ETW Assign. Report_ 2015.Doc

7/23/2019 ETW Assign. Report_ 2015.Doc

1/14

Subject: ETW

A proposal of recommendations for improvingfacilities regarding tourism for students of IIT

KHARAGPURASSIGNMENT


2/14

ETW Assignment- Report

A proposal of recommendations for improving facilitiesregarding tourism for students of IIT KHARAGPUR

SUBMITTED BY:

Vidhu Pandey (14AR92R03): Introduction and methodology, questionnaire formulation,conclusion, review and editing.

Nazma Anjum(14BT92R02): Aims and objectives, executive summary, questionnaire

formulation, review and editing. Rohit Singla(15CR90J01): Analysis of responses and questionnaire formulation.

Rabiya(15BT91F01): Compilation of responses, questionnaire formulation.

Shazia(14AT72P03): Compilation of responses and questionnaire formulation

Aditi(14CH92R02): Abstract and questionnaire formulation

Anupam Apoorva(14BS92F01): Abstract and questionnaire formulation

Debashree De(15IM91R01): Analysis of responses and questionnaire formulation

2 | P a g e


3/14


1.1Executive Summary

From time immemorial travellers have visited India and praised her rich culture, heritage

and diverse flora and fauna in their travelogues. In 2014 annual Foreign Tourist Arrival (FTA)

has increased by 6.8% making it a figure of 8.77 lakh. This data reflects that even todaytourism is one of the most important foreign revenue earning sources of our country. Tourism

benefits the country in three ways infrastructure, employment and foreign revenue.

According to World Travel and Tourism Council Data, in 2015 tourism had contributed to

6.9% of Indias total GDP. In 2002, with the Incredible India campaign the tourism

department of Government of India along with the state tourism departments, made a sincere

effort to revamp tourism in the country. Not only foreign nationals but wanderlust Indians

prefer to travel across the country. Different tourists have different preferences and

necessities based on age, financial background and culture. Among Indians, the young

individuals (of age group 18-30) form a major category of people who love to travel and

explore new places. In Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, the students and scholars

mostly belong to this category. Hence they form an interesting group whose choices can be

studied to understand the effectiveness of the initiatives taken under Incredible India

campaign as well as the drawbacks and loop holes that need immediate attention from

concerned higher authorities. For this study, an online survey was conducted among the

students of IIT, Kharagpur. A total of 245 responses were recorded in this online survey. The

age groups were broadly classified based on tentative age of B.Tech and M.Tech students

and research scholars. This is important to assess the change in choices between candidates of

different courses. The survey revealed that students mostly preferred Durga puja and winter

break for long trips. The students seem quite enthusiastic travellers considering majority

prefer to explore and do not have financial constraints for short or long trip. The location

preferences of the students indicate that hilly areas like Darjeeling and Sikkim are popular

attractions to the students. These data together reveals that there is a relative lack of

weekend tourism among the IIT, Kharagpur students. This may be due to heavy study schedule

or dearth of tourist spots suitable for a weekend stay or scarcity of knowledge of such tourist

spots among the students. The survey also indicates half of the students are concerned about

their safety and therefore, opt for informing the authorities before leaving campus. However

the arrogance of the authorities seems to deter the remaining half from doing so. Majority

students seem to be satisfied by the role of state government on overall tourism but there are

a few lacunae which need to be addressed. This survey unravels the current scenario of

tourism around Kharagpur and also highlights the drawbacks and hindrances one has to face

during their trips. The issues can be mitigated by the IIT authorities directly or they may seekstate or central intervention for better results. While the state and central government can

resolve the problems under their capacity and there by improve the tourism circuits in and

around Kharagpur.

3 | P a g e


4/14


1.2

Introduction

The tourism sector of India has been attracting the foreign as well as national tourists since

ages. From the status of mystical land of sages to the global economy that it is today, ithas always made people to crave about making a trip around it and get a slice of

cultural potpourri which India boasts of. The current Incredible India campaigns have also

boosted its image as a tourist friendly country which becomes very much evident with the

decadal observations. Hence it would not be an exaggeration to say that with so many

destinations to choose from and so many variations in a single platter; its a treat for

everybody.

Talking about the national tourists then we can say that students form a major chunk of this

category. The keen nature, adventurous spirit and a surge to find something new motivates

this new age tourist to go into explored and unexplored destinations with equal fervor

and enchantment. They mostly come under the umbrella of budget tourism and constantly

search for options which optimize their situation that is best out of least.

It hence becomes an utmost important study to understand about the current condition of

the scenario and know more about this category and its preferences. The current report

focuses on this situation and tries to gauge out the enthusiasm level and the facilities

provided by government organizations. The report also intends to find the lacunae in the

administration for not being able to fulfill things on their part and how it can be

eliminated in the form of a recommendation proposal.

1.3

Objectives of study

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is considered as one of the premiere

educational institutes in India. It is interesting to assess the wanderlust nature of the diverse

young students here. This study will give us insights on the preferences of tourism among

the young generation of India.

The study will also highlight the various hurdles students have to face during a trip. Thesedata, in some cases, can be generalized as a common problem of all the people staying

in the IIT, Kharagpur campus and/or in Kharagpur. The issues can be taken up by the IIT

Kharagpur authorities directly or they may seek attention from the state as well as central

government level to ensure a better tourism facility for the students.

The tourism choices of the students can be prioritized by the State and Central

Governments for betterment of tourism industry and revenue collection from this sector.

4 | P a g e


5/14


1.4

Methodology

The study for the above topic was undertaken at IIT Kharagpur as it provided us with an

appropriate mix of students at various levels of education. The survey was done on the basis

of online polling and the outreach can be termed as high as we received an overwhelming240 plus responses. The steps involved in the overall process are presented in the table

below. Sample copy of the survey has been attached in the report for the review of

competent authorities.

Formulation of

problem

Primary study of

problem areas

formulation of

questionnaire

Data collection Data analysisReport writing and

conclusion of study

Recommendations

5 | P a g e


6/14


1.5

Analysis

In line with the above methodology, survey has been done to identify prevailing issues andfinding the priority of the tourist attractions in IIT Kharagpur community. From the conductedthe survey, interpretation was done to interpret the findings. The questionnaire was primarilyfocused to draw out the issues on spending capacity of students, trending tourist attractions,safety standards and preferred visit timing of the visit.

Spending Capability

The spending capacity of the students is a major constraint that governs the preference of

tourist spots and duration of the trip. Students prefer to go for extended weekend trips ingroups biannually. Finance does not seem to be an issue as majority of the respondentspolled for options which are on higher side.

36%

39%

25%

Age

Age

16-21

21-25

>2583%

17%

Gender

Gender

Male

Female

49%

28%

23%

Level Of Education

Level Of

Educatio

n

UG

6 | P a g e


7/14


Alone

21%

Duet

16%Group

63%

What kind of a traveller

are you?

alone

duet

group

36%

41%

23%

Preferred duration of trips?

Long

Short

Weekend

9%

20%

35%

36%

How much are you willing to

pay for a short trip?

< Rs. 500

Rs. 5000

>Rs. 10,000


8/14


Tourist preferences:

Hill stations seem to top the preference list of the students with 29% of the votes.Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan are the hotspots in this category as they are easilyaccessible from Kharagpur. With 22%, second in preference list comes islands. Howeverthe distance and budget for island trips make it comparatively expensive option for thestudents. Majority of the travellers like to enjoy the natural beauty and hence opted forthe sightseeing as a predominant activity in their trip.

From the above survey it can be deciphered that Bengal is bestowed with diversified floraand fauna. Even outside Bengal there are lots of options for students to explore. Studentsare willing to go to variety of places and do several activities on the vacations. Studentsare not afraid to explore other states and they dont seem to have prejudice for otherstates. The students return fresh after a vacation and always have zeal and enthusiasm toexplore new destinations.

18%

29%

13%

7%

9%

22%

2%

Preferred location for

holiday? Beach

Hill station

Historical Places

Deserts

Mangroves

Islands

Other

18%

32%

13%

13%

22%

2%

Preferred types of activity on

vacation?Sports

Sight seeing

Local shopping

Relaxation and

SpaExplore new

cuisinesOther

21%

32%27%

16%

4%

Preferred holiday destination (in the

vicinity of Kharagpur)?

Bhutan

Darjeeling

Sikkim

Assam

Other

8 | P a g e


9/14


Preferred time to visit:

Generally, students try to plan trips in such a way that only popular sites can be coveredin a given period of time. 60% of students prefer to go on a tour in winters. Studies createpressure on students, they want to travel and explore more but they are not able toexplore more due to their work schedule. Hence they prefer to go for long trips in winteronce semester ends.

Safety Standards:

Students try to consider their safety and attempt to incorporate the security measures in

their travel and avoid any such destination which is already adversely affected in terms of

law and order. Around 50% students dont care to report the authorities while going for

trip.

27%

45%

28%

Preferred vacation period

Autumn

Winter

Summer

48%52%

Do you prefer to report

college authorities before

leaving for a trip in the

weekends?

Yes

No

18%

18%

57%

7%

In case you don't prefer informing the

authorities, what is the possible reason

for doing so?

Arrogance of the

authorities

Your reluctant

nature

Cumbersome

process

Other

9 | P a g e


10/14


Summary of comments:

Based on the comments of the respondents a few issues came into focus:

The remoteness of Kharagpur was found to be the major reason for a troublesome

tourism.

Travelling on deteriorated roads was another issue which worsened at nights due to the

lack of basic facilities like street lights and access to public toilets.

As Kharagpur is not fully developed, travellers find it difficult to find an apt market fortheir travel specific shopping.

Local transport system is dependent totally on rickshaws and auto which reflects miserable

condition of local transport.

Since there are only few/no direct trains to the North East from Kharagpur, one has to go

to Howrah to board trains which is very tiring and costly and takes the entire day.

Long distance trains via Kharagpur usually get delayed or cancelled causing

inconvenience to the tourists.

Travelling can be more organized and comfortable if the State and IIT authorities take hold of

the responsibility in a better.

7%

13%

20%

27%

33%

14.Rate the role of West Bengal

Government as facilitator of providing tour

safety and services.

1

2

3

4

5

10 | P a g e


11/14


1.6

Recommendations

Most of the respondents seem to be satisfied with the services provided by the state

government. However there is ample scope of improvement in the commute section. The

bus services from and around Kharagpur are insufficient. They are not lucrative enoughfor the travellers to be considered as a mainstream commute mode. Hence provision of

luxury Buses (Volvo, etc.) may attract people to explore nearby areas.

Darjeeling and Sikkim came out as the favorite destinations which can be attributed to the

fact that not many are aware about the various nearby tourist spots which can be easily

explored in a weekend getaway.

Recent ticketing regulation changes in Indian railways requires reservations four months

prior to the journey hence causing hindrance to many spontaneous travel plans. Alternate

low budget travel modes need to be explored and introduced.

Commuting to the railway station is a cumbersome process because of lack of connecting

vehicles. IIT Kharagpur authorities can introduce a regular pickup service which can beavailed by the students.

1.7 Conclusion

The students of IIT Kharagpur are enthusiastic travellers as can be reported by the survey

undertaken by our team. Few roadblocks on the tourism circuit can be an obstacle to this

revenue generating community. The study done here can be taken up as the analysis for

all the issues raised which can be mitigated by the recommendations provided.

Implementation of the recommendations will definitely improvise the current scenario oftourism for IIT Kharagpur students. This in turn will have a positive impact on revenue

generation for the government too.

It is rightly said by Dan Eldon that The journey is the destination. It is a soul searching;

life emancipating experience that energizes refreshes and frees our mind. IIT boasts of

having cream de la crme of the students and it is required to keep these minds

invigorated as ever. Tourism is one such measure which not only helps a person to negate

the stress of mundane daily lives but also to explore and learn something new. A

rejuvenated mind will enrich the productivity of the students and will in turn contribute to

the growth of the nation.

11 | P a g e


12/14


Appendix

12 | P a g e


13/14


13 | P a g e


14/14


14 | P a g e

Documents

ETW Assign. Report_ 2015.Doc