a quarterly report by - Technopak

perspective
a quar terly repor t by
Volume 02 / 2009
| Volume 02
infrastructure, rural infrastructure, SEZs, and water sanitation infrastructure, thus making a total of US$ 563
Bn worth of infrastructure investments in the 11th Five Year Plan period . This investment in infrastructure
will boost tourism potential over the next decade.
Technopak conducted a survey to understand and identify the key recommendations to the government
and the industry, where the key priority areas for domestic and international tourists were identified. The
findings of the survey over the random sample are quite in line with some of the government initiatives
being taken.
As per the suvery, the following were the responses towards the most important motivator for visiting a
tourist destination:
•For
59% of the respondents, it is the infrastructure (roads, public utilities, bus stand, taxi services, railway
stations and airports)
•For
40% of the respondents, it is the overall hygiene conditions at a location
•For
31% of the respondents, it is the availability of information, booking and services (guides, tourist
information)
•For
29% of the respondents, it is the easy connectivity to the city (frequency of flights/trains/buses)
•For
28% of the respondents, it is the hotel stay (room availability, budget category hotels and quality)
When interviewed, most Indian travelers mentioned the infrastructure within the city and overall hygiene as
the biggest need gaps for tourism within India.
Niche Tourism Products
The growing concern worldwide over global warming and climate change combined with rising oil prices,
the energy crisis and the economic slowdown has led to dramatic changes in consumer attitudes, travel
seasonality and other travel patterns and trends. It is influencing individual choices regarding travel
destinations, the length of trips and other factors such as the availability of environment-friendly modes of
transport and environmentally-responsible service providers.
World travellers are also increasingly looking for quality products and experiences that offer value for
money, especially environment-friendly travel and tourism related products and services as well as those
that enable them to take part in local community activities.
The Ministry of Tourism recognizes the significance of these shifts in lifestyle preferences and travel trends.
By keeping pace with the latest trends in global travel, this strengthens India’s global image as a dynamic
and relevant ‘brand.’
Initiatives at State-level with Involvement of Locals:
States are taking initiatives in teaming with locals to provide a flavor of their culture and traditions. Some of
the key initiatives are mentioned below:
Himachal Pradesh: The Himachal Government has introduced a scheme - ‘Himachal Pradesh Home
Stay Scheme 2008’ under which tourists are given the opportunity see the rural areas of Himachal and
enjoy their stay in comfortable home-stay accommodations.
Gujarat: Through the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ programme, the Gujarat Government plans to actively market the
tourism sector. With a 1,650-km coastline, the state has plans of developing beaches in regions like Kutch
and Mandvi.
Madhya Pradesh: The Government of Madhya Pradesh is keen to initiate the development of an artificial
beach in the state. The concept is based on ‘Ocean Dome’ artificial beach in Japan. The total investment
for the project is estimated around US$ 440 Mn.
61 | Indian Tourism : Managing Growth by Breaking Barriers