Dr. Artee AggrawalPresented in International

Conference in Mumbai University on 20 February

2015

CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR DOMESTIC TOURISM -

STUDY OF LATUR AND SATARA DISTRICTS OF MAHARASHTRA

With a population of more than 1.2bn, India offers an enormous potential outbound tourism market, as well as a substantial domestic tourism market.

The tourism is playing a significant role in the development of the country

Tourism is world’s largest industry that accounts for more than 10% of total employment, 11% of global GDP and total tourist trips are predicted to increase to 1.6 billion by 2020 .

Internationally India is gaining popularity for various kind of tourism like spiritual tourism, medical tourism etc.

Destination branding is gaining attention in India to create an edge over other countries

India recorded 7.3mn visitors in 2014, and expect a growth of 5% to lead to arrivals of 7.6mn in 2015

India has a widespread range of destinations to offer potential visitors, including the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, the aquatic wonderland of Kerala, the Thar Desert and endless historical and cultural attractions and an impressive 32 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

There is a great scope to expand tourism across the country, and as the country improves air travel connections and relaxes visa restrictions arrivals are expected to grow to reach 8.8mn by the end of 2018

(India Tourism report, 2015)

The present paper is designed to understand the various types of tourism India is offering today and the perspective of domestic consumers so as to encourage tourism at domestic level.

Objectives of the paper To review the various

types of tourism offered in India.

To analyze the details of travelers and tourists from rural areas of Latur and Satara district.

To analyze the customer attitude and satisfaction towards services and amenities offered at various tourist places.

To summarize the findings and to offer suggestions on the basis of findings.

EcotourismCoastal Tourism

Cultural TourismRural Tourism

Medical tourismNature TourismSports tourism

Spiritual tourismReligious tourism

Adventure TourismCruise Tourism

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

To understand the perception of the consumers in rural areas a questionnaire has been designed and a survey was conducted in the rural areas of Maharashtra i.e. rural areas of Latur district and Satara district. In all 250 consumers selected randomly have been contacted for the survey out of which 186 respondents replied most of the questions and are considered for this study.

ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Demographic profiles of the consumer’s shows that 69% of the total respondents are self employed whereas 18% are employees and 18% are retired people. Data clearly indicates that self-employed are more inclined for taking up tourism i.e. businessmen, doctors, lawyers, etc. this may be because of the nature of their work and of the income they earn in comparison to those who are employed.More than 55% of the respondents are in the income bracket of less than 6 lac per annum followed by 23% in 6-9 lac per annum. Spending capacity has a direct relation to the expenditure on leisure activities like tourism. Data indicates that self employed people are earning considerably higher than others thereby spending more on tourism.

70% of the total respondents chose Adventure tourism as most preferred type of tourism and then nature tourism was given second preference. Data indicates that respondents in the age group of 18-35 years are more inclined to visiting a tourist spot mainly some local adventure spot. Now this trend which is on rise is very important for the point of view of the development of nearby local destinations that can attract a huge crowd by offering good services.

This survey shows that more than 60% of the respondents of age group 36 and above plan the trip on an annual basis while 24% plan it twice a year. Remaining taking up travelling once in two year or as and when needed. In Latur as well as in Satara, where the travel industry is booming now, people still do not believe in booking online or through travel agents and prefer to plan the trips on their own. Still the data indicates that as many as 26% of the respondents book through travel agents. This clearly indicates that there is lot of scope for travel agencies to flourish in these places in coming future.Booking through internet is still very low i.e. 13% only.

Data collected for purpose for travelling revels that approximately 60% of the respondents travel for business purpose. This also indicates that facilities in the business cities for travellers should be improved.Out of 186 respondents, 46% of the respondents have travelled internationally. More than 40% of the respondents prefer to stay in economy hotels, approx. 25% prefer expensive hotels and luxury facilities to stay and almost 26% book resorts for the stay. Rest of the respondents prefer taking decision on the spot without giving much importance to the place of stay. This has also been observed during the study that many people are taking up staying in resorts for relaxation for 4-5 days and do not prefer going outside to see the tourist spots. This is also an increasing trend among the local residents which emphasise on the development of good facilities in resorts that relaxes the tourist during their stay.

Average duration of the trip for most of the respondents was 3-5 days. People prefer to plan short trips and with this they can save money and can travel more than one time in a year.Approximately 40% of the total respondents are satisfied with the accommodation facilities provided by various hotels on tourist spots whereas rest of the others were not satisfied about the facilities vis a vis charges. Approx. 78% customers prefer exploring local cuisine during their stay.

According to the survey, accommodation provided by the government authorities like MTDC resort etc. do not provide satisfactory services as they carry that typical “government job” attitude. More than 65% respondents prefer spending weekend outside at some nearby tourist spot. This is also an increasing trend these days and requires more attention by the government in terms of developing such spots in the nearby locations which could be a good source of revenue for the government.

Challenges for the Domestic tourists in IndiaSecurity & safety- Many places in India are not considered safe to travel. Many places are highly unsafe for females and there is poor discipline as well as political instability in many places. To boost tourism government should immediately take action for it. 2. Maintenance and cleanliness-The general cleanliness and sanitation level of the tourist places is very poor. 3. Communication - There is diversity in the regional languages and tourist face the problem of communication with the locals. 4. Infrastructure- Poor connectivity of roads and less means of transport is the major hinderence in the development of tourism sector in India. 5. Behavior of local residents- Many places in India are particularly lacking on this ground as there is lack of education among the taxi/auto rickshaw drivers and the service providers of tourism in India. Foreign tourists are ill-treated at tourist spots.

Suggestions to boost Tourism among Local / Rural travelers

. Proper transportation facilities: Families in different strata need facilities like bus, cars, and trains to approach their favorite destinations. Major distances are covered by trains or planes. Sufficient transport facilities exist and additional facilities can be made for the same based on requirements. 3. Proper accommodation facility: Apart from international tourist, domestic travelers in India also need to be provided with good quality accommodation at reasonable prices in nearby localities of tourist spots. 4. Food and restaurants: Food and restaurants are required at tourist sites. The restaurants should be able to serve a variety of local as well as global cuisines to suit all tastes. Restaurants should be able to supply mineral water to the health conscious tourists.5. Adequate and hygienic toilet, bathroom and urinal facilities are required at tourist places. These facilities also need maintenance and cleanliness.

6. Primary HealthCare: Every tourist spot should be equipped with a primary healthcare centers to provide first aid and amenities to minimize stress and fatigue relief. 7. Handicraft and local crafts sales facilities: A tour is probably a time when the tourist is brought close to local handicrafts and local craftsmen. Adequate space for having shops to sell Indian handicrafts, garments and traditional items must be provided. 8. Amusement Parks and secondary entertainment facilities: Now days the tourists want to enjoy more and that too by spending least of their time. This opportunity can be availed by building good amusement parks and shopping complexes near the famous tourist spots. .It will not only promote tourism but also lead to employment generation for a large number of people.

9. Bank and ATM facilities: Most tourist locations require Bank and ATM facilities. Nationalized banks can be directed to provide ATM facilities nearby heritage/tourist sites. 10. Persons performing unclean acts can be fined for such purposes. Indian tourism department should frame surveillance and penal code that should authorize the specific persons at respective tourist spots to impose and collect penalties and fines from those who are damaging the tourist spots or creating unclean environment. 11. Single window facility should be provided for booking rooms in city hotels and other tourism related services.

CONCLUSION

Tourism industry holds a great potential to flourish in India provided its cultural and historical legacy is properly taken care of. India has a potential to cater not only foreign tourists but also domestic tourists. Domestic tourism which is on rise today needs a special attention from center as well as state authorities. Therefore the ministry of tourism can analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Indian tourism industry and also explore the favorable opportunities coming its way and minimize the effects of the threats posed so that Indian tourism industry can be benefitted from it.

Limitations of the Study

This survey was taken on a small sample size so we cannot generalize it but it provides a useful insight in understanding the preferences of domestic travelers in India.

THANK YOU

Only 5% of the total respondents have taken club memberships for staying in resorts. In rural places, people generally do not prefer to take a membership plan as they travel occasionally i.e. during holidays only. So they prefer to book hotels while planning to travel. Also they find these resorts far away from the main city which is a main reason for not going for memberships.In response to the question about average expenditure per trip nearly 45% replied more than Rs 25000 which clearly indicates that people have more disposable income and are ready to spend more money on comfort during travel travelling.