengal as the land for adventure tourism, it can offer

better facilities compared to the other places with minimum cost. On the

other hand for international tourist the richness of natural diversity and

adventure tourism resources have to be projected as comparative benefits

with respect to other nations.

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Developing Adventure Tourism Framework

From the current research it has been observed that there are some

essential elements of adventure tourism for the state West Bengal. Those

essential elements must be supported with sufficient quality Infrastructure.

The government should take adequate initiatives to project those

Infrastructural facilities and the service with proper marketing

communication to motivate the prospective tourists. Those motivational

inputs will support in developing the intention of the prospective tourist to

visit West Bengal for adventure tourism. This will definitely help in the

growth of tourist inflow and in better relationship between host and visitors.

West Bengal must implement this model to because it will ensure tourism

revenue growth, employment generation and sustainability in the adventure

tourism marketing. Feedback and corrective actions must be taken to

ensure the future growth & sustainability of adventure tourism market.

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Possess of Developing Adventure Tourism Framework for the State West

Bengal to Attract Prospective Tourist

Adventure Skill Development

On the basis of research findings and analysis of Chapter-4, it is clear that

some degree of skill is required in conducting the adventure tourism there is

a need of training for both for the tour operators as well as prospective

tourist. Government agencies should voluntarily initiate in giving the training

for promoting the adventure tourism. Presently there are less number of

adventure activity training institute are available in India. The number of

Essential Supportive

Elements for Adventure

Tourism

Activity & Sport Safety

Medical Care

Communication & Transport

Comfort

Access to Money (through

ATM) Hygiene & Cleanliness

Local Artefacts

Motivational Factors for

Adventure Tourism Cost effectiveness

Attractiveness of the Place

Ensuring Delivery

Involvement with nature

Fulfilment of Expectation Exploring New Things

Tour Expectation

Marketing

Communication Positioning

Brand Image

Development Tourism Information

Intention to visit West

Bengal for Adventure

Tourism

Tourism Facility and Infrastructure

Development by the State Govt. of West Bengal

Tourist inflow

Better Relationship between

Host and Visitors

Tourism revenue growth

Employment generation Sustainability

Feedback and

Corrective Actions

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institute should be increased the adventure related activities should start

from the college and university level which will ensure the activity skills and

that will definitely have positive impact in adventure tourism. There are

several private players; adventure clubs are conducting adventure tourism.

Those adventure clubs and private tour operator must be listed and certified

after testing the capabilities which will ensure the sustainability of this kind

of tourism. The government is also having different schemes and projects in

promoting the tourism in case of adventure tourism all kind of related

information regarding the adventure tourism development project must be

properly communicated to the stakeholders which will uplift the overall

scenario of the adventure tourism market. It has been observed that the

several corporate and global sports brands are very much serious in

conducting adventure tourism the government must have the tie-up with the

global brands and corporate which will be directly benefit the adventure

tourism and other stake holders involved in the entire process.

Finding of New Adventure Tourism Destinations

The quest of adventure is in exploring new things and definitely related with

new destinations which are not already known to all. The different countries

across the globe are trying to identify new destination for adventure tourism.

Here in case of West Bengal we are less interested in finding the new places

and yet lesser in promoting those new places, govt. is only promoting those

places which are already popular. This is not future oriented marketing for

long run sustainability, tourism must concentrate on finding new tourism

destination which will add value to the existing tourism product line of West

Bengal.

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Adventure Destination Branding

Branding has become the backbone of marketing, this is also true for tourism

business and in the context of globalization relevance of tourism branding &

positioning are becoming incredibly significant. Unique selling proposition

(USP) is very much essential which will help in comparative positioning of the

adventure tourism product & packages of West Bengal. Adventure tourism is

new product in the tourism market, so branding & positioning should follow

the systematic approach. Brand building exercise is essential to promote the

adventure tourism product & packages of West Bengal by using the proper

guidelines. To developing a strong image for any adventure destination brand

requires a carefully planned brand strategy based on:

A well-defined and unique adventure destination brand identity and brand

personality have to be develop ,for doing that brand design is important

Selection of the proper adventure destination brand positioning strategies

backed by proper segmentation is impotent.

Proper adventure tourism product mix development.

Consistent and appropriate adventure destination brand communication

with proper advertising and promotional strategy implementation is to be

done.

Ensuring the delivery of adventure tourism product through proper

accessibility.

Adventure destination strategic direction to sell the adventure tourism

product.

Finally the proper adventure destination image assessment is so important

for future corrective actions.

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Adventure Destination Branding Process

The aforesaid model is motivated and inspired from the book “A Practical Guide

to Tourism Destination Management (Published and printed by the World

Tourism Organization, 2007)”

For the brand building of adventure destination (determining the strategic

direction, assessing the destination‘s image assessment and developing the

brand identity) there is the need of systematic planning. To get a better image

as adventure destination brand West Bengal should ensure the delivery of

adventure tourism product through proper accessibility. The segmentation

approach is to be followed to target the potential customer in a better way.

Adventure Brand

Identity

Development

Adventure

Brand

Communication

Adventure

Destination Strategic

Direction

Adventure

Destination Image

Assessment

Adventure

Brand Design

Managing Adventure

Tourism Brand and

ensuring delivery

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Adventure Tourism Destination Planning and Marketing Communication

of West Bengal

Destination planning of West Bengal should take place to develop adventure

tourism in a sustainable manner. This will be dependent on the

Government initiatives and other stakeholder‘s involvement in the process

of adventure tourism business and marketing. Development of

communication channels for adventure tourism business marketing

becoming so important because adventure tourism new sector of tourism

industry for that reason increasing awareness is so important. In increasing

the awareness about adventure tourism product of West Bengal there is a

need of using various communication channels such as radio talk shows,

community television station, community newsletters, public meetings and

open government meetings to update, exchange information and

communicate with the community. On the other hand face-to-face

communication is effective in allowing active interaction between the speakers

and listeners, but can be time and cost intensive. Print media communication

and tourism festivals and fairs participation can be used for direct interaction

with the prospect, that type of marketing communication activities can also

be another good options for effective promotional campaigns. Mass

communication is an efficient means of reaching a larger number of people

within given cost and time frames. A mixture of face-to-face and mass

communication is therefore recommended.

In addition, voluntary or obligatory combined involvement of Ministry

of Tourism, Government of West Bengal and the stakeholder (tour operator,

travel agents, hospitality service provider and tour & travel facilitator ,etc.) is

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required in increasing tourist awareness about adventure tourism product

of West Bengal through:

o Face-to-face communications and Meetings with the prospective

customer (e.g., public meetings, speaking at tourism conference will

be helpful to update and/or stimulate exchange of information and

ideas with the tour operator and tour facilitator).

o Personal communication (contacting key individuals and groups

directly, word of mouth communication between community

members).

o Tourism festivals and fairs participation for direct interaction with the

prospect is very much important because customer query

management is very much important this can create significant

impact on tourist behavior and motivation.

o Public service spots on radio and television stations in the forms of

news, documentary films, travel show. Paid advertising (e.g.

brochures, newsletters, and information sheets) can provide a fairly

large amount of information for the cost and expenses. That can be

good increasing awareness about adventure tourism product of West

Bengal.

o Brochures about the adventure destinations of West Bengal must be

distributed among the prospective visitor as promotional documents.

Proper clarity of Brochures is so important, the pictorial presentation

or photographs of the destinations with different media having higher

impact in tourism promotion.

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Now a day‘s online image of the tourism destinations can be much

more powerful because we leaving in the age of internet and virtual world so

social networks and online brochures could be used to project the

photographs of the tourism natural resource (such as mountain, lake, river,

beaches, etc.) Transportation facility, Culture & local artefacts, and Local

Food, which can create attractiveness and motivation among the prospective

tourist because the flavour of tourism destination can be better, exhibited

with pictorial presentation or photographs. There is a need of redesign of

West Bengal Tourism website, it must be more attractive and interactive lot

of picture, feature and articles must be added to project the core

competency in connection with adventure tourism of West Bengal. West

Bengal Tourism website should be as per with global standards to attract

the domestic and international tourists.

To promote adventure tourism Internet, web & e-mail communication,

e-marketing and information sharing with Social Networking can be

impactful contemporary promotional activity because it is more cost-effective

communication with target markets. If it is possible then Management

Information System (MIS) for tourism can be developed and that must be

connected with e-marketing and Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

for getting an advanced outcome in adventure tourism marketing. This form

of communication allows to gather the feedback of the customer too, that

can be good and valuable for future marketing planning.

o Advertising with newspapers, billboards, magazines con be used in

sharing information with the target group. Public relations involve

unpaid communications and community/industry relations aimed at

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fostering a profile, positive image and interest in a product or area.

Prepare a media kit and industry information. Developing and

sponsoring Adventure events to achieve marketing objectives which

can be good platform for attracting attention and conveying specific

messages to the prospective adventure tourist. West Bengal

government can also explore the tie-ups with the corporate sector for

the betterment of the adventure tourism scenario of West Bengal. This

above mention form of marketing communication can be also used to

increase awareness about adventure tourism product of West Bengal.

o Sales Promotion activities can be designed to attract attention and to

achieve positive outcome in sales of adventure tourism product of

West Bengal. Sales Promotion activities like Price reductions for

specific adventure tour packages and events, tourism product

bundling, price bundling can be along with focus on the benefits

offered to potential visitors, including the tangibles (activities,

events, sites) and intangibles (Experimentations, wonder, Exploring

New Things, learning, Value Addition).

Ensuring Basic Minimum Facilities and Infrastructure for Adventure

Tourism

Apart from promotional aspect some basic minimum facilities has to be

ensured by the Government of West Bengal along with the Stakeholder such

as comprehensive information including maps of the destination, medical

care, communication facilities, convenience in terms of transportation and

logistics , hygiene & cleanliness, access to money with ATM machines, food

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and livelihood product, tourist information and assistance centers for helping

and guiding the tourist , hospitality services, those are nothing but the

tourism basic minimum infrastructure if it is possible then better to follow

―The Basic Minimum Standards for Adventure Tourism Related Activities‖

prescribed by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Government of West

Bengal must ensure that for the benefit of the adventure tourists who are

visiting to West Bengal.

Information and Its Accessibility

It should be in practice that there must be a complete data base of the

service provider pertaining to adventure tourism; those data base must be

supplied in reasonable price from government controlled or government

operated tourist information and assistance centers. The database or the

catalog must provide clear description of the tour operators or tour facilitator,

packages or service offered, service range & expertise, contact details

Include phone numbers and internet addresses, dates and times in terms of

availability and prices Include tax (service tax , local tax, special tax foreign

tourists ,if any ).

Handling Risk Relating to Investment in Adventure Tourism Business

Adventure tourism activity requires huge investments in terms of

infrastructure development, equipment buying and for ensuring safety here

the private players or tour operator cannot effort to invest the huge money

which are mostly borrowed from different financial institution with high rate

of interest. On the other hand the initial return from that investment is not

too much and that‘s why it is the risky proposition for them. In that case

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Government can support the private players in financing or it may go with

private public partnership which will ensure the quality and control in

providing adventure tourism service. It will also strengthen the government

revenue, the malpractice generated from profit motive of the private players

will be controlled that will result in increasing the image of the state in

general and the tourism brand will be promoted in a positive way in both

international and domestic market.

Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Model for the Betterment of Adventure

Tourism Scenario

Though the adventure tourism activity requires huge investments in terms of

infrastructure development, equipment buying and for ensuring safety. On

the other hand the initial return from that investment is not too much. One of

the most important lessons that have been established in all areas of

development is the considerable influence of partnerships on the success of

any initiative. Public private partnerships between government, public

organizations, community organizations, industry and commerce are seen as

the cornerstone of success in many destination initiatives. Partnerships can

bring together many different sets of ideas, points of view, and contributions

of various kinds whether they are financial, social or political in nature in

helping to achieve a successful adventure tourism marketing strategy. There

are a number of non-governmental organizations that can have a

significant influence on adventure tourism development . Adventure tourism

in West Bengal can much more improve with the joint collaboration and

mutual association among government and different stakeholders. The

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complexity of the tourism system is characterized by multiple stakeholders,

fragmented control over tourism-related resources and a high degree of

interdependence among the various components for that reason better control

and governance is required along with the joint collaboration and mutual

understanding. Another important pert is vale sharing among all stakeholders

that has to be ensured properly to ensure the sustainability of the adventure

tourism and its growth. Achieving the right kind of organizational structure,

management and process is essential in allowing adventure tourism

destinations of West Bengal to achieve a sustainable future and for the

adventure tourism development. The most important consideration is that all

stakeholders from the community, the public and private sectors must be

seen as essential actors in the overall management of the tourism destination.

Safety and Security

Adventure tourism is such kind of tourism where some degree of risk is

involved thus security and safeties have become major ingredients in

ensuring success of an adventure tourism destination. Traditionally fire and

police services have been seen as important elements of ensuring the quality

of the visitor experience. This requires that police forces view their mandate

as not only enforcing the law but also providing assurance and assistance to

tourists when they encounter problems in a destination. Very often the

police are the most visible elements of a destination‘s administration that is

not desirable. In areas frequented by tourists there should be sufficient

controls and human resources in place to ensure the best interests of the

tourist are served both in terms of personal safety and security. Tourists

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must also be assured that the necessary fire and ambulance as well as

medical services are in place and capable of responding to personal as

well as larger-scale emergencies. Since perceptions are as important as the

reality there should be sufficient investment made and international

standards followed to project an image of a safe and secure adventure

destination. The promotion campaign should be projected in such a way

where the flavour of adventure is blended with proper safety and care

supported by the basic minimum facilities required by the tourist that is the

pleasure, fun, enjoyment, exploring new things, experimentation will not be

causing any life risk. Government of West Bengal should ensure the security

of adventure tourists responsibly which will help the tourism environment of

West Bengal positively.

5.3 FUTURE SCOPE OF RESEARCH:

Future research studies may be conducted on the issues like

Improve on adventure tourism market in West Bengal

Enhancing tourism destination brand with the proper promotion of

adventure tourism of West Bengal

Designing the better adventure tourism products marching the tourist

expectation

Gap analysis of the adventure tourism market

Sustainability aspect adventure tourism industry

5.4 LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH

Time

Fund

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Annexure: 1

Questionnaire

Name of Respondent: _______________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________________

Tel. No: _________________________________Date of Interview: _________________________

Interviewers Name: _________________________ Supervisor: _____________________________

Interview Start Time: ________________________ Interview End Time: _____________________

Accompanied: 1 Back – Checked: 2 Scrutinized: 3

Good ____________________ I am from _______________________________ We regularly

conduct studies on various goods and services. We are currently doing a study on Travel & Tourism

and In this regard I’d like to speak to you for sometime.

Metro 1 Non –

Metro

2

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SECTION A –SCREENING

Male 1 Female 2

A1 Can you please tell me your age in completed number of years? INTERVIEWER TO

RECORD BELOW

_____________ Years

IF AGE IS BELOW ‘18’ YEARS OR ABOVE ‘60’ YEARS THEN INTERVIEWER TO TERMINATE ELSE

CONTINUE

A2 I would like to know something about the person who makes the highest contribution to the household expenses. What is his/her occupation? (If retired: what was his /her occupation before he/she retired) And what is the highest level to which he/she has studied? RECORD BELOW & POST CODE IN GRID BELOW

CWE Occupation: ____________________CWE Education: ___________________________

A3 I would like to know your occupation? (If retired: what was your occupation before

you retired)? And what is the highest level to which you have studied? RECORD BELOW & POST CODE IN GRID BELOW

Respondent Occupation: ____________________Respondent Education: ________________

CWE Resp. CWE Resp.

Illiterate 1 1 School – SSC/ HSC 5 5

Literate but no formal

education

2 2 Some college but not graduate 6 6

School upto 4 years 3 3 Graduate / Post graduate –

General

7 7

School - 5-9 years 4 4 Graduate/Post graduate –

Professional

8 8

CWE 1 Resp. 2

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CWE

Resp.

CWE

Resp. Unskilled worker 1 1 Self-employed professional 8 8

Skilled worker 2 2 Clerical/Salesman 9 9

Petty trader 3 3 Supervisory level 10 10

Shop owner 4 4 Officer/Executive – Junior 11 11

Businessman/Industrialist with no. of employees:

Officer/Executive – Middle/Senior

12 12

- None 5 5 Housewife 13 13

- 1 – 9 6 6 Student 14 14

> 9 employees 7 7

Classify the household using the SEC grid below:

CWE– education code ---

Illi

terate

Literate

but no formal

education

School upto 4 years

School

5-9

years

School ssc/

Hsc

Some

College

But not a

Graduate

Graduate/

post

graduate –

general

Graduate/

Post

Graduate –

Professional

CWE – occupation code 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Unskilled workers 1 E2 E2 E2 E1 D D D D

Skilled workers 2 E2 E1 E1 D C C B2 B2

Petty traders 3 E2 D D D C C B2 B2

Shop owners 4 D D D C B2 B1 A2 A2

Businessmen/industrialists

with no. of employees:

- none 5 D C C B2 B1 A2 A2 A1

- 1 – 9 6 C B2 B2 B2 B1 A2 A1 A1

- 10+ 7 B1 B1 B1 A2 A2 A1 A1 A1

Self employed professional

8 D D D D B2 B1 A2 A1

Clerical/salesman 9 D D D D C B2 B1 B1

Supervisory level 10 D D D C C B2 B1 A2

Officers/executives-junior 11 C C C C B2 B1 A2 A2

Officers/execs- middle/senior

12 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 A2 A1 A1

Record SEC group of CWE:

Record SEC group of Respondent:

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SECTION: B -- LAST TRIP DETAIL

B1) Can you please tell me your place of visit last time?

Code

Within West Bengal 1

Within India 2

Outside India 3

B2) Can you tell me the name of the place you visited in your last trip ?

If it was the multiple place visit then named 3 places of visit within last trip ? Write verbatim

Places1 Places2 Places3

B3) Can you tell me your place of visit within India? Write verbatim

B4) Can you tell me your place of visit within Outside India? Write verbatim

B5) How did you gather information about this place? Multi code possible.

Code

From Family / Friends 1

Newspapers / Magazines 2

Travel Brochures 3

Guidebooks on travel 4

Internet 5

Travel Agency 6

Travel Program on TV 7

Radio 8

Travel& Tourism Fairs 9

Tourism Board 10

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B6) What mode of transport did you use for reaching the starting point of that place?

Mode of transport Q B6

Flight 1

Bus(Luxury ) 2

Bus(Public Transport) 3

Car/Taxi(Hired) 4

Car(Privet) 5

Ship /Boat 6

Train 7

B7) After reaching the starting point what means of transport did you use mostly in your place visit the entire trip?

Public Transport QB7

Flight 1

Bus(Luxury ) 2

Bus(Public Transport) 3

Car/Taxi(Hired) 4

Car(Privet) 5

Ship /Boat 6

Train 7

Auto rickshaw/ Matador 8

Rickshaw 9

Typical local transport 10

Other 11

B8) Where did you book the transport?

Code Code

In person at a Travel Agency in place of residence

1 In place of destination through an intermediary

4

By telephone 2 In place of destination directly at the hotel

5

Through internet 3 Others 6

B9) Can you please tell me where did you book your lodging?

Code

In person at a travel agency in my city/country of residence 1

By telephone 2

Through the internet at a travel organization in my city / country of residence 3

Through the internet at a travel organization in the destination 4

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In place of destination through an intermediary 5

In place of destination directly at the hotel / air agency / tour operator 6

Others 7

B10) Can you please tell me how often have you visited this place before? Single code only

Code

This was the first time 1

This was the second time 2

More than twice 3

I come here quite regularly 4

B11) How long did your holiday in this place last? Single code only

Duration Code

7 days or less 1

2 weeks 2

More than 2 weeks 3

Almost a month 4

B12) At what kind of accommodation did you stay in this place? Single code only

Accommodation Code

Budget hotel 1

Class hotel ( up to 3 stars) 2

Luxury hotel ( above 3 stars) 3

Guesthouse 4

Bungalow / Apartment 5

Place of friend / relative etc. 6

Camp/tent 7

B13) Please tell me who accompanied you in your last trip?

Code

Alone 1

Wife 2

Friend (s) 3

Family (inclusive of children) 4

Parents 5

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Relatives 6

Office colleagues 7

Any Other _____________ 8

B14) Can you please tell me what was the nature of your last trip

Code

Historical /Heritage tourism 1

Spiritual enlightenment tourism 2

Religious place tourism 3

Cultural events tourism 4

Rural tourism 5

Urban areas and shopping tourism 6

Sports tourism 7

Sightseeing tourism 8

Eco tourism 9

Mountain/ Hill Stations Tourism 10

Beach Tourism 11

National parks/reserve forest tourism 12

Explorers and adventurers tourism 13

Snorkelling 14

B15) Please rate the following aspects of tourism in your place of visit on a 5 point satisfaction

scale If any aspect is not applicable just skip that item. Put code in the grid below.

1 2 3 4 5

Not at all satisfied

Not so satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Very much satisfied

Code Code

Natural beauty Accommodation

Jungle and wild life Food & Beverages Facilities

Beach Nightlife

Culture ( general) Hospitality

Historical attractions Tourism information supply

Mountaineering Feeling of safety

Rock climbing Medical care

Trekking Access to money (ATM etc)

Local people’s attitudes for tourist

Price of consumables

Diving / Swimming Quality of consumables

experimentations Local artifacts

Fulfillment of expectation Weather

Explore new things involvement with nature

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B16) How much of what you expected was fulfilled in your last trip? Please rate on a 5 point scale

given below

1 2 3 4 5

Absolutely not Barely Partially For most parts Completely

B17) What is your overall valuation of your last trip? Please rate on a 5 point scale given below

1 2 3 4 5

Poor Average Fair Good Excellent

Thanks, it was nice that you shared your opinion about your last trip, now we would like to know

your wishes regarding a special kind of tourism in order to explore future possibilities of

developing such a product in your own state.

SECTION: C—TOURISM INTEREST

C1) as travel partner whom do you prefer most? SINGLE CODING ONLY

Wife Code

Friend(s) 1

Family / Relatives 2

Parents 3

Office Colleagues 4

Others (please specify)_______________________ 5

C2) Which type of tourism component you like most ? Please rate on a 5 point scale given below

1 2 3 4 5

Poor Average Fair Good Excellent

Historical /Heritage tourism

Spiritual enlightenment tourism

Religious place tourism

Cultural events tourism

Rural tourism

Urban areas and shopping tourism

Sports tourism

Sightseeing tourism

Eco tourism

Mountain/ Hill Stations Tourism

Beach Tourism

National parks/reserve forest tourism

Explorers and adventurers tourism

Snorkeling

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C3) which type of tourism do you think is more suitable for you? MULTIPLE CODING POSSIBLE

Code

Historical /Heritage tourism 1

Spiritual enlightenment tourism 2

Religious place tourism 3

Cultural events tourism 4

Rural tourism 5

Urban areas and shopping tourism 6

Sports tourism 7

Sightseeing tourism 8

Eco tourism 9

Mountain/ Hill Stations Tourism 10

Beach Tourism 11

National parks/reserve forest tourism 12

Explorers and adventurers tourism 13

Snorkeling 14

C4) how would you usually decide about your tourist destination? Please rate the factors

according to their degree of importance on a 5 point scale given below where 1 stands for

“least important” and 5 for “most important”

1 2 3 4 5

Least

Important

Not so important Neither important nor

unimportant

Somewhat

important

Most

important

SINGLE CODING FOR EACH FACTOR

Information from Family/Friends/ Relatives 1 2 3 4 5

Information from social gathering 1 2 3 4 5

Travel Shows on TV 1 2 3 4 5

Travel Journals 1 2 3 4 5

Newspaper Feature 1 2 3 4 5

News Channels 1 2 3 4 5

Travel Guides / Brochures from Agents or Tour Operators

1 2 3 4 5

Internet 1 2 3 4 5

Social Networking 1 2 3 4 5

Word of mouth cammunication 1 2 3 4 5

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C5) Before you visit a place what factors would you consider most important? Please rate the

factors according to their degree of importance on a 5 point scale given below where 1 stands for

“least important” and 5 for “most important”

1 2 3 4 5

Least

Important

Not so important Neither important nor

unimportant

Somewhat

important

Most

important

SINGLE CODING FOR EACH FACTOR

Communication / convenience of transport 1 2 3 4 5

Expense 1 2 3 4 5

Security for self and others / Risk involvement

1 2 3 4 5

Hygiene and Cleanliness 1 2 3 4 5

Hospitality, Food & Beverages 1 2 3 4 5

Comfort of lodging 1 2 3 4 5

Attractiveness of the place 1 2 3 4 5

Preference of Family / Wife / Children 1 2 3 4 5

Value addition 1 2 3 4 5

New experience 1 2 3 4 5

Pleasure 1 2 3 4 5

Play activity / Sports 1 2 3 4 5

Adventure 1 2 3 4 5

C6) You just mentioned that you like to travel. Please tell me when you last went for a

trip.

Code

Within the last 3 months 1

Within the last 6 months 2

Within the last 1 year 3

Within the last 1 & ½ years 4

Within the last 2 years 5

C7) Can you please tell me what was the specific purpose of your last trip

Code

Holiday / Leisure 1

Cultural Event / Festival 2

Adventure 3

Romance 4

Occasion in the family 5

Medical Treatment 6

Religious Cause 7

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SECTION: D—TOURISM POTENTIAL OF WEST BENGAL

D1) Are you aware about all the tourist spot of West Bengal

Yes 1

No 2

D2) Do you check the available tourism websites with internet for searching information?

Yes 1

No 2

D3) Please tell me do you think available tourism websites provides sufficient information

about overall West Bengal tourism.

Put code in the grid below.

1 2 3 4 5

Not at all satisfied

Not so satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Very much satisfied

D4) Which of the following attributes would you consider most important for developing West

Bengal as a potential tourist destination?

Please rate the attributes according to their degree of importance on a 5 point scale given

below where 1 stands for “least important” and 5 for “most important” .

1 2 3 4 5

Least Important

Not so important Neither important nor unimportant

Somewhat important

Most important

SINGLE CODING FOR EACH FACTOR

Cultural events tourism 1 2 3 4 5

Places of historical importance 1 2 3 4 5

Sightseeing 1 2 3 4 5

Religious places 1 2 3 4 5

Spiritual enlightenment 1 2 3 4 5

Adventure 1 2 3 4 5

Nature based tourism – Jungles/Mountains/Rivers/Beaches

1 2 3 4 5

National parks / reserve forests 1 2 3 4 5

Bird watching /Wild life 1 2 3 4 5

Sports activities 1 2 3 4 5

Heritage 1 2 3 4 5

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D5) Do you think West Bengal has core competence in the following areas compared to other

tourist destinations of India? Please rate the areas according to their degree of competence

on a 5 point scale

1 2 3 4 5

Least competent

Not so competent Neither competent nor incompetent

Somewhat competent

Most competent

SINGLE CODING FOR EACH FACTOR

Communication / convenience of transport 1 2 3 4 5

Expense 1 2 3 4 5

Security for self and others / Risk involvement

1 2 3 4 5

Hygiene and Cleanliness 1 2 3 4 5

Hospitality, Food & Beverages 1 2 3 4 5

Comfort of lodging 1 2 3 4 5

Attractiveness of the place 1 2 3 4 5

Preference of Family / Wife / Children 1 2 3 4 5

Value addition 1 2 3 4 5

New experience 1 2 3 4 5

Pleasure 1 2 3 4 5

Play activity / Sports 1 2 3 4 5

Adventure 1 2 3 4 5

D6) Can you please tell me why Tourism is not flashing in West Bengal compare to national

tourism growth ?

Cost 1

Lack of Infrastructural support 2

Risk /fear Factor 3

Lack of Motivation 4

lack of promotion 5

lack of information / lack of knowledge providing 6

lack of organized set up 7

lack of guidance 8

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D7) Do you think available websites related to tourism provides sufficient information about

West Bengal

D8) Please let me know your opinion about developing West Bengal as a potential tourist

destination. Write verbatim.

SECTION: E – ADVENTURE TOURISM INTEREST

E1) If I tell you an advertisement like Mountain Dew, it helps you to recall something about

Adventure Tourism?

_________________________________________________________________

E2) Do you know anything about Adventure Tourism?

Yes 1 Go to Question No. E4

No 2 Go to Question No. E3

E3) Do you want to know about Adventure Tourism?

Yes 1

No 2

E4) What do you know about Adventure Tourism? (Provide Examples)

_______________________________________________________________

E5) What do you think, what all the process to earn knowledge about Adventure Tourism?

1

2

3

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E6) Do you want to participate in Adventure Tourism?

Yes 1 Go to QE8

No 2 Go to QE7

Yes 1

No 2

E7) If no why? (MULTIPLE CODING POSSIBLE)

Cost 1

Risk /fear Factor 2

Lack of Motivation 3

lack of promotion 4

lack of knowledge 5

lack of organized set up 6

lack of guidance 7

Other 8

E8) If yes then why?( MULTIPLE CODING POSSIBLE)

Cost effective 1

natural challenge activities 2

freedom of Experimentation 3

new experience 4

interaction with the natural environment 5

Gather knowledge 6

outdoor recreations 7

building risk taking capacity 8

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E9) Please tell me whether you have ever participated in any of the following activities. Code in

the grid below. Multiple coding possible

Participated Code Heard Code

Mountaineering 1 Mountaineering 1

Trekking 2 Trekking 2

Rock climbing 3 Rock climbing 3

Bungee jumping 4 Bungee jumping 4

River rafting / Surfing 5 River rafting / Surfing 5

Camping / Hiking on gradually 6 Camping / Hiking on gradually 6

Changing terrain bicycle touring 7 Changing terrain bicycle touring 7

Horse- riding 8 Horse- riding 8

Swimming 9 Swimming 9

Diving 10 Diving 10

Off road biking / mountain biking 11 Off road biking / mountain biking 11

Backpacking across rugged terrain 12 Backpacking across rugged terrain 12

Cave exploring 13 Cave exploring 13

E10) Would you like to participate in future in any of the following activities? Code in the grid

below. Multiple coding possible

Participated Code Heard Code

Mountaineering 1 Mountaineering 1

Trekking 2 Trekking 2

Rock climbing 3 Rock climbing 3

Bungee jumping 4 Bungee jumping 4

River rafting / Surfing 5 River rafting / Surfing 5

Camping / Hiking on gradually 6 Camping / Hiking on gradually 6

Changing terrain bicycle touring 7 Changing terrain bicycle touring 7

Horse- riding 8 Horse- riding 8

Swimming 9 Swimming 9

Diving 10 Diving 10

Off road biking / mountain biking 11 Off road biking / mountain biking 11

Backpacking across rugged terrain 12 Backpacking across rugged terrain 12

Cave exploring 13 Cave exploring 13

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SECTION: F— ADVENTURE TOURISM POTENTIAL OF WEST BENGAL

F1) In aspect of Adventure Tourism where the West Bengal is?

Rank

F2) Do you think West Bengal can be a potential place of nature based tourism or adventure

tourism? Write verbatim.

F3) Which of the following adventure tourism areas are already developed in West Bengal

F4) which ones you feel need further development? Code in the grid below. Multiple coding

possible.

Q F3 Code Q F4 Code

Mountaineering 1 Mountaineering 1

Trekking 2 Trekking 2

Rock climbing 3 Rock climbing 3

Bungee jumping 4 Bungee jumping 4

River rafting / Surfing 5 River rafting / Surfing 5

Camping / Hiking on gradually 6 Camping / Hiking on gradually 6

Changing terrain bicycle touring 7 Changing terrain bicycle touring 7

Horse- riding 8 Horse- riding 8

Swimming 9 Swimming 9

Diving 10 Diving 10

Off road biking / mountain biking 11 Off road biking / mountain biking 11

Backpacking across rugged terrain 12 Backpacking across rugged terrain 12

Cave exploring 13 Cave exploring 13

F5) Can you please tell me why Adventure Tourism is having slow growth in West Bengal?

Cost 1

Lack of Infrastructural support 2

Risk /fear Factor 3

Lack of Motivation 4

lack of promotion 5

lack of information / lack of knowledge providing 6

lack of organized set up 7

lack of guidance 8

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F6) Please rate this places as a adventure destination in West Bengal.

Please rate on a 5 point scale given below

1 2 3 4 5

Poor Average Fair Good Excellent

West Bengal National Parks West Bengal Hills

Sunderbans Darjeeling

Dooars Kurseong

Jaldapara Kalimpong

Gorumara National Park Mirik

Buxa Tiger Reserve Dooars Valley

West Bengal Beaches Lava and Lolaygaon

Junput Siliguri

Shankarpur Biharinath hill(Bankura)

Sagardwip Ayodhya Hills (Purulia)

Frazerganj

Digha

Bakkhali

F7) Please rank this places as a adventure destination in West Bengal.

Trekking in the Dooars

Trekking in Lava and Lolaygaon

nature tourism in Siliguri

Trekking from Manebhanjan to Sandakphu

trek to Ajodhya Hills

River Rafting in Teesta

wild life adventure in Sunderbans

wild life adventure in Buxa Tiger Reserve

Adventure in Dooars

Night stay in Jaldapara

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visiting Gorumara National Park

camping in Biharinath hill

Beach Activity holidays in Junput

Beach Activity holidays in Shankarpur

Beach Activity holidays in Sagardwip

Beach Activity holidays in Frazerganj

Beach Activity holidays in Digha

Trip to Bakkhali

F8) Comparative question related to Adventure tourism attractiveness West Bengal with other

state Please rate on a 5 point scale given below

1 2 3 4 5

Poor Average Fair Good Excellent

Uttaranchal

Himachal

Jammu And Kashmir

Goa

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Kerala

West Bengal

Rajasthan

North East

Arunachal Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

Sikkim

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SECTION: G — ADVENTURE TOURISM POTENTIAL OF INDIA

G1) In aspect of Adventure Tourism where the India is?

Rank 6.36

G2) Do you think India can be a potential place of nature based tourism or adventure tourism for

the foreign and domestic tourist ? Write verbatim.

G3) Which of the following adventure tourism areas are already developed in India?

G4) Which ones you feel need further development? Code in the grid below. Multiple coding

possible.

QG3 Code Q G4 Code

Mountaineering 1 Mountaineering 1

Trekking 2 Trekking 2

Rock climbing 3 Rock climbing 3

Bungee jumping 4 Bungee jumping 4

River rafting / Surfing 5 River rafting / Surfing 5

Camping / Hiking on gradually 6 Camping / Hiking on gradually 6

Changing terrain bicycle touring 7 Changing terrain bicycle touring 7

Horse- riding 8 Horse- riding 8

Swimming 9 Swimming 9

Diving 10 Diving 10

Off road biking / mountain biking 11 Off road biking / mountain biking 11

Backpacking across rugged terrain 12 Backpacking across rugged terrain 12

Cave exploring 13 Cave exploring 13

G5) Can you please tell me why Adventure Tourism in India can be potential place for the

foreign and domestic tourist ?

Cost effectiveness 1

Infrastructural support 2

Less Risk /fear Factor 3

natural environmental diversity 4

good Resource for Adventure Tourism 5

information / knowledge providing method 6

good organized set up 7

proper guidance 8

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G6) How many of those adventure tourism destination you know or visited?

List of Indian hill stations

KNOW VISITED

Mount Abu, Rajasthan 1 1

Araku, Andhra Pradesh 2 2

Gulmarg, Srinagar and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir 3 3

Darjeeling in West Bengal 4 4

Munnar in Kerala 5 5

Ooty and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu 6 6

Shillong in Meghalaya 7 7

Shimla, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh 8 8

Nainital in Uttarakhand 9 9

Gangtok in Sikkim 10 10

Mussoorie in Uttarakhand 11 11

Manali in Himachal Pradesh 12 12

Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra 13 13

List of beaches in India

KNOW VISITED

Beaches of Vizag, Andhra Pradesh 1 1

Beaches of Puri, Orissa 2 2

Beaches of Digha, West Bengal 3 3

Beaches of Goa 4 4

Kovalam Beach, Kerala 5 5

Marina Beach, Chennai 6 6

Beaches of Mahabalipuram 7 7

Beaches in Mumbai 8 8

Beaches of Diu 9 9

Beaches of Midnapore, West Bengal 10 10

Andaman and Nicobar Islands 11 11

Lakshadweep Islands 12 12

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Wildlife sanctuaries

KNOW VISITED

Bharatpur 1 1

Corbett, 2 2

Kanha, 3 3

Kaziranga, 4 4

Periyar, 5 5

Ranthambore 6 6

Sariska 7 7

Sundarbans 8 8

Keoladev 9 9

List of national parks

KNOW VISITED

Bandhavgarh National Park-Madhya Pradesh 1 1

Bandipur National Park-Karnataka 2 2

Buxa Tiger Reserve-West Bengal 3 3

Corbett National Park-Uttarakhand 4 4

Desert National Park-Rajasthan 5 5

Dudhwa National Park-Uttar Pradesh 6 6

Gangotri National Park-Uttarakhand 7 7

Gorumara National Park-West Bengal 8 8

Govind Pashu Vihar-Uttarakhand 9 9

Great Himalayan National Park-Himachal Pradesh 10 10

Hemis National Park-Jammu and Kashmir 11 11

Indravati National Park-Chhattisgarh 12 12

Kanha National Park-Madhya Pradesh 13 13

Kaziranga National Park-Assam 14 14

Kudremukh National Park-Karnataka 15 15

Mouling National Park-Arunachal Pradesh 16 16

Namdapha National Park-Arunachal Pradesh 17 17

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Nanda Devi National Park-Uttarakhand 18 18

Palani Hills National Park-Tamil Nadu 19 19

Panna National Park-Madhya Pradesh 20 20

Rajaji National Park-Uttarakhand 21 21

Rajiv Gandhi National Park (prev: Nagarhole National Park)-

Karnataka

22 22

G7) Comparative preference different adventure Destination attractiveness in india

Please rate on a 5 point scale given below

1 2 3 4 5

Poor Average Fair Good Excellent

G8) Can you please tell me, in which of the following Indian adventure tourism activity would

you prefer?

Trekking in Ladakh 1

Skiing in Gulmarg 2

Kerala Backwaters Tourism 3

River Rafting in Uttaranchal 4

Jungle Safaris ( Jeep, Elephant And Horse Safari) 5

Jeep Safari Through Uttaranchal 6

Water Sports in Ganga 7

Aero Sports Sahyadri India 8

G9) Rank the states according to adventure tourism destination (1to 5)

Adventure tourism activities in Goa

KNOW VISITED

Jet-skiing 1 1

Water Skiing 2 2

Windsurfing 3 3

Catamaran Sailing 4 4

Scuba-diving and Snorkelling 5 5

Hiking and Trekking 6 6

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Microlite Flying 7 7

Go-Karting 8 8

Other Activities 9 9

bird watching to dolphin or crocodile spotting trip 10 10

Adventure tourism activities in Andaman And Nicobar Adventure

KNOW VISITED

Scuba Diving 1 1

Snorkelling 2 2

Trekking 3 3

Andaman Water Sports Complex 4 4

Adventure tourism activities in Kerala

KNOW VISITED

Wildlife Adventure 1 1

Wildlife Destinations 2 2

Trekking 3 3

Trekking destinations 4 4

Backwater Cruises 5 5

Backwater Destinations 6 6

Water Sports 7 7

Water Sports Destinations 8 8

Adventure tourism activities in Uttaranchal

KNOW VISITED

Rafting in Ganga, Skiing, Rafting, Trekking Safari 1 1

Mountaineering 2 2

Nature Camps 3 3

Rock Climbing 4 4

Canoeing 5 5

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Adventure tourism activities in Rajasthan

KNOW VISITED

Aerosports 1 1

Ballooning 2 2

Para-sailing 3 3

Gliding 4 4

Trekking 5 5

Camping 6 6

Chetoli 7 7

Camel and jeep Safari 8 8

Adventure tourism activities in Jammu and Kashmir

KNOW VISITED

Backdrops of Himalayan Peaks 1 1

Aero Sports 2 2

Water Sports 3 3

Adventure tourism activities in Sikkim

KNOW VISITED

Trekking 1 1

Mountaineering 2 2

River Rafting(Teesta and Rangit) 3 3

Madhya Pradesh adventure and sports 4 4

Visiting wildlife parks 5 5

Water sports 6 6

Parasailing and ballooning 7 7

Rafting 8 8

Trekking 9 9

Rock Climbing 10 10

Wildlife & Adventure 11 11

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Adventure tourism activities in Chhattisgarh

KNOW VISITED

Indravati National Park Kanger 1 1

Valley National Park 2 2

Sanjay National Park 3 3

Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary 4 4

Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary 5 5

Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary 6 6

Adventure tourism activities in Haryana

KNOW VISITED

Trekking and Nature Trail 1 1

Rock Climbing & Rappling 2 2

Boating, Canoing and Kyaking 3 3

River Crossing 4 4

Target Practise 5 5

Bird watching and Flora-Fauna Identification 6 6

Green practices and Ecology Balance 7 7

Rural Games 8 8

Sustainable Tourism Practices 9 9

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SECTION: H – PERSONAL PROFILE

H1) How many family member in your family?

_____________________________

SHOWCARD INCOME

H2) Please tell me what is your monthly personal income. PLEASE CODE BELOW

H3) Please tell me what is your monthly household income. By monthly household income, I

mean income from all sources like salaries, rent, interests, dividends etc. of all household

members. PLEASE CODE BELOW

MPI MHI

Less than Rs. 10000 1 1

Rs. 10001 to Rs 20000 2 2

Rs. 20001 to Rs. 30000 3 3

Rs. 30001 to Rs. 40000 4 4

Rs.40001 to Rs.50000 5 5

Rs. 50001 to Rs.100000 6 6

Above Rs. 100000 7 7

NIL 8 -

H4) please look at this card and tell me, what all in this list, do you personally own? SHOWCARD

PRODUCTS ASK FOR EACH PRODUCT OWNED PERSONALLY & RECORD BELOW

A6

Music System 1

Landline Telephone Connection 2

Personal Computer 3

Laptop 4

Mobile 5

Two Wheeler 6

Four Wheeler 7

Refrigerator 8

Washing Machine 9

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H5) Are you currently Employed?

Yes 1

No 2

H6) Please tell me how would you rate following aspects of your employment on a 2 point scale

where 1 stands for Poor and 2 stands for Excellent. Put code in the grid below

H7) Similarly, please let me know how you would rate your currently unemployed status

[FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL UNEMPLOYED/ STUDENT ETC.] on a 5 point scale. Put code in

the grid below

1 2 3 4 5

Poor Average Fair Good Excellent

Q H7 Code

Monotony

Working Hours

Scope of experimentation in the job

Responsibility of Decisions

Decision Making Power

Work Load

Proximity to home

Decision making power

Salary

Overall satisfaction

H8) Please let me know how you would rate if you are currently unemployed: How will You rate

your quality of life presently

A 8b Code

Extremely Satisfied 1

Somewhat Satisfied 2

Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 3

Somewhat Dissatisfied 4

Extremely Dissatisfied 5

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H9) Tell me what you like to do in your leisure time? Code in the grid below. Multicode possible.

Code Code

Spend time with family 1 Go to the movies 6

Listen to music / Watch TV 2 Visit relatives/friends places 7

Chat with friends 3 Party 8

Surf Net 4 Eating out 9

Play games 5 Travel ( Either short /Long trip) 10

H10) Can you tell me how many hours of TV do you watch on weekday? And on

weekends?

Weekdays Weekends

H11) Can you tell me which of these genres of channels do you watch? RECORD IN THE

GRID BELOW H12) You have said that you watch _____ (MENTION THE GENRE CODED IN QF2a) now can

you please tell me which is the most watched channel in this genre? RECORD VERBATIM

GENRE (B2a) Channel (B2b)

General entertainment channel (Zee TV, Star Plus etc) 01

Infotainment (Discovery, NGC ,Travel and Living etc) 02

Kids channel (CN, Animax, Pogo etc) 03

Sports Channel (Star sposrts, Tensports etc) 04

News channels (Aaj tak , NDTV etc) 05

Music channels (MTV, Channel V, VH1, B4U etc) 06

Regional language channels 07

H13). Do you Watch any Ture and Travel /Adventure or nature related program on TV

Yes 1

No 2

348 | P a g e

Chalo Jaai

Doorey Kothao

Bhraman Kache Doorey

Chalo Let’s go

Man vs Wild

Survivor Man

Nat geo wild

H14) Do you read book on a regular basis?

H15) Do/Have you read Tourism book or magazines?

Yes 1

No 2

BOOK

Choroibeti

Himalay Pathik

Onno chokhe

Magazines

Chalo Jaai

Bhraman Sangi

Bhraman

H16) Do you read newspapers on a regular basis?

Yes 1 Ask question B7

No 2 Skip to question B8

H17) Which are the newspapers you normally read? CONFIRM LANGUAGE

Sr. No. Newspaper Language

1

2

3

H18) Do you read Adventure Tourism related publications ?

______________________________________________

Yes 1 Ask question B5

No 2 Skip to question B6

349 | P a g e

H19) Now please look at this card and tell me what kind of movies do you watch?

Family Drama 1 Sci –Fi 8

Romance 2 Parallel Cinema/ Art 9

Comedy 3 Movies Based on true stories 10

Thriller/ Suspense 4 Documentaries 11

Murder Mystery 5 Animated Movies 12

Action 6 Others (Please Specify) 13

Horror 7 Adventure

H20) Do you watch ay of these games either regularly or occasionally? H21) Do you also play any of these games either regularly or occasionally?

SHOW CARD

Watch (H20)

Play (H21)

Watch (H20)

Play (H21)

Cricket 1 1 Rugby 10 10

Football/ Soccer 2 2 Volley Ball 11 11

Basketball 3 3 Billiards/ Snooker 12 12

Squash 4 4 Kabaddi 13 13

Hockey 5 5 Kho- Kho 14 14

Formula 1 6 6 Baseball 15 15

Tennis 7 7 Go Karting 16 16

Badminton 8 8 Bowling 17 17

Golf 9 9 Others Specify_______

18 18

THANKS & TERMINATE

350 | P a g e

Annexure: 2

Picture 1: Voluntary Trekkers trying to motivate the young generation with winter

adventure camp.

Picture 2: Voluntary Adventure Club is trying to populating camping in their own

ways.

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Picture 3: Tourist with family busy experimenting new spots

Picture 4: Adventure activities bring together people with similar interests

Picture 5: Focus Group Discussion (FGD) group _ enjoying touring

Picture 6: Adventure tourists are sharing experience with friends.

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Picture 7: Nature photography as a part of adventure destinations-people is becoming

crazy about it.

Picture 8: Tourists are enjoying jungle safari in Dooars

Picture 9: Overcoming the risk is the thrill of adventure tourism

353 | P a g e

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